View
231
Download
1
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Chapter 4: Folk and Popular Culture
The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography
Culture
• Combination of 3 things:– Values – Material artifacts – Political
institutions• This chapter:
material artifacts
Material Culture
• 2 categories: – Folk culture
• Small, isolated, homogeneous groups in rural areas
– Popular culture• Large, heterogeneous groups of people with common
habits regardless of different personal characteristics
– Geographers: interested in 2 aspects of culture:• Where cultures are located in space• How cultures interact with the environment
Where Do Cultures Originate and Diffuse?
• Origin of folk and popular cultures– Folk culture = hearth area; originators are
usually unknown– Popular culture = hearth areas in MDCs
• MDC populations have disposable income & leisure time
Where Do Cultures Originate and Diffuse?
• Origin of folk & popular music– Folk music
• Tells a story or recounts important life events or activities
• Is personal in nature
– Popular music• Written by individuals for the purpose
of selling to a large audience
• Highly technical
Where Do Cultures Originate and Diffuse?
• Diffusion of folk & popular culture– Folk culture
• Diffuses slowly, mostly through migration, on small scales
• Amish culture
– Popular culture • Diffuses rapidly, by hierarchical
diffusion, & over large scales• Sports
Why Is Folk Culture Clustered?
• Influence of physical environment– Close connection to environment
• Most are rural & agricultural• May ignore environmental
conditions
Why Is Folk Culture Clustered?
• Influence of the physical environment– Food preferences
are adapted to environment
– Food taboos may be very strong
– Terroir = sum effects of local environment on a food item
Swine Stock
Figure 4-8
Why Is Folk Culture Clustered?
• Influence of physical environment– Folk housing & the environment
• Reflects cultural heritage, current fashion, function, & physical environment
• Most common building materials = wood & brick
• Minor differences in environment can produce very different house styles
Why Is Folk Culture Clustered?
• Isolation promotes cultural diversity– Himalayan art– Beliefs & folk house forms
Why Is Popular Culture Widely Distributed?
• Diffusion of popular housing, clothing, & food– Popular culture varies more in time than place
• Food customs: consumption of snack foods & alcohol• Clothing styles: reflect occupation, not environment• Housing: reflects U.S. fashion trends since 1940s
U.S. House Types (1945–1990)
Figure 4-16
Why Is Popular Culture Widely
Distributed?
• Electronic diffusion of popular culture– Watching television
• Most popular leisure activity in MDCs
• Diffusion from U.S. to rest of the world in 50 years
– The Internet• Diffusion from U.S. to
rest of the world in 10 years
Diffusion of Facebook
Figure 4-21
Why Does Popular Culture Cause Problems?
• Threats to folk culture– Loss of traditional
values– Media imperialism– Satellites
• Limit government control of information
Why Does Popular Culture Cause Problems?
• Environmental impact of popular culture– Modifying nature
• Golf courses• Uniform
landscapes
– Negative impacts• Increased
demand for natural resources
• Pollution
The End.