Chapter 2
A World of People
Chapter Preview: People, Places, and Event
Elements of Culture
What do you like to eat? Play? Read? Every day you take part in a culture. Lesson 1, Page 36
An Apache Ritual
How do the Apache people celebrate the passage to adulthood? Lesson 1, Page 38
A Jewish Ritual
What is a bar mitzvah? How is it celebrated? Lesson 1, Page 39
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Lesson 1
Defining Cultural
Main Idea Culture is all the things that distinguish one group of people from another.
“In the shelter of each other, the people live.”
(Gaelic proverb)
Key Vocabulary
culture
beliefs
rituals
All humans share similar needs. From the earliest times — whether they lived in the
Arctic, in tropical jungles, or in high mountains — people have had to find food,
clothing, and shelter. They have also needed the love and security provided by
family and relationships.
As those basic needs are being met, people can bring meaning to their lives through
religion, art, stories, music, and dance. All of these things together form culture:
the whole way of life of a group of people.
Banding together in groups has made human survival possible. People all over the
world live in communities that create their own customs and codes of behavior.
Today, some cultures are also nationalities. But unlike a nation, there are no real
boundaries to a culture.
---Children the world over take part in culture.
Books Through Time
Books have been around for thousands of years. How has their look changed? Lesson 2, Page 46
Anthropologist at Work
Like geographers, anthropologists use questions to do their jobs. Lesson 2, Page 46
Sutton Hoo
Archaeologists dig things up to learn about the past. Lesson 2, Page 48
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What Is Culture?
Focus What elements make up a culture?
The term culture includes all the ways that a group of human beings has learned to
interact, both among themselves and with their environment. The elements of a
culture can take many forms and go through many changes. Such things as houses,
music, clothing, and art can be unique to a particular culture. And yet each of these
things changes over time.
How people in a culture raise their children is another major element of culture — the
family. Families shape and preserve culture, as parents provide their children with
models of behavior and ways of viewing the world.
Another important element that shapes and preserves culture is a group's beliefs — the
system of ideas by which people live. Because beliefs tend to change less over time
than other aspects of culture, what people
TELL ME MORE
Elements of Culture
FAMILY:
Families are a basic building block of culture. Even in the simple act of sharing meals
people are shaped by their families. It is within the family unit that you experience
many other aspects of culture for the first time. Your parents and other family
members are, in a sense, your first teachers.
BELIEFS:
Religion and personal beliefs are at the very foundation of culture. No matter what these
beliefs may be, they are often taught to us when we are young and affect the way
we live our lives.
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people believe in is, in a sense, the foundation of culture. These beliefs are often
reflected in traditions. The basic traditions people share are remembered and passed
on through repeated ceremonies, called rituals. Rituals usually develop from
beliefs.
The language we speak and the many ways we express our ideas in music, art, books,
and movies are a vital part of culture. From literature to popular entertainment,
words and music tell us who we are by giving voice to human emotions. In reading
a book, watching television, visiting a museum, or going on vacation, we are taking
part in our culture.
Economics and politics are also cultural expressions. When we buy things or vote for
political leaders, we add a bit of ourselves to that expression. Being a part of our
own culture helps us share things with those around us, and helps build a
community that can function, deal with change and disaster, and ultimately survive.
Ask Yourself
What are some ways your family preserves the culture or traditions of earlier generations?
GOVERNMENT/EDUCATION/ART:
Art and music are an extremely valuable part of culture. Whether through playing in a
school band or writing poetry, you can take part in culture. How people order their
societies is an aspect of culture. Government shapes culture by creating and
enforcing laws — such as the law that requires that you attend school. The
education that takes place in school and at home is another part of culture. Cultures
preserve themselves by teaching each generation the values of the one before.
ECONOMY:
The way people earn their money and what they choose to buy with it reflects a culture.
You are participating in the economy any time you earn or spend money.
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One World, Many Peoples
Focus How are cultures alike and different?
Families are basic to culture. When people marry, raise children, or work to support
their families, they are participating fully in their culture. Through rituals
associated with the family and the raising of children, cultures mark births,
marriages, and deaths. They also celebrate natural changes like the change of
seasons.
Cultures stay alive by handing their traditions down from one generation to another.
Education is important to culture. What people decide to teach their young will
ultimately be the things we find most important for a good life. Also important are
the traditions surrounding the passage from childhood to adulthood. These "coming
of age" customs ensure the survival of a culture's most essential beliefs.
Each culture celebrates the passage into adulthood in its own way. Such special
occasions as high school and college graduations are one way of recognizing this
important event. The coming of age ceremonies practiced by the Apache and
Jewish people (see below and above, right) show that, while there are differences in
dress, language, and meaning, both rituals declare one thing: A child has become
an adult.
