Finding the way: A critical discussion of anthropological theories of human spatial orientation with reference to reindeer herders of Northeastern Europe and Western Siberia

• Main Authors: Kirill V Istomin, Mark J Dwyer
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: nenets; Siberia
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.1038.681; http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/%7Emontello/pubs/anthro.pdf

In anthropology, research on human spatial orientation (wayfinding) has centered on two conflicting theories: the "mental map," whereby humans build abstract cognitive representations of the spatial relations between objects, and "practical mastery," which rejects the idea that such abstract representations exist and, in its most developed form, suggests that wayfinding is a process of moving from one recognized visual perspective (vista) to another (transitions between vistas). In this paper we reveal, on the basis of existing psychology and geography research, that both wayfinding theories are in fact complementary: humans rely on mental maps but also memorize vistas while navigating, and an individual's navigation method, ability, and the form of the mental map is likely to depend on a situation as well as on factors such as age, sex, familiarity with the environment, and life history. We demonstrate (using research material obtained during fieldwork carried out among Komi and Nenets reindeer herders) that anthropology can contribute to human spatial cognitive research, which has traditionally been an interdisciplinary endeavor, by identifying differences in spatial representation between different people and peoples. However, future contributions can be achieved only if anthropologists accept that mental maps and route knowledge (as advocated by practical mastery) are part and parcel of spatial cognition. Statement of the Problem Over the past century, anthropologists have shown interest in the methods of human spatial orientation. Many studies have focused on peoples who were thought to have extraordinary or even "superhuman" orientation skills: Micronesian mariners The principal aims of this paper are to (1) outline the recent anthropological debate of human orientation (over the past 2 decades), (2) evaluate this debate in relation to similar studies made in psychology and geography, and (3) demonstrate how anthropology can contribute to the ongoing interdisciplinary research on human orientation by using ...