CHAPTER 4: MANY WORLDS (Cultures):
GEOGRAPHIES OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCE
1
Introduction
• How geographic differences are
influenced by culture
– World view affects perceptions and
perceptions affect behavior –
• Foundational assumptions, attitudes, religion &
cosmology
–
–
Segregation in the United States
Pejorative and racist place-names
2
Introduction
• How geographic differences
develop
– Cultural differences over short
distances—example of south Florida
– Effects of globalization
3
Introduction
• Cultural Geographies
– No single way of seeing land and
landscape
– Places experienced differently between
men and women
– Relation to self and belonging
4
Many cultures
• Increasing influence of
globalization
– First use of word culture in the fifteenth
century
– Term folk culture is invented – relic
• Example: Amish, Cajun, Gullah,Garifina
(Central Americ)
– Subcultures – age, economic, regional
• Examples: “Baby Boomers,” Bikers, Senior
Citizens, etc.
5
Origin of Folk culture
• Social custom originates at a hearth
• Origin of folk customs
– Anonymous hearths
– Unknown date
– Unidentified originators
– FOLK SONGS
• Content derived from everyday life
• Tell a story – historic event or struggle
– 16 Tona
6
16 Tons
• Some people say a man is made outta mud
A poor man's made outta muscle and blood
Muscle and blood and skin and bones
A mind that's a-weak and a back that's strong
You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store
7
• I was born one mornin' when the sun didn't shine
I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine
I loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal
And the straw boss said "Well, a-bless my soul"
You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store
I was born one mornin', it was drizzlin' rain
Fightin' and trouble are my middle name
I was raised in the canebrake by an ol' mama lion
Cain't no-a high-toned woman make me walk the
line
8
Maintaining
folk culture
by
immigrants
in a new
land.
The Human Mosaic
9
Ethnic
minority
drummers
in China
The Human Mosaic
10
Amish in Pennsylvania
11
Amish
Settlements
12
Amish Diffusion
• Interregional migration
• Every adult son is to receive a farm
– Finite quantity of suitable land in Lancaster,
Pennsylvania
– Movement to places where farmland prices
are lower and land is available
• Christian & Todd counties in Kentucky
• To escape tourists who come to gawk
The Human Mosaic
13
Many cultures
• Classifying culture traits
– Material culture
• Examples: distinctive tools, utensils, furniture, etc.
– Nonmaterial culture (conscious &
subconscious)
• Examples: attitudes, objectives, mores, biases &
prejudices
14
Material Culture traits (objects):
Sicilian Wedding Cart
The Human Mosaic
15
Many cultures
• Classifying cultures
– Folk culture (common characteristics)
• Maintaining a way of life the way it was in the
past
• Rural people
• Cohesive
• Order maintained through religion or family
• Folk geography
• Examples: Amish, Cajun,
16
Many cultures
Trendsetters: the Beetles
Chinese Punk Rock Band
• Classifying cultures
– Popular culture
•
•
•
•
•
•
Originates at a particular time & Place
Usually has a known originator
Mainly in urban areas
Access to media – particularly the Internet
Cash economy
Tends to change & respond to fads
17
Hip-Hop culture –
distinctive dress
w/bling
The Human Mosaic
18
Globalization of
Hip-Hop:
Tokyo Urban
Hip-Hop
The Human Mosaic
19
Hip-Hop art: mural on exhibition
The Human Mosaic
20
Many cultures
• Classifying cultures
– Popular culture
• Family structure weak
• Examples of outside influences
– Media
– Internet
• Secular institutions of authority
– Beetles more popular than Jesus
according to John Lennon
– Opinions of peers trumps that of
parents or religious or educational
institutions
21
Ainu on Hokkaido, Japan
Australian Aborigines
• Classifying cultures
– Indigenous culture
•
•
•
•
Native
Convention of indigenous and tribal peoples
Somewhat like folk cultures except by origin
Live in colonized homelands
– Examples in USA?
22
Folk & Popular sports
• Modern spectator sports – examples of
popular culture
• Soccer
– Began as a British folk sport 11th century
– Became a popular sport (globalization)
• Diffused to Europe 19th century
• Spread with European imperialism
• The World Cup is a major international event
23
Surviving folk sports
•
•
•
•
Britain & former colonies – cricket
Ice Hockey – Canada, N. Europe, & Russia
China – martial arts
Baseball – North America, Japan,
Dominican Republic
• Football – grew out of modified rugby in U.S.