Culture, then, is many things, all growing out of a common soil.
Apache
"Changing Woman" Ceremony
Apache girls participate in a four-day ceremony attended by family and friends (there is a similar ritual
for boys). During the ceremony, the girl dances and runs, symbolizing different stages of her life
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Jewish Bar Mitzvah
When he reaches the age of 13, a Jewish boy has completed a long period of study and is ready for his
bar mitzvah. The ritual includes prayers and passages read from a holy book called the Torah. Girls
have a similar ceremony, the bat mitzvah.
People all around the world share similar needs. They also share the urge to create, to
express feelings and ideas. These creations — in the form of books, music, movies,
and other works of art — cross borders and affect other cultures. People also move
from one cultural area to another. In these ways, cultures are shared among people
and are constantly changing.
Learning about other cultures helps us to understand both ourselves and others better.
Just as two individuals may have different tastes in clothes and movies, so each
culture has its own preferences. The more we know about those other preferences,
the richer our lives become.
LESSON REVIEW
1. KEY VOCABULARY: Write a paragraph about culture, using the words culture,
beliefs, and ritual.
2. FOCUS: What elements make up a culture?
3. FOCUS: How are cultures alike and different?
4. CRITICAL THINKING: Classifying Give examples of rituals that you think are
important. Explain what they mean and why you chose them.
5. THEME: PATTERNS IN DIVERSITY What are some of the ways in which
different cultures have touched your life?
6. CITIZENSHIP/WRITING ACTIVITY: Write a description of a favorite tradition
or custom that you know about from another culture. Share it with the class.
39
CITYMAZE!
A Collection of Amazing City Mazes
By Wendy Madgwick
illustrated by Dan Courtney, Nick Gibbard, Dean Entwistle, "and John Fox
Cities all around the world reflect cultural and geographical differences. In past ages,
just getting to a distant city was a huge problem. Advances in transportation have
changed that, but finding your way around in a strange city can still be a challenge,
even for the modern traveler. Ready for an adventure?
LONDON. • A ROYAL CITY
The ancient city of London, the capital of the United Kingdom, was founded by the
Romans in A.D. 43. An international center of
banking and commerce, London is also home to the British royal family
and houses the seat of government. A popular tourist center, thousands
of visitors flock to the city from all over the world to see London's
cultural heritage: the great buildings, art collections, and museums, as well
as the ancient traditions and pageantry, such as the Changing of the Guard
at Buckingham Palace. The River Thames, once the main means
of transport, snakes through London in elegant, sweeping curves.
It is now crossed by numerous road bridges — six between the Houses
of Parliament and the Tower of London alone, including the famous
Tower Bridge.
Two Americans who have arrived at Victoria (A) are to meet some friends as St.
James's Palace (B). They hail a London taxicab to take them there, and the driver
promises to show them some of the famous sights on their way. Can you find the
one clear route the taxi driver took?
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---See picture on page 41
---See picture on page 42
ISTANBUL • CITY OF TWO CONTINENTS
Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, straddles the Bosporus at the entrance
to the Black Sea. Founded about 660 B.C. by the Greeks, it is the only city
in the world that is built on two continents — Europe and Asia. Formerly
known as Byzantium and then Constantinople, Istanbul was the capital of
the Byzantine Empire for more than 1,000 years and of the Ottoman Empire
for 300 years. The skyline is dominated by the domes and minarets of the
ancient mosques that crown and decorate Istanbul's seven hills. A busy, bustling
port, Istanbul is a major link between East and West. The city has a wealth of
ancient monuments and historic sights, including the. Topkapi Palace (once home
to the Ottoman Emperors), Hagia Sophia (a Byzantine church), and numerous
beautiful domed minarets. There are so many sights to see that a guided tour is the
best way to view this amazing city. A circular tour from the Galata Tower (A) will
take our tourists past most bf the ancient monuments in Old Istanbul. However,
the streets are very busy, and a lot of them are one-way systems. Can you trace the
only clear circular route that the ,bus driver took?
Meet the Author
Wendy Madgwick loves to take a nonfiction subject and make it fun and interesting.
She has written a number of other books, including Animaze! A Collection of
Amazing Nature Mazes.
Additional Books to Read
The Atlas of Ancient Worlds, by Dorling Kindersley. Enjoy this visual encyclopedia.
People, by Peter Spier. An illustrated view of the varieties of people on earth.
RESPONSE ACTIVITIES
1. Predict Why might London be a fascinating place for an archaeological dig?
2. Narrative: Write entries in a travel journal describing a trip through either
London or Istanbul. Tell about the cultural things you see and do on your visit.
