some links i just sent to Chaz re: conceptual work tying social and cultural factors to cognitive and biological development. low level but fun for armchair philosophes:

also, here is some lakoff stuff:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakoff
(you won't like his politics but his work on cognition and philosophy is quite good)

http://theliterarylink.com/metaphors.html

there's also varela, who's done phenomenal work trying to connect mind to embodiment and through that, cultural effects on mind and vice versa:

http://www.enolagaia.com/Varela.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Varela

finally, something quite fascinating. the study of neurogenesis has really taken off under this one professor. basically, neuronal growth is stunted under high and constant stress situations or in the absence of stimulus. fascinating stuff:

http://www.seedmagazine.com/news/2006/02/the_reinvention_of_the_self.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurogenesis