The Meaning of Culture Objectives: Identify & define elements that make up culture EQ: What is culture?

Vocabulary Region - area with its own unifying characteristics Identify by physical characteristics Identify by cultural, political, or economic features A country can belong to multiple regions Interdependence - dependence of countries on goods, resources, and knowledge from other parts of the world Geography - the study of where people, places, and things are located; and how they relate to each other

Culture Culture - All the things that make up a people’s way of life Reflected in what we eat, what we value, clothes we wear, how we respond to situations

Elements of Culture Social Organization Family is the most important unit of social organization Nuclear family - wife, husband, and their children in one household Extended family - several generations living in one household Respect for elders is strong Patriarch vs. Matriarch

Elements of Culture Social Classes - rank people in order of status Based on money, occupation, education, ancestry, land, etc. Social ladder

Elements of Culture Customs and Traditions - Rules of behavior Enforced by social pressure, written laws Language - cornerstone of culture, communication People who speak the same language often share the same customs Many societies have several different languages (India, Canada, Africa)

Elements of Culture Arts and Literature Products of human imagination Teach us about cultural values (folktales) Strengthen a culture’s identity Gives a sense of belonging

Elements of Culture Religion - arts are often closely linked to religious beliefs Helps people answer the basic questions about the purpose and meaning of life Supports values of that culture Can be the cause of conflicts Monotheism vs. Polytheism

How does culture spread? Cultural Diffusion – Movement of customs or ideas from one place to another How does cultural diffusion take place? Migration Trade War Example: 1950’s American musician’s developed rock-and- roll > Becomes popular globally > Roots in earlier traditions of blues & jazz > Roots in work songs and spirituals of African Americans who were forced into slavery > Slave songs drew on rich musical traditions of various African cultures