Chapter 4 Learning Guide – Folk & Popular Culture
Key Issue 1 – Where Do Folk and Popular Cultures Originate and Diffuse?
Pgs. 104 - 111
1.
What is the difference between a habit and a custom and provide an example of
each?
2.
Define folk culture:
3.
Define popular culture:
4.
Folk culture is more likely to vary from __________________ to ____________________ at a
given time, where ____________________ _______________________ is more likely to vary
from ____________________ to ____________________ at a given place.
Origin of Folk & Popular Culture
This section looks at the origin and diffusion of specific examples of both folk and popular
culture. Specifically examined examples of folk culture are folk music and Amish culture.
Examples used to illustrate popular culture are popular music and soccer.
5.
List the elements of the origin and characteristics of folk music.
6.
List the elements of the origin and diffusion of popular music.
7.
Shade and label the hearths of today’s Hip Hop music in the U.S. and label the
location of the origin with a dot.
Diffusion of Folk & Popular Culture
8.
Where did Amish culture originate, and how did it diffuse to the United States?
9.
In what ways is Amish culture distinct from the popular culture of the United
States?
10.
What is happening to the Amish in the United States today?
11.
Label and shade the areas of larger Amish settlements in the U.S.
12.
How was soccer transformed from a folk custom into popular culture?
13.
Despite their anonymous folk origins, what characteristics of organized
spectator sports today characterize them as popular culture?
14.
Label popular sports with the countries in which they are most popular and with
which they are best associated.
Chapter 4 Learning Guide – Folk & Popular Culture
Key Issue 2 – Why is Folk Culture Clustered?
Pgs. 111 – 117
Influence of the Physical Environment
1.
How does clothing style (in this case shoes) indicate the influence of the
environment on folk culture?
2.
List 3 different examples of food habits and the unique folk cultures each
illustrates.
3.
Indicate some food taboos, along with the cultures that practice them, in the
chart below.
Food Taboos
Cultures/Regions
Foods/Reasons
4.
In what sense are building materials of folk housing unique?
Isolation Promotes Cultural Diversity
5.
Summarize how cultural diversity in the Himalayas is displayed in local art.
6.
What cultural institution is shaping these differences?
7.
What environmental conditions (which are the same for all groups here) are
NOT ensuring similar art forms in this case?
8.
Fred Kniffen, a cultural geographer, has identified three source regions for
American folk housing styles: New England, Middle Atlantic and Lower
Chesapeake. List the housing styles he identified with each region.
New England (4 styles) –
Middle Atlantic (1 dominant style) –
Lower Chesapeake –
Chapter 4 Learning Guide – Folk & Popular Culture
Key Issue 3 – Why is Popular Culture Widely Distributed?
Pgs. 117 – 125
1.
In contrast to folk customs, popular customs diffuse ___________________ across the
Earth’s surface to location with a wide variety of ________________ ________________.
This diffusion depends, however, upon a group of people having a sufficiently
high level of ___________________ _______________________ in order to obtain the
______________________ ___________________ associated with the popular custom.
Diffusion of Popular Housing, Clothing & Food
2.
Consumption of large quantities of what two food products are characteristic of
popular culture?
3.
How is each of these food preferences expressed regionally, according to
culture?
4.
In Western countries where popular culture predominates, clothing styles
generally reflect ________________ rather than particular ________________________.
5.
What are 3 facts about clothing styles associated with popular culture?
6.
________________ are an important symbol of the _____________________ of Western
______________________ _____________________.
7.
Complete the chart below to indicate the decade(s) during which each housing
style was dominant and a fact about the particular style of house.
Style
Minimal
Traditional
Decades(s)
Facts
Ranch House
Split-Level
Contemporary
Style
Shed Style
8.
What are the Neo-eclectic styles of the 1960’s and 1970’s?
Electronic Diffusion of Popular Culture
9.
Give 2 reasons for which television is an especially significant element of culture.