3. History: Report on Architecture Find out as much as you can about the
architecture of either London or Istanbul. Write a brief report about how the
buildings of the city you chose tell about its culture and history.
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Lesson 2
Why We Study Culture
Main Idea Studying culture can help us understand how others live.
Key Vocabulary
global village
anthropologist
archaeologist
artifact
fossil
site
The term global village was first used around 1960 by a Canadian writer named
Marshall McLuhan. His idea was that radio, television, computers, and telephones
would shrink the vast distances that can separate the people of different cultures.
More and more, the world becomes like a small village, where news passes quickly
between the members of different populations that share many of the same
concerns. The timeline below shows the speed with which methods of
communication have changed. As science fiction writer Isaac Asimov wrote a
decade after McLuhan, "There are no boundaries in the global village."
LEARNING ABOUT CULTURES
Focus Why do we study other cultures and our own?
When people move from one part of the world to another, they bring their cultures with
them. Sometimes many people from one culture move, or migrate, at one time. In
the last two centuries, millions of people have come from every part of the globe to
live in the United States. The map and pie chart on the next page show where they
came from and what percentage are from each country. This migration has shaped
American culture, as each additional culture has changed our country's overall
picture.
---The map on the opposite page shows migration to the United States. Map Skill: What movements of
peoples are not shown on the map? Why might that be?
---This timeline shows the quickening pace of change. Technology: What communications technology
arrived in your parents' lifetime?
Communication Revolution Timeline
Cave paintings
15,000 B.C.
15,000 B.C.
10,000 B.C.
44
As modern technology and migration bring people together, it becomes all the more
important to learn about the cultures of other places. By understanding the customs
and habits of people far away, we can become more at ease with change that
happens nearer to home. Often cultural differences become the root cause of violent
conflict between separate groups. The more comfortable we become with
differences and change, the less likely these fights become.
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TELL ME MORE
Cultures Change Over Time
While people have written and read books since ancient times, the appearance of books
has changed throughout history. The design and shape of objects that cultures use
can evolve, just language and styles of dress. Despite the change, many objects
retain their original purpose. In ancient Egypt, people used books to record stories
and cultural information. Today, in modern society, books serve the same function.
What do you think it would be like if computers took over the job of books? How
might your life change?
1. Chinese scroll, Diamond Sutra, from A.D. 868
2. The Gutenberg Bible, printed in 1455
3. A modern paperback
HOW WE STUDY CULTURE
Focus How do we study culture?
Many different professions are devoted to the study of people and their cultures.
Sociologists study how people interact with each other. Geographers examine how
and why people settle in a given place.
Culture — both past and present — is the focus of anthropologists and archaeologists.
Anthropologists study the interactions of people and their cultures, while
archaeologists study the remains of past civilizations. Both types of scientists go
about their jobs in different ways.
ANTHROPOLOGISTS
A cultural anthropologist discovers, explains, and preserves culture by learning the local
language and sharing in the daily life of the people that he or she studies.
Anthropologists learn how a culture functions by observing, by interviewing, and
by recording oral histories — the stories a culture passes down by word of mouth.
Folklorists, a type of anthropologist, are particularly concerned with these stories
and what they say about a culture. Anthropologists also learn about a culture's
customs, ceremonies, holidays, family life, politics, and belief systems.
Anthropologists study people wherever they can be found. Cities are a big challenge for
these scientists, as many different cultural groups can
Biography
Dr. Jane Beck is a folklorist. This means she studies the stories, songs, traditions and superstitions of a
culture. As state folklorist for Vermont Dr. Beck spends time studying that state's traditions, as well
as interviewing older members of local communities. Born in New York in 1941, Beck now lives in
Vermont.
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be found living side by side. In one part of New York City that was recently studied by
an urban anthropologist, there are residents of 120 different nationalities. In fact,
this part of the city, called Queens, is considered to be more diverse than any other
country in America.
What an anthropologist wants to discover is how the people in a given area live. In the
case of Queens, the scientist asks, “What kind of resources do they have? How do
they bring their own culture to the city? How does the city affect the way they live?
How do they change the city?”
Queens has bakeries, restaurants, clubs cafes, grocery stores, clothing shops, and houses
of worship from cultures around the globe. Along the main subway route live
immigrants from Afghanistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, China, Colombia, the
Dominican Republic, India, Ireland, Korea, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, the
Philippines, Romania, Thailand, and Uruguay. Because urban anthropologists are
concerned with language, studying the way the members of all these different
cultures communicate is very important. Whether they spend time in cafes in
Queens or in the jungles of the Amazon, anthropologists study people.
