Modeling Culture: A Framework

Abstract

Cognitive culture theory and the associated methods of cultural domain analysis and cultural consensus analysis have revolutionized the study of cultural sharing and variation. However, the ways in which these methods can be employed are still not widely appreciated. Our aim in this paper is to propose a systematic framework for investigating cultural models. We provide examples of ideal types of sharing and variation in cultural models, including monocentric cultural models, multifocal cultural models, and multicentric cultural models. This review will contribute to mixed methods by providing a roadmap for researchers interested in employing cultural modeling in their own work, but who may not have a well-developed sense of the various ways in which it can be pursued.