What is
Culture?
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Pronunciation: \ˈkəl-chər\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, cultivated land, cultivation, from
Anglo-French, from Latin cultura, from cultus, past participle
Date: 15th century
1 : CULTIVATION, TILLAGE
2 : the act of developing the intellectual and moral faculties
especially by education
3 : expert care and training <beauty culture>
4 a : enlightenment and excellence of taste acquired by
intellectual and aesthetic training b : acquaintance with and
taste in fine arts, humanities, and broad aspects of science as
distinguished from vocational and technical skills
5 a : the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and
behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and
transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations b : the
customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial,
religious, or social group; also : the characteristic features of
everyday existence (as diversions or a way of life} shared by
people in a place or time <popular culture> <southern culture> c
: the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that
characterizes an institution or organization <a corporate culture
focused on the bottom line> d : the set of values, conventions,
or social practices associated with a particular field, activity, or
societal characteristic
• The Textbook states…
Culture is the combination of
- Values
- Material artifacts
- Political institutions
The collection of beliefs,
practices, knowledge,
behaviors, social forms,
artifacts, attitudes, values,
and goals of a group that is
transmitted to succeeding
generations.
How is Culture spread to
succeeding generations?
Culture is transmitted through
Social Institutions, using language.
Family, Friends, Education,
Religion, Media,
Government, and Economy
*The language does not have to be written!
*As written language is developed, its characteristics become intertwined into material culture!
Cultural Characteristics
fall into TWO categories:
• Material Culture – tangible, can touch them, they are
things we take care of…
Ex: Artifacts, blanket, money, crest, jewelry, clothing, etc.
***Your textbook states that Material Culture falls into two
categories……Folk and Popular!
• Non-Material Culture – intangible, cannot touch them,
they are things we care about…
Ex. Religion, music, rituals, language, etc
What influences the development of
these Cultural Characteristics?
In short….
Time:
• When in History or what type of Society:
• Hunter/Gatherer, Horticultural, Pastoral, Agrarian,
Industrial, Post- Ind.
AND…
• Location:
• Physical Features, Climate, Proximity to another location or
other cultures, etc
In order to survive early humans
adapted to their environment:
•They made dwellings out of available supplies.
•They gathered vegetations that grew naturally.
•They hunted available wildlife.
•They following their food sources with the changes
of the seasons.
The Paleolithic Era (The Old Stone Age)
•hunter-gatherer societies
•lived in clans
•nomadic (searched for
food, water, shelter)
•developed oral language
•created “cave art”
•use of fire (allowed them
to live in colder climates)
•developed simple tools and
weapons
•overcame physical
limitations and adapted to
their environment
The Neolithic Era (The New Stone Age)
• Began to create permanent communities
• domesticated plants and animals for
human use
• invented the pottery wheel to make
useful containers
• weaved cloth for clothing and shelter
• used advanced tools (flint, axe, hoe,
grindstone, knife, wheels, animal-drawn carts)
Advanced civilizations began to develop!
Why is this SOOOO important, you ask?
Because…
now that man is fed, clothed
and housed there is time to
develop…
Culture!
All people need the same things!
WHAT ARE THEY?
• Cultural Universals– broad categories, found in every culture,
that address the needs and wants of a group.
Ex: Food, Shelter, Clothing, Hierarchy, Transportation…
• Cultural Particulars – the unique way that a culture fulfills their
needs and wants.
Ex. Lumpia, Yurts, Saris, Chiefs, Rickshaws…
What influences the uniqueness of the particulars?
Think about possiblism and
environmental determinism!
Sometimes
the cultural particulars
of a society are a
reflection of
Folk Culture
and sometimes
Popular Culture!
Human Geographers
are interested in two aspects
of culture
(whether folk or popular)
• Where cultures are located in
space.
• How cultures interact with the
environment.
Where Do Cultures Originate and Diffuse?
• Origin of folk and popular cultures
– Folk culture = hearth area; originators are
usually unknown
– Popular culture = hearth area comes from
more developed countries (MDCs)
• People in MDCs have disposable income and leisure
time that allow for these innovations
Where Do Cultures Originate and Diffuse?
• Origin of folk and popular music
– Folk music characteristics
• Tells a story or recounts important life events or
activities
• Is personal in nature
– Popular music characteristics
• Written by individuals for the purpose of selling to a
large audience
• Highly technical
Where Do Cultures Originate and Diffuse?
• Diffusion of folk and popular culture
– Folk culture diffuses slowly, primarily through
migration, and at a small scale
• Example: Diffusion of Amish culture
– Popular culture diffuses rapidly, via hierarchical
diffusion, and over a large scale
• Example: Sports
Distribution of Amish
Soccer!!!