• Lacrosse – developed from an Iroquois
game & spread to Canada, U.S., England &
Australia
24
Regions of difference
House Type Diffusion
• Material folk culture
regions
– Vestiges of folk culture
remain in the United
States
• House types
• Example of AfricanAmerican culture
• Mormon
25
Diffusion of
New England
house types
The Human Mosaic
26
Florissant, MO – French house types
27
The Human Mosaic
28
29
French vertical log cabins in St. Genevieve, MO
The Human Mosaic
30
Regions of difference
• Material folk culture regions
– Example: Québec French folk region, Cajun
Louisiana
– Can be a force for dissolution or devolution in
multi-national states such as Canada
• Large number of people
• Located primarily in one large province
31
The Human Mosaic
32
Britain has granted
Scotland its own
parliament and Wales
may follow.
Sometimes granting
greater autonomy can
stave off a full scale
revolt and
independence.
The Human Mosaic
33
Regions of difference
• Is popular culture placeless?
– Greater mobility
– Less attachment to place
– Geographer Weiss—identified 40
“lifestyle clusters” in the United States
• Used zip codes
• Subcultures
34
• Indigenous
culture regions
– Generally
located in more
remote areas
– Example of “Hill
Tribes” of South
Asia
– Persist in Central
America—
example: Mayan
culture region
– Andean region of
South America
Andean Village
35
Mayan Hut
The Human Mosaic
36
Pamfillo, 18-yr-old
Mayan young
man in Belize with
Jesuit priest Fr.
Rich Buhler.
Pamfillo was
raised in a home
like the one in the
previous slide.
37
Folk and Popular food Customs
German Mett....raw pork
marinated with spices and
onions...yumz!
• Food and drink
– Customs influenced by environment conditions
– People accept or reject foods for cultural (often
religious) reasons
– Vary from place to place in the United States:
preferred types & names of common types
• The South
• The North
• Fast-food consumption spatial variations
38
Environmental
Influences
Pan-fried tofu
• Fuel scarcity
– Soybeans – toxic when eaten raw
• Changed when cooked but uses much energy
• Asian solutions – don’t cook
– Soy sauce (fermented)
– Bean curd (steamed)
– Bean sprouts (germinated seeds)
– Southern Europe – quick frying uses less fuel
– Northern Europe – no shortage of fuel (wood)
• Foods prepared by slow stewing & roasting
– Also provided home heat in a cold climate
39
Food & Drink Taboos
• Often embedded in religions
• May reflect environmental concerns
– Vegans, etc.
• Jews from eating pork & some other animals
– Kosher preparation guidelines
– Certain mixtures are to be avoided
• Muslims
– Pork & alcohol
• Hindus
– Sanctions against eating beef
– Many are vegetarians
40
World wine production
41
Wine
• Distribution is
environmentally influenced
– Requirements for wine
grapes
• Soil coarse & well drained
• Climate – best where
precipitation comes in the
winter (Mediterranean climate)
• Exposure to sun planted on
hillsides
– South-facing in the northern
hemisphere
– North facing in the southern
hemisphere
42
Popular Clothing preferences
• More Developed
Countries (MDCs)
– Choices reflect occupation
& income rather than
environment
– More affected by
globalization (media)
• LDCs & folk cultures
– More influenced by
environment and
local/regional cultures &
religions
43
The Human Mosaic
44
Jeans: America’s great contribution
• Diffusion of
Western (U.S.)
popular culture
• Produced all over
the world
– People pay
premium prices
for Levi Strauss –
even used pairs
• Worn everywhere
45
The Human Mosaic
46
Jeans
47
Diffusion of Popular Media
• Television is “King”
• Internet may be heir apparent
48
49
Regions of difference
• Popular music
– Easily viewed and obtained from modern
m edia
– Different styles of music reveal
geographical patterns – particularly folk
and indigenous music
• Cajun: Doug Kershaw
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2h2s5_dou
g-kershaw-mensonge-de-la-fouille_extreme
– Example of Elvis Presley
• Changed the nature and performance of
popular music on a world-wide scale
• Likewise, the Beetles world-wide influence
50
Regions of difference
• Vernacular culture regions
– Spatial perception of population
– Wilbur Zelinsky's vernacular regions
– Joseph Brownell sought to delimit
“Midwest”
– Often perpetuated by mass media
The Human Mosaic
51
Wilbur Zelinsky's vernacular
regions
The Human Mosaic
52
Vernacular Architecture
• It is a type of architecture
which takes shape during
time and is based on the
culture, climate, and
materials of it's region as
well as on the needs of
its inhabitants. It
becomes a pattern
(model) and is a
specification (defining
trait) of the region.
