GLOBAL CULTURES

WHAT IS CULTURE? Culture is the way of life a group of people share similar beliefs & customs Culture can be looked at thru: LANGUAGES, LITERATURE, ART, MUSIC RELIGION CUSTOMS, INCLUDING CLOTHES, FOOD, FORMS OF SHELTER, AND TRADITIONS INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING FAMILY, SCHOOLS, AND GOVERNMENT. TECHNOLOGY AND MATERIAL GOODS SOCIAL GROUPS GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES REGIONS

SOCIAL GROUPS Every culture has a social group Helps people to work together to meets basic needs FAMILY is most important group Cultures include people who belong to different ethnic groups People who share a common language, history & a place of origin

CULTURE REGIONS Geographers divide the world into specific regions called Culture Regions Divisions based on variety of factors (government, social groups, economic systems, language, or religion) (FORMAL REGION) This is the way we study World Geography United States and Canada Latin America Europe Russia North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia Sub-Sahara Africa South Asia East Asia Southeast Asia Australia , Oceania, Antarctica Cultural regions may share similar economic systems, forms of government, social groups, food, clothing, and housing

Cultures DO NOT remain the same over time CULTURAL DIFFUSION GLOBALIZATION Cultures DO NOT remain the same over time New ideas, lifestyles, & inventions create change The process of spreading new knowledge & skills from one culture to another is called Cultural Diffusion The expansion of economic, political, and cultural processes to the point that they become global in scale and impact

CULTURE HEARTHS The world’s first civilization arose in what is called Culture Hearths Early centers of civilization whose ideas & practices spread to surrounding areas 5 influential culture hearths: Egypt, Mesopotamia (Modern day Iraq), India, China, Mexico All had similar geographic features Emerged from farming Mild climates Fertile lands located near rivers & source of water

LANGUAGE Language is KEY in a culture’s development People communicate information Pass on cultural values & traditions Scientist who study language organize the world’s language into language families Large groups of languages having similar roots

WORLD LANGUAGE MAP

RELIGION Religious beliefs vary around the world & sometimes are a source of conflict Helps identify people at times Religious symbols & stories share cultural expressions Ex: paintings, sculptures, architecture, music, dance Major world religions: Animism Judaism Christianity Islam Hinduism Buddhism Sikhism

WORLD RELIGIONS MAP

SOCIAL STRUCTURE (GROUP) People who share similar wealth, power, and prestige are said to belong to the same social class

CUSTOMS Dress Eat Celebrate holidays Turning points in life Marriage Things people usually do: Dress Eat Celebrate holidays Turning points in life Marriage Parenthood Death

ROLES Based on rules for the proper behavior of individuals in particular positions and situations.

INSTITUTIONS Organizations developed by each society to make social roles clear and to take care of social needs

RURAL OR URBAN (HOW PEOPLE LIVE TOGETHER) Rural = countryside Small huts Simple cottages farms Urban = city Buildings of steel, concrete, and glass Hot and cold water Sewage system Internet