What is Culture? 8Rcs 8Rcs Aw Aw

What is Culture? Culture: A learned system of shared beliefs and ways of doing things that guides a person’s daily behavior. – Cultural Region: Culture dominates a particular region. Cultural traits- Elements of culture like food, dress, or religious beliefs that may be shared by people in a cultural region. – Can be based on job or age. – People can belong to more than one culture and choose which to emphasize.

What is culture? Ethnic groups: Cultural groups share beliefs and practices learned from parents, grandparents, and ancestors. – May share religion, history, language, holiday traditions, and special foods. Multicultural- Multiethnic. Different cultures living in the same country. – Sometimes causes conflict between groups.

What is culture? Race: based on inherited physical or biological traits. – Each culture defines race in its own way – “Race” definitions are based primarily on attitudes, not actual biological differences. Race- concept, made up idea. There is only ONE, human, race.

What is culture? Cultural change: – Diffusion- spread of one culture’s ways or beliefs to another culture May occur when people move from place to place – Acculturation: when people borrow aspects of another culture as a result of long-term contact with another society.

Why are cultural symbols important? Symbol: A sign that stands for something else. – People learn symbols from their culture. – The same symbol may mean different things to different cultures. – Show the societies’ particular cultural expressions or belief systems. Ethnocentrism- when some people see the differences in other cultures as inferior to their own. – Ex: food.

What influences how cultures develop? All people have basic needs: food, water, clothing, and shelter. Different cultures meet these needs through two basic influences: History and environment. – History: » Culture is shaped by history. » Culture shapes history by influencing the way people respond to the same historical forces. – Environment: » Influences the development of culture. » Culture determines how people use and shape their landscape. Some ways in which cultural traits spread, are through historical events such as conquest by outsiders or colonization.

How did agriculture affect the development of culture? Domestication: gradual process in which wild plants and animals changed and became dependent on people. – Domesticated species changes form and behavior so much that it depends on people to survive. – Happens in many parts of the world.

How did agriculture affect the development of culture? Agriculture changed the landscape. – Permanent settlements in order to have enough food for a whole year. Make room for growing food= changed landscape. – Protection from outsiders. – Large government projects Types of Agriculture: – Subsistence- farmers grow just enough food to provide for themselves and their own families. – Commercial- (Wealthy countries)- a small number of farmers can produce food for everyone. Each farm is large and may grow only one product. Companies rather than individuals or families may own the farms.

How did agriculture affect the development of culture? Civilization: When a culture becomes highly complex. – Permanent settlements develop, a surplus of food developed, the population grew, and civilizations develop. Trading and selling are major factors in a cultures development.