The Human Mosaic
53
The Human Mosaic
54
Diffusion and cultural difference
• Agricultural fairs
– Spread in a folk setting
– Example of spread from Yankee folk
region
– Promoted by agricultural societies
• Entertainment was added—racetrack and
midway
• Best prize in agricultural products was added
The Human Mosaic
55
Diffusion and cultural difference
• Blowguns: diffusion or independent
invention?
–
–
–
–
Found in both hemispheres
Probably first used on the island of Borneo
No written record of their beginning or use
Factors that can resolve the issue
The Human Mosaic
56
Amazon Blowgun
The Human Mosaic
57
Blowguns from Borneo
The Human Mosaic
58
Diffusion and cultural difference
• Diffusion in popular culture
– Hierarchical diffusion and McDonald's
restaurants
– Reverse hierarchical diffusion and WalMart
– Role of modern transportation and
communications networks
The Human Mosaic
59
Diffusion and cultural difference
• Advertising
– Most effective in popular culture
• Can determine success or failure of a product
• Minimized importance of time-distance decay
– Image of place
The Human Mosaic
60
Diffusion and cultural difference
• Communications barriers
– Example of radio stations refusing to play
punk rock
• Other forms of music encountered similar
problems
• Live concerts helped spread the music
– 1950s TV wouldn’t show Elvis below the
waist
The Human Mosaic
61
Diffusion and cultural difference
• Communications barriers
– Government censorship
• Example of Iran
• Example of Taliban in Afghanistan
• Not sustainable because of modern
communications
– 1989 Tiananmen Square
– Newspapers can act as selective barriers
The Human Mosaic
62
Tiananmen
Square
Demonstrations
1989
The Human Mosaic
63
IV. Diffusion and cultural difference
• Diffusion of the rodeo
– Rooted in the ranching culture—
neighborhood effect
– Started in folk culture
• Cowboys held contests at roundup time
• Became formalized with prizes
The Human Mosaic
64
Diffusion and cultural difference
• Diffusion of the rodeo
– Commercial rodeo
• Example of Wild West show at Omaha
• Commercial rodeos spread throughout the
West and parts of Canada
• Greatest acceptance in popular culture west of
Mississippi and Missouri River
The Human Mosaic
65
Ecologies of difference
• Indigenous ecology
– Most see indigenous cultures as
knowledgeable about their environment
– During European colonialization,
indigenous peoples seen as destroyers of
the land
The Human Mosaic
66
Ecologies of difference
• Indigenous ecology
– Indigenous cultures often occupy
territory viewed as critical to global
diversity
• Best known example?
• Example of national parks and other protected
areas
The Human Mosaic
67
Ecologies of difference
• Indigenous ecology
– Indigenous cultures often occupy
territory viewed as critical to global
diversity
• Tropical rainforests around the world
• Importance of knowledge for management and
land use practices
The Human Mosaic
68
Ecologies of difference
• Local knowledge
– Indigenous technical knowledge (ITK)
• May be superior to Western scientific
knowledge
• Allowed experimentation with new crops and
agricultural techniques
– Global economy applies heavy pressure to
subsistence economies
The Human Mosaic
69
Ecologies of difference
• Global economy
– Example of the Miskito Indians in
Nicaragua
• Subsistence economy
• Outside demand for green turtles decimated
population
• Subsistence production in other areas suffered
The Human Mosaic
70
Ecologies of difference
• Global economy
– Indigenous cultures sometimes must
seek support from government agencies
• Example of the Quichua populations in the
Ecuadorian Andes
• Must use outside ideas and technologies to
promote their own culture
The Human Mosaic
71
Ecologies of difference
• Folk ecology
– Have close ties to the land
– When migrating seek lands similar to
ones left behind
– Example of Appalachian hill people
The Human Mosaic
72
Ecologies of difference
• Gendered ecology
– Gender is an important variable in
cultural ecology
– Distinct roles in agroforestry
– Example: Diane Rocheleau’s gender
study
– Environmental planning should address
gendered differences
The Human Mosaic
73
Ecologies of difference
• Ecology of popular culture
– People less tied to environment
– People have enormous potential for
producing ecological disasters
