Geographers study culture to understand how place affects
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Geographers study culture to understand… • …how place affects culture. • …how culture affects place. • …the distributions of culture groups and reasons for those distributions.
Definition of Culture • Culture is a group’s way of life, including the shared set of meanings and symbolic practices, transmitted between generations. • Culture can be seen as “learned behavior. ”
Culture Traits • …are single elements of normal practice in culture.
Culture trait examples • • Silence Private space Touching Hand gestures Eye contact Greetings Perceptions of time Gift giving
A culture group • a group of people with shared culture traits
A Culture Region • …an area showing the location of a culture groups. **in the modern world there are 1000 s of culture groups
A Culture Realm… • …is a group of culture regions that share a common culture system.
trait/group/region/realm • Combine traits to make a groups • Map groups to make a region • Many regions make a realm
Culture and HEI • Cultural ecology …the study of the relationship between a culture and its environment. Low Island High Island (Maori)
Culture and HEI • Cultural landscape…is the imprint of a culture on the earth’s surface.
Culture and HEI • Environmental determinism is the belief that the physical environment (especially climate) is the major factor influencing culture.
Culture and HEI • Possibilism is the belief that people and not the environment shape culture. Lagos, Nigeria
Culture and HEI • Some locations are “luckier” than others-mild climate, fresh water, fertile soil, resources.
A culture hearth is a region where cultural traits developed.
What do cultures leave behind? • Artifacts are the tangible aspects of culture. – Cooking utensils (in India) – Voting machines – A judge’s gavel
What do cultures leave behind? • Sociofacts are the social behaviors of a culture. – Dietary restrictions of a culture (Many are vegetarian. ) – The political process – The court system
What do cultures leave behind? • Mentifacts are the ideas, values, beliefs of a culture. – Religious beliefs. (Cows are sacred. ) – Ideas about democracy – Ideas about justice
Culture Change • Innovation refers to the use of existing technology to create something new.
Culture Change • Cultural diffusion is the process of spreading an idea or an innovation from one area to another
Culture Change • Assimilation – becoming part of a new culture
Culture Change • Acculturation occurs when a society changes as it comes into contact with a dominant culture.
Culture Change • Transculturation occurs when two strong cultures come together and create a blended culture--neither one dominates.
Acceleration of diffusion • Travel is faster • Communication is instananeous.
Barriers to diffusion… • Distance • Physical environment • Lack of acceptance or resistance to change.
Are we creating a global culture?