10.
Complete the chart with countries/regions using the bottom map on pg 123.
Television is Universal
Television is Common
Television is Rare
Using the bottom map on pg 124, answer #11 – 13.
11.
Currently, where is the Internet most widely available?
12.
In what regions will it most likely continue to grow?
13.
What regions, then, does that leave as still relatively untouched by the Internet,
in the foreseeable future?
Chapter 4 Learning Guide – Folk & Popular Culture
Key Issue 4 – Why Does Globalization of Popular Culture Cause Problems?
Pgs. 125 – 130
Threat to Folk Culture
1.
How and where has folk clothing styles worldwide been threatened by popular
culture?
2.
How have women in many parts of the world been helped by the spread of
popular culture? How have they been hurt?
3.
What 3 countries dominate worldwide television markets? What regions does
each dominate?
Country dominating television…
Region it dominates…
4.
Why do developing nations view television as a new source of cultural
imperialism?
5.
What are the world’s two largest newspaper organizations? What countries are
they associated with?
6.
In many parts of the world, what is the only reliable and unbiased source of
news information?
Environmental Impact of Popular Culture
7.
How is the playing of golf and golf courses an example of a popular custom that
is not generally in harmony with the local environment?
8.
What is a uniform landscape?
9.
How and why is this concept utilized by fast-food restaurants?
10.
What are the two ways in which popular customs have an adverse effect on the
natural environment?
Chapter 4 Learning Guide – Folk & Popular Culture
Key Issue 1 – Where Do Folk and Popular Cultures Originate and Diffuse?
Pgs. 104 - 111
1. What is the difference between a habit and a custom?
Habit is a repetitive act of an individual person – wearing jeans every day.
Custom is a repetitive act of a group so much that it becomes characteristics of
that group – college students wearing jeans every day.
2. Define folk culture:
Practiced by small, homogeneous groups living in isolated rural areas.
3. Define popular culture:
Found in large, heterogeneous societies that share certain habits despite
differences in other personal characteristics.
4. Folk culture is more likely to vary from ____place______ to ___place_____ at a given
time, where ____popular_____ ____culture___ is more likely to vary from ____time____
to ____time_____ at a given place.
Origin of Folk & Popular Culture
This section looks at the origin and diffusion of specific examples of both folk and popular
culture. Specifically examined examples of folk culture are folk music and Amish culture.
Examples used to illustrate popular culture are popular music and soccer.
5. List the elements of the origin and characteristics of folk music.
- folk songs are usually composed anonymously & passed on orally
- sometimes songs are modified from generation to generation
- tell a story about daily activities such as farming or life events such as
birth, death & marriage or environmental events such as storms &
earthquakes
6. List the elements of the origin and diffusion of popular music.
- originated in the 1900’s in NYCs Tin Pan Alley & eventually diffused globally
during WWII through radio to American soldiers
- Hip Hop also began in NYC & diffused globally through online broadcasts &
music sales on the web
7. Shade and label the hearths of today’s Hip Hop music in the U.S. and label the
location of the origin with a dot.
NYC, Oakland, Atlanta & other large cities in the South,
Midwest & West
Diffusion of Folk & Popular Culture
8. Where did Amish culture originate, and how did it diffuse to the United States?
In areas of Switzerland, Germany & France. Diffused to U.S. in 1700’s & 1800’s
because of cheap land in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois & Iowa.
9. In what ways is Amish culture distinct from the popular culture of the United States?
Don’t use mechanical or electrical power; still use horse & buggy and hand
tools for farming. Located in isolated rural areas with distinct clothing,
farming & religious practices.
10. What is happening to the Amish in the United States today?
They are interregionally migrating from Pa to Ky in search of cheaper land
due to metro areas & tourists in Pa.
11. Label and shade the areas of larger Amish settlements in the U.S.
Portions of Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania & upstate
New York.