– Popular culture impacts
• Increasing demand for natural resources
• Air and water pollution
• Land use
– Desert golf courses – poor use of finite water
supplies
74
• Ecology of popular culture
– Recreation
•
•
•
•
Increased in affluent regions
Recreational machines create air pollution
Soil erosion
Overtaxing of environments in national parks
75
Interaction and difference
• Introduction
– Core beliefs in folk culture limit degree of
environmental disturbance
– Popular culture has potential, through
interaction, to cause massive restructuring
76
Interaction and difference
• Introduction
– Cultures are converging
– Wilbur Zelinsky's given-name study
77
Interaction and difference
• Mapping personal preference
– Media often produces place images
• Color our perception
• May be inaccurate
• Example of Hawaii
– People have always formed images of
faraway places
78
Landscapes of difference
• Folk
architecture
– Very distinctive
– Little change over
time
– Traditional,
conservative, and
functional
structures
79
Landscapes of difference
• Folk architecture
– Harmony with the environment
– Numerous characteristics help classify
farmsteads and dwellings
• Helps to establish cultural influences in a
region
80
Landscapes of difference
• Folk housing in Sub-Saharan
Africa
– Compound of buildings—kraal
– Use of local materials
– Shapes differ
The Human Mosaic
81
Landscapes of difference
• Folk housing in Sub-Saharan Africa
– Different cultures identified by change in
house types
– Example: Ndebele culture region
The Human Mosaic
82
Landscapes of difference
• Folk housing
in North
America
– Few are built
today
– Yankee folk
houses
• New England
“large” house
• Changed as
Yankee folk
migrated
westward
The Human Mosaic
83
Landscapes of difference
• Folk housing in North America
– Upland southern folk houses
• Smaller—built of notched logs
• Dogtrot house
• French-derived Creole cottage
84
Dogtrot house
85
French Creole Cottage
86
Landscapes of difference
• Folk housing
in North
America
– Canada
• Common
types with
main story
atop cellar
• Often built of
stone
• Description of
the Ontario
farmhouse
87
Landscapes of difference
• Folk housing in North America
– Interpretation of folk architecture is
difficult
• Independent invention versus diffusion
• May be all that is left of the culture
– Florissant
» Houses
» Street names
» Town name
» Park name
88
Landscapes of difference
• Landscapes of popular culture
• Tends to encourage uniformity
– However, continually changing styles
– Diffusion of fast-food restaurants &
commercial logos
• i.e. the “Golden Arches”
– World-wide diffusion of Japanese autos
– “Cookie-cutter” approach to building
• Evolution of the commercial strips and malls
• From houses to commercial landscapes
89
Uniformity vs. Cultural Differences
• Will folk customs and indigenous culture
disappear?
– Probably not – cultural elements that resist
change
• Religious beliefs and practices
– Taboos: diet & behavior
• Languages
• Distinctive dress for special occasions
90
Landscapes of difference
• Landscapes of popular culture
– Example: West Edmonton Mall in
province of Alberta, Canada
• Largest indoor mall
• Includes recreational areas
• Described as a “landscape of myth and
elsewhereness”
The Human Mosaic
91
Landscapes of difference
• Leisure landscapes
– Designed for weekends and vacations
– Amenity landscapes—regions with
attractive natural features
– Example of Minnesota North Woods lake
country
– Relict buildings collected to form
“historylands”
The Human Mosaic
92
Landscapes of difference
• Elitist landscapes
– Clustering by people of similar wealth,
education, and taste
– The French Riviera
• Building codes
• Normal activities gone
The Human Mosaic
93
The Boulders in Carefree, AZ
94
The Human Mosaic
95
Landscapes of difference
• Elitist landscapes
– Gentleman farms in America
• An avocation for affluent city people
• Examples in the eastern United States
• High concentration in the Kentucky Bluegrass Basin
The Human Mosaic
96
Landscapes of difference
• The American scene
– Preeminence of function over form
– Fondness for massive structures
The Human Mosaic
97
Landscapes of difference
• The American scene
– Americans regard cultural landscape as
unfinished
– Collections of heterogeneous buildings
– Eye-catching structures
The Human Mosaic
98