These archaeologist are using tools like those below- a trowel, a pick, a whisk broom, a
paint brush, a notepad, and a strainer.
Archaeologists
Archaeologists reconstruct past cultures by gathering clues. Bones are one kind of clue.
Other clues include artifacts and fossils. Artifacts are objects from the past, usually
made by people. Fossils are impressions or remains of plants and animals that have
turned to stone. Archaeologists begin to collect this evidence at a spot, scientists
begin to clear away layers of earth to find signs of human civilization.
Archaeologists call this spot a site, or dig.
Archaeologists remove each layer by hand, using all kinds of tools, from shovels dental
instruments. They work slowly because they do not want to damage the delicate
artifacts and fossils buried in the soil. workers
---A Viking warrior's helmet, rebuilt from pieces found at Sutton Hoo. Technology: Why do you suppose
it has a metal face?
---This Norse buckle was also found at Sutton Hoo. Cultures: How would this knowledge help an
archaeologist?
each item's age. To identify artifacts, archaeologists must know as much as possible
about past cultures.
The artifacts at left are part of a treasure found in Britain. The items show the influence
of Roman, Middle Eastern, and Scandinavian cultures. Known as Sutton Hoo, the
site was discovered in 1939 and contains the remains of a Viking funeral ship that
was buried almost 1,400 years ago. The photo above shows all that remains of the
ship. Instead of actual timbers, what you see is the hard-packed earth that filled the
space left as the boat rotted away.
Near where the men are squatting, archaeologists discovered beautifully carved gold
jewelry, like the buckle shown at left. They also found a jeweled helmet, once worn
by the tomb's occupant.
Culture is common to everyone on earth. By studying a variety of cultures, we stand a
much better chance of understanding our own place on earth and in history. The
exciting journey to other worlds and other ways of thinking begins here.
LESSON REVIEW
1. KEY VOCABULARY: Write a paragraph about culture using at least three of these
words: global village, anthropologist, archaeologist, artifact, fossil, site.
2. FOCUS: Why do we study other cultures and our own?
3. FOCUS: How do we study culture?
4. CRITICAL THINKING: CLASSIFY How does the work of an anthropologist
differ from that of an archaeologist? Is either job more important?
5. THEME: PATTERNS IN DIVERSITY How does studying culture help us
understand the world?
6. CITIZENSHIP/RESEARCH ACTIVITY: Become an anthropologist for a week.
Plan to study your school or neighborhood. Write a report of your findings and present it to the class.
Skills
Workshop
Using Computer Catalogs
FIND IT FAST
You want to do a report on the culture of Korea. How many books have been written on
the subject? Will information be difficult to locate? How do you find out? Where
do you begin your search for information? The library's computer catalog is an
excellent place to start. This electronic list of all the books in the library can
quickly tell you where to find the resources you need.
1. HERE’S HOW
Use the computer catalog like a card catalog.
•
Search by author, title, or subject.
•
Read the computer screen carefully. It will tell you what to enter and when to enter
it.
•
Searching by subject can help you find many books about the topic you're
interested in. Make your subject entries as specific as possible. Pay attention
whenever "See also" appears on the screen. The computer may suggest other
subject entries.
•
Write down the book's call number, which will appear with other information about
the book. The call number also appears on the spine of the book, and it tells you
where the book is located on the shelf. If you need help, ask a librarian.
2 THINK IT THROUGH
What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages to having access to so much
information?
3 USE IT
1. Choose a subject that interests you. List two or three ways you could name this
subject.
2. Use a library computer catalog to search for books that relate to this subject.
3. Find one or two books that might be helpful.
4. List the title, author, and call number of each book.
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CITIZENSHIP
Resolving Conflicts
WHAT ARE RULES FOR?
Some people enjoy conflict. Others try to avoid it. One thing is sure: Conflict is a fact of
life. Politics is about resolving conflicts over who takes part in government, how
much power government has, and how it uses its power. The case study below
describes the conflict and compromise that led to the Constitution of the United
States. As you read it, think about how people can resolve conflict with
compromise.
Case Study
COMPROMISE FORGES A CONSTITUTION
In 1787, freed from Britain's rule, the United States needed better rules of government.
So a group of men from 12 of the 13 original states met that summer in
Philadelphia to write those rules — the United States Constitution. They elected
George Washington to lead the meetings.
Washington faced a conflict. Those from large states argued that states with more
people and more land should have more power to make laws. Small states protested
and threatened to leave. They wanted each state to have the same amount of power.
Finally, they all compromised. Congress would have two law-making chambers. In
the Senate, each state would have two votes. In the House of Representatives, states
would receive votes according to their population.