12. How was soccer transformed from a folk custom into popular culture?
Became an organized, formal sport in Britain in 1800’s with standardized
rules, professional players & paying spectators. The spread throughout
Europe in late 1800’s.
13. Despite their anonymous folk origins, what characteristics of organized spectator
sports today characterize them as popular culture?
Professional players, ability to watch in person or on TV & people who follow
the sports worldwide.
14. Label popular sports with the countries in which they are most popular and with
which they are best associated.
Cricket (Britain & former colonies), Ice Hockey (Canada, northern Europe &
Russia), Martial Arts (China), Baseball (U.S. & Japan), Lacrosse (N.E. U.S., S.E.
Canada) should be labeled.
Chapter 4 Learning Guide – Folk & Popular Culture
Key Issue 2 – Why is Folk Culture Clustered?
Pgs. 111 – 117
Influence of the Physical Environment
1. How does clothing style (in this case shoes) indicate the influence of the
environment on folk culture?
In arctic regions, snowshoes may be required for the ability to walk & furlined boots to keep warm. In wet regions, wooden shoes keep farmers
from getting their feet wet.
2. List 3 different examples of food habits and the unique folk cultures each
illustrates.
Quick frying foods resulted in Italy as a result of fuel shortages; Stews &
roasting food resulted in northern Europe as a result of abundant wood
supply; Asians have adapted ways of cooking soybeans to make them
edible without extensive cooking due to scarce fuel.
3. Indicate some food taboos, along with the cultures that practice them, in the
chart below.
Food Taboos
Cultures/Regions
Foods/Reasons
Hebrews in eastern Mediterranean
Animals without cloven feet because
concerns for environment
Muslims in Arabian Peninsula
Pork because pigs compete with
humans for food & water without
offering any benefits
Hindus in India
Cow because they pull plows & are
needed for agricultural work
4. In what sense are building materials of folk housing unique?
Building materials are influenced by the resources available in the
environment.
Isolation Promotes Cultural Diversity
5. Summarize how cultural diversity in the Himalayas is displayed in local art.
Buddhists, Hindus & Animists depict religion in their art where that is
forbidden for Muslims. Buddhists & Hindus reflect a harsh environment
where Muslims portray the beautiful landscape.
6. What cultural institution is shaping these differences?
Religion
7. What environmental conditions (which are the same for all groups here) are
NOT ensuring similar art forms in this case?
Climate, landforms & vegetation
8. Fred Kniffen, a cultural geographer, has identified three source regions for
American folk housing styles: New England, Middle Atlantic and Lower
Chesapeake. List the housing styles he identified with each region.
New England (4 styles) –
Saltbox, Cape Cod, Two Chimney, Front Gable & Wing
Middle Atlantic (1 dominant style) –
“I”-house was two stories in height, one room deep & two rooms wide (resembled
the letter “I”).
Lower Chesapeake –
Tidewater style was one story and one room deep with steep roof and chimneys
at both ends. In wet areas, houses were raised on piers or brick foundation.
Chapter 4 Learning Guide – Folk & Popular Culture
Key Issue 3 – Why is Popular Culture Widely Distributed?
Pgs. 117 – 125
1. In contrast to folk customs, popular customs diffuse ___rapidly___ across the Earth’s
surface to location with a wide variety of __physical____ ___conditions___. This
diffusion depends, however, upon a group of people having a sufficiently high level
of ___economic____ ____development___ in order to obtain the ___material___
___possessions___ associated with the popular custom.
Diffusion of Popular Housing, Clothing & Food
2. Consumption of large quantities of what two food products are characteristic of
popular culture?
Alcoholic beverages & snack foods
3. How is each of these food preferences expressed regionally, according to culture?
Alcohol has low consumption in S.E. & Utah due to religion; certain types of
alcohol consumed in more regions than other due to where it’s produced (i.e.
Tequila popular in southwest). In snack foods, southerners may prefer pork
rinds because there are more hogs in the south where in the north more chips
are eaten because of the abundance of potatoes (i.e. tortilla chips in Texas due
to large Hispanic population).
