A groups unique folk customs develop through centuries

A groups unique folk customs develop through centuries of relative isolation from customs practiced by other culture groups Folk customs observed at a point in time vary widely from one place to another, even nearby places Himalayan Art Geographers P. Karan and Cotton Mather studied a 1500 mile corridor in the Himalayan Mountains -found 4 distinct culture groups 1. Buddhists (southern Tibet, China) 2. Muslims (eastern Pakistan) 3. Hindu (northern India) 4. Anamists (Myanmar, near Bhutan)

They studied art from each group and found distinct elements in each groups artistic subjects They found unique customs among these groups in art as well as dance, music, architecture, and crafts

Influence of the Physical Environment The idea of environmental determinism is that the environment causes social customs Modern geographers reject this idea because many different peoples live in similar environments but adopt distinct social customs Also, examples exist of people living in different environments who adopt similar social customs *The environment is only one of several controls over social customs

The environment can influence certain elements of society such as food, clothing, and shelter -Arctic residents wear fur-lined boots for protection against the cold -people living in warm, humid climates may not wear any shoes -the Dutch wear wooden shoes because the wood is waterproof and much of that country’s farmland is often wet *folk societies are particularly responsive to the environment because of their low level of technology and prevailing agricultural economy -folk cultures are extremely diverse, even if found in similar environments -not all residents in wet environments wear wooden shoes

Distinctive Food Preferences Folk food habits also derive from the environment Humans need to consider the environment when deciding what foods to produce (soil, climate, terrain, vegetation, rice or wheat) -rice demands a mild, moist climate -wheat grows in colder, drier climates People adopt their food preferences to environmental conditions

Soybeans: toxic in their raw state, but excellent protein when cooked In Asia, fuel sources are scarce So, Asians use soybeans in many of their foods -soy meal requires less cooking than other foods In Italy, quick frying foods became popular partly because of wood shortages In northern Europe, abundant wood supply allowed for longer cooking (slow-roasted) foods

Food habits are strongly influenced by cultural traditions What a group of people eat often helps to determine social, religious, and ethnic characteristics *the surest way to identify a family’s ethnic origins is to look in its kitchen Even after a group moves and their dress, manners, and speech become indistinguishable in their new culture, old food habits are one of the last traditional folk customs held onto Folk customs believe that everything in nature carries a distinctive characteristic -so, people may desire or avoid certain foods

Certain foods are eaten because they are perceived to enhance desirable qualities Abipone Indians (Paraguay) eat jaguars because they believe it will make them strong, brave, and swift

The mandrake plant of the Mediterranean area is thought to enhance the power of love

People also refuse to eat certain foods thought to have negative environmental connotations Taboo—behavior restrictions of a society based on social customs The Ainu people of Japan refuse to eat otter because they are believed to be forgetful and consuming them could cause memory loss

Most mainland Europeans felt potatoes were to blame for ailments such as typhoid, tuberculosis, and famine

Mbumkpov women of Chad refuse to eat goat or chicken before becoming pregnant -thought this takes away pain during child birth

Trobriand Islands off of eastern Papua New Guinea—couples are prohibited from eating meals together before marriage -premarital sex is accepted by this society Most food avoidance customs arise from cultural values rather than from environmental factors

Well-known food taboos are found in the Bible Hebrews were prohibited from eating pork -partially a result of environmental concern --pigs were not suitable for the pastoral nomad lifestyle of the Hebrews, and its meat spoils quickly in the warm Mediterranean climate Muslims also have a pork taboo -also in part environmental -pigs are not suitable for the dry Arabian Peninsula climate -pigs would compete with humans for food, and would not be able to carry loads, pull a plow, or provide milk or wool -raising pigs in Arabia would be an ecological disaster

Hindus also have a taboo against consuming cows -also traced partially to environment -cows are the source of oxen (castrated male bovine) -when the monsoon rains come, every field in India needs to be quickly plowed -so a very large supply of oxen are needed *Although these taboos are partially environmental, they cannot be explained only by environmental factors*

Social values also have an important role in taboos -because people in similar climates with similar income levels consume different foods Food taboos are also found in cultures dominated by popular culture -in US, Americans do not eat insects, although they are very high in nutritional value -Thailand Myanmar—they deep-fry and ground giant water bugs into their foods for nutrition -Americans do eat canned tomatoes and mushrooms which often contain insects (although this is not commonly acknowledged)

Folk Housing The house is a good reflection of cultural heritage, current fashion, functional needs, and the impact of environment The type of building materials used to construct houses is partially influenced by environmental resources -the lack of trees in the Great Plains region of North America caused many American settlers to build sod homes Two most common building materials in the world: 1. Wood 2. Brick 3. Stone, grass, sod, and skins also used

Wood is the preferred material -but less expensive materials may be substituted --using drywall instead of wood for interior walls The orientation of houses can vary between societies Fiji—eastern wall is considered sacred China—northwest wall considered sacred Madagascar—homes also have religious considerations -main door always faces west -north wall honors ancestors -beds placed against east wall, heads point north Java—front door always faces south -South Sea goddess holds key to the Earth

Housing forms are related to environmental and social conditions -pitched roofs needed to facilitate runoff in wet or snowy climates -windows face south in temperate climates for aid in heating -windows are smaller in hot climates

U. S. Folk House Forms Older homes in the U. S. display local folk-culture customs -as pioneers moved westward during the 1700 s and 1800 s, they cut trees to build their houses, barns, and fences -the style of pioneer homes reflected whatever upscale style was prevailing at the place on the East Coast from which the family migrated from -houses built in the U. S. in the past 50 years display popular culture influences

Three Major Folk Housing Culture Hearths: 1. New England—migrants brought their house types west through the Great Lakes region and into Wisconsin 2. mid-Atlantic—migrants brought their housing styles through the Ohio River Valley and through Appalachia 3. Lower Chesapeake—migrants moved southward along the east coast 4. -basements are more likely to be found in northeastern homes than in southwestern homes