1. Folk and Popular Culture
An Introduction to Human Geography
The Cultural Landscape, 9e
James M. Rubenstein
Chapter 4
Folk and Popular Culture
Victoria Alapo, Instructor
Geog 1050

2. Folk and Popular Culture
Definitions:
Folk cultures are those that preserve traditions; in other words, “Traditional” culture that has existed in certain regions for 100s or 1000s of years.
Popular Culture – represents the culture of people who embrace innovation and conform to changing norms.
The keyword in Pop Culture is “rapid change”.
Also, popular culture is synonymous with Westernization.

3. Folk Cultures Influence of the physical environment
Distinctive food preferences e.g. African yams, rice, fish in Asia, and non-pork countries in the Middle East.
Clothing styles (climate)
Folk housing in many countries, including U.S. folk house forms

4. Hog Production and Food Cultures
Annual hog production is influenced by religious taboos against pork consumption in Islamic
and Jewish religions. The highest production is in China, which is largely Buddhist and
Communist (no religion). Although Buddhists, supposedly, shouldn’t KILL anything.

5. Home Locations in Southeast Asia
Houses and sleeping positions are oriented according to local customs among the
Lao in northern Laos (left) and the Yuan and Shan in northern Thailand (right).

6. House Types in Western China
Four communities in western China all have distinctive house types.

7. Diffusion of House Types in U.S.
Distinct house types originated in three main source areas in the U.S. and then diffused into the interior as migrants moved west.

8. Diffusion of New England House Types
Four main New England house types of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
diffused westward as settlers migrated.

9. An example of Folk Culture: Origin of Country Music
U.S. country music has four main hearths, or regions of origin: southern Appalachia,
central Tennessee and Kentucky, the Ozark-Ouachita uplands, and north-central Texas.

10. Diffusion of Folk and Popular Cultures
Diffusion of folk and popular cultures via:
Ancient Travel & Trade e.g. Chinese and East Africans; the Arabian Trans-Saharan Trade; the great old civilizations of Mesopotamia, etc
Wars (conquering of native cultures, colonization)
Immigration e.g. U.S.
Internet, TV, etc

11. Popular culture
Popular culture is characterized by rapid diffusion and “Mass Culture”
E.g. food, clothing, items that are mass produced
“Mass taste” = loss of individuality.
The U.S. is the world’s largest homogenous consumer market (very much unlike traditional cultures).
Marketing of popular culture – very aggressive. Not just within, but without (e.g. see Bhutan video).

12. Wide Dispersion of Popular Culture
Diffusion of popular housing, clothing, and food
Popular housing styles
Rapid diffusion of clothing styles
Popular food customs. E.g.?
Television and diffusion of popular culture (sometimes called Media Imperialism)
Diffusion of television
Diffusion of the internet
Government control of television

13. numbers of TVs per population.
Diffusion of TV, 1954–1999
Television has diffused widely since the 1950s, but some areas still have low
numbers of TVs per population.

14. Distribution of Internet Hosts
The U.S. had two-thirds of the world’s internet hosts in Diffusion of internet service is
likely to follow the pattern of TV diffusion, but the rate of this diffusion may differ (How?).

15. Impacts of the Globalization of Popular Culture
Threats to folk culture
Loss of traditional values
Foreign media dominance
Environmental impacts of popular culture
Uniform landscapes. E.g.?
Negative environmental impact (things we now use) E.g.?
Modifying nature E.g.?