4. In Western countries where popular culture predominates, clothing styles generally
reflect ___jobs___ rather than particular ___environments__.
5. What are 3 facts about clothing styles associated with popular culture?
Income influences clothing; original fashions are reproduced inexpensively
for chain stores; diffusion of TV exposed people in MDCs to other clothing
forms.
6. _Jeans___ are an important symbol of the ___diffusion__ of Western ___popular___
_____culture___.
7. Complete the chart below to indicate the decade(s) during which each housing style
was dominant and a fact about the particular style of house.
Style
Minimal
Traditional
Ranch House
Decades(s)
1940s-1950s
Split-Level
1950s-1970s
Contemporary
Style
Shed Style
1950s-1970s
1950s-1960s
1960s
Facts
One story; small & modest; for young families
& vets returning from WWII
One story; long & parallel to street; took up
large lot; encouraged sprawl of urban areas
Bottom level – garage & family room; middle
level – kitchen, formal living & dining rooms;
top level - bedrooms
Architect designed with flat, low pitched roofs
High pitched roofs gave house geometric
qualities
8. What are the Neo-eclectic styles of the 1960’s and 1970’s? Mansard, Neo-Tudor,
Neo-French & Neo-Colonial
Electronic Diffusion of Popular Culture
9. Give 2 reasons for which television is an especially significant element of culture.
Most popular leisure activity in MDCs & most important tool by which
knowledge of popular culture is diffused.
10. Complete the chart with countries/regions using the bottom map on pg 123.
Television is Universal
N. America, Europe,
eastern & southern S.
America, China,
Australia
Television is Common
Middle East, southern &
southeast Asia, western
S. America, northern
Africa
Television is Rare
Africa – central &
southern
Using the bottom map on pg 124, answer #11 – 13.
11. Currently, where is the Internet most widely available?
N. America, Europe & Australia
12. In what regions will it most likely continue to grow?
Middle East, S. America, southern Asia & southeast Asia
13. What regions, then, does that leave as still relatively untouched by the Internet, in
the foreseeable future?
Sub-Saharan Africa
Chapter 4 Learning Guide – Folk & Popular Culture
Key Issue 4 – Why Does Globalization of Popular Culture Cause Problems?
Pgs. 125 – 130
Threat to Folk Culture
1. How and where has folk clothing styles worldwide been threatened by popular
culture?
African & Asian businessmen have adopted the suit of Western culture as a
symbol of authority & leadership.
2. How have women in many parts of the world been helped by the spread of popular
culture? How have they been hurt?
Women are becoming less subservient. However, in LDCs prostitution has
increased to serve men form MDCs on “sex tours”.
3. What 3 countries dominate worldwide television markets? What regions does each
dominate?
Country dominating television…
U.S.
Great Britain
Japan
Region it dominates…
Latin America
Africa
South & East Asia
4. Why do developing nations view television as a new source of cultural imperialism?
LDCs consider TV as a threat by MDCs to their independence because the
media presents American beliefs that force out LDCs social customs.
5. What are the world’s two largest newspaper organizations? What countries are
they associated with?
Associated Press – U.S. & Reuters – Great Britain
6. In many parts of the world, what is the only reliable and unbiased source of news
information?
BBC World Service
Environmental Impact of Popular Culture
7. How is the playing of golf and golf courses an example of a popular custom that is
not generally in harmony with the local environment?
Due to their large size, they are an imposition on the environment by
“remaking” the environment.
8. What is a uniform landscape?
Spatial expression of a popular custom in one location is similar to another.
9. How and why is this concept utilized by fast-food restaurants?
Through franchises and it generates product recognition (people recognize a
fast-food chain wherever they are).
10. What are the two ways in which popular customs have an adverse effect on the
natural environment?
Depletion of scarce natural resources & pollution of landscape