“We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure
domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the
blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the
United States of America.”
Preamble to the Constitution
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TAKE ACTION
The Preamble to the Constitution (on the previous page) states reasons why the United
States needed a new government. The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution
in 1791. It states many basic rights, a few of which are listed below. Now it is your
turn to write a constitution and bill of rights. Use the Preamble and Bill of Rights as
your model.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
I
You May... Gather, Worship, Write, Speak, and Assemble
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the
right of the people peaceably to assemble...
IV
You Have…Individual Rights
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against
unreasonable searches and seizures, shall bit be violated…
VI
You May... Have a Trial by Jury
...the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury...
VIII
You Have... Human Rights
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual
punishments inflicted.
1. In small groups, list what you think are some of the purposes of school. Then create a
list of the rights and responsibilities of the "citizens" of the school.
2. Use this information to write a constitution. Begin it like the Preamble, filling in your
own words where needed: "We the people of
, in order to form a more perfect
establish
, insure
," and so on.
3. Share your constitutions. How are they the same? How are they different? Do you
wish to adopt one for the year?
TIPS FOR RESOLVING CONFLICTS
•
Make sure the rules are clear and specific.
•
Rules need to allow for disagreements between people.
•
A document that works to prevent or end conflict will provide ways for people to
work out disagreements.
•
Make sure people have specific tasks and that they know what is expected of them.
RESEARCH ACTIVITY
America had democratic governments before the Pilgrims and other English settlers
arrived. Find out about the Algonquin Indian nations or other Native American
groups of that time. How did they govern themselves?
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Chapter 2
Chapter Review
SUMMARIZING THE MAIN IDEA
1. Copy the chart below and fill in the missing information.
Aspect of Life Example of Culture
Housing
apartments, houses in U.S.A.
Clothing
Transportation
Art/Music
Entertainment
Holidays
Rituals
VOCABULARY
2. You are a scientist studying an ancient people.
Write a journal entry using at least five of the following terms.
culture (p. 35)
beliefs (p. 36)
rituals (p. 37)
global village (p. 44)
anthropologist (p. 46)
archaeologist (p. 46)
artifact (p. 47)
site (p. 47)
REVIEWING THE FACTS
3. What is culture?
4. What are the differences between a nationality and a culture?
5. How do families shape and preserve culture?
6. Why are beliefs the foundation of a culture?
7. How is the world becoming more like a village?
8. Why is it important to study other cultures?
9. How do anthropologists study the interactions of people and their cultures?
10. How do archaeologists study the remains of past civilizations?
SKILL REVIEW: USING COMPUTER CATALOGS
11. Write down a culture or country that you would like to find out more about. Then
list at least five subjects related to the culture or country that you could look at in a
library's computer catalog.
12. Use a library computer (or card) catalog to research one of the subjects from
question 11. Copy down the author, title, and call numbers of at least three books
on that subject.
GEOGRAPHY SKILLS
13. How do you think geography influences a culture's development?
14. Study the map on page 45, "Migration to the United States, 1792-1992." What do
you think happens to a culture that developed in one geographic area when it is
transplanted to a completely different geography?
CRITICAL THINKING
15. CLASSIFY What are some of the things you do that are part of our shared
American culture? What are some things you do that are part of your family's
culture? Do any overlap?
16. INTERPRET An archaeologist digging at a site finds a tool that is much older than
the site being excavated. What might this mean?
WRITING: CITIZENSHIP AND CULTURES
17. CITIZENSHIP Write a letter to a pen pal in another country. Write about what you
did during the last week, and describe the type of culture we have in the United
States. Be sure to ask questions about your pen pal's culture.
18. CULTURE Invent your own culture. What if a group of people lived on a deserted
island, for instance? Write about the traditions they develop, and about how they
entertain themselves.
Activities
Culture/Art Activity
Suppose a new people has just been discovered on an unknown continent. Invent their
culture. Create a piece of art or an artifact from that culture.
National Heritage/Research
Be a cultural anthropologist. Interview and record the oral histories of your parents and
grandparents. Ask them what life was like when they were your age. Combine your
findings with your classmates' as a larger oral history project.
THEME PROJECT CHECK-IN
To complete your theme project use the information in this chapter. Ask yourself these
questions as you work on the project components:
•
What is the culture like in each place? How are the cultures alike and different?
•
What are some of the beliefs and rituals of each culture?
•
How have these cultures changed over time?
•
What things would attract a tourist to these places?
Internet Option
Check the Internet Social Studies Center for ideas on how to extend your theme project beyond your
classroom.
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