Bellwork
• Pick two items and try to guess where they’re
from
• (ex: Taco= Mexico)
• 1. Gumbo
• 2. The automobile
• 3. Chocolate
Where do these come from?
World Geography Ch. 3 Section 1
The Nature of Culture
Pgs. 90-98
2013 Mercedes Benz Mclaren?
1885 Benz Automobile
• This is the first automobile in history
New Orleans Gumbo
African, Germans, Spanish and Italian
Immigrants
•
•
•
•
Africans brought rice and okra
Italians and Germans brought Sausage
Hispanics influenced seasoning
Their cultures converged to create this dish
What is culture?
• What is culture?
• The beliefs and actions which define a group
of people’s way of life. Ex: Music, food,
religion, traditions, social norms
People and the Environment p. 87
• People have affected the environment. Think
about your room when you first got there.
How is it different now? You’ve affected it.
• Think about your grass, if you cut it. You are
affecting the physical environment
The Nature of Culture
• As you grow up, you are introduced to a
culture.
• You learned how to interact with your family,
talk, greet, eat, and play.
• You listen to music, eat certain types of foods,
do certain activities on certain days. Part of
your culture.
Material Culture
• Things that people make
• Ex: Iphones, nike, clothing. Also, architectural
designs, art.
Non-Material Culture
• Things that aren’t “things” but ideas and
systems.
• Religion, behavior patterns, political affiliation,
governments, education, social etiquette
• America values individualism, other countries
value group efforts.
Cultural Hearths (p.90)
• What is a cultural hearth? A place where
important ideas originate from. Think “melting
pot”
• The Mid East = agriculture, numbers, animal
domestication
• Great Britain = The English Language
Language (p. 91, Map p. 92)
• Language is the cornerstone of culture. It is
the chief mode of transferring ideas and
values to the next gen.
• Some cultures don’t have a written language
• India – 700 languages, what does that say
about culture? It’s vibrant
Religion (p. 91, map p. 94)
• Religions help most people answer questions
about the meaning of their lives.
• Hundreds of differing religious systems in the
world.
• Monotheism- Belief in One God
• Ex: Judaism, Christianity, Islam
• Polytheism- Belief in many gods
• Ex: Ancient Greece, Hinduism (India)
Cultural Landscapes
• Technology has impacted some cultures, while
leaving others behind.
• U.S. Great Plains Farming vs. Rural Asian
Social Organizations
• Cultures form as people group together in
smaller units. Families, co workers, school
clubs, etc.
• The family is the most important aspect of
society. This is where people learn life’s most
valuable skills.
Women and Minorities
• Historically, men and women have had
separate roles.
• Some cultures discourage women from
pursuing interests outside of the home
• Ancient Chinese women were feetbound;
stunting their growth, keeping them confined
to the home.
Cultural Change
• How has the American culture changed over
the past 50 years?
Cultural Convergence
• Cultural Convergence happens when multiple
cultures meet together.
• Ex: Tex-Mex food, Mexican food is a mixture of
American and Mexican cuisine
Cultural Diffusion
• The Christian religion spread from the Middle
East to Europe, then to the Americas, then
evolved into dozens of different
denominations.
• Native Americans influence European diets,
with corn, sweet potatoes, beans
Cultural Divergence
• Many governments around the world repress
the free flow of outside culture, due to
authoritarianism and aggression.