Science or an Art?

► A wide-ranging and comprehensive field that studies spatial aspects of human cultures
► Major components focus on:
 Cultural Landscapes
 Culture Hearths
 Cultural Diffusion
 Cultural Environments
 Culture Regions

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MAPS
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Human adaptation to habitat
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Human transformation of the Earth
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Sense of Place
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Spatial Organization and interdependence
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Central Place Theory (later chapter)
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Megalopolis (later chapter)

► Definition : Shared patterns of learned behavior
► Components :
 Beliefs
 Institutions
 Technology

► The source areas from which radiated ideas, innovations, and ideologies that change the world beyond

The composite of human imprints on the earth’s surface.
Carl Sauer’s definition:
“the forms superimposed on the physical landscape by the activities of man”

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An area inhabited by people who have one or more cultural traits in common.
Therefore it has cultural homogeneity
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No two cultural traits have the same distribution
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Cultural geographers attempt to base culture regions on the totality displayed by the culture.
of traits

CULTURAL LANDSCAPE

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Need not be culturally homogeneous
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It is an area that has been organized to function politically, socially, or economically
Have a node , or central point where the functions are coordinated and directed
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EX: a city, precinct, parish, farm, independent state
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Not all functional culture regions have fixed, precise borders. EX: newspaper circulation

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One that is perceived to exist by its inhabitants
Some VCR are based on physical environmental features
Others find their basis in economic, political, historical, or promotional characteristics
Generally lack sharp borders
The regions can vary from city neighborhoods to sizable parts of continents.
Often created by publicity campaigns
The VCR grows out of people’s sense of belonging

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FOLK CULTURE – a rural, cohesive, conservative, largely self-sufficient group that is homogeneous in custom and race
With a strong family or clan structure and highly developed traits.
POPULAR CULTURE – occurs in large heterogeneous groups of people concentrated mainly in urban centers.
Material goods are mass-produced & a money economy prevails.