Cultural Geography Chapter 5 review

Key Questions How does culture shape space and place? How does culture shape space and place? How do cultural practices come into contact across distances? How do cultural practices come into contact across distances? What effects does cultural contact have, both historically and in the contemporary world? What effects does cultural contact have, both historically and in the contemporary world?

Plan of Today’s Lecture What’s cultural geography? What’s cultural geography? Cultural Systems: Religion and Language Cultural Systems: Religion and Language Cultural nationalism and cultural imperialism Cultural nationalism and cultural imperialism Hybrid global cultures Hybrid global cultures

I. What’s Cultural Geography? CULTURE: Is a shared set of meanings lived through the material and symbolic practices of everyday life. Is entwined with politics, economics, and history CULTURE: Is not just high culture, but also folk culture and popular culture

What do cultural geographers study? Cultural landscapes: Cultural landscapes: Landscapes transformed by human activity Landscapes transformed by human activity Genres de vie Genres de vie The way a particular group lives in its environment The way a particular group lives in its environment The possibilities and constraints that a given environment offers for a way of life. The possibilities and constraints that a given environment offers for a way of life.

What do cultural geographers study? Cultural complexes The combination of traits characteristic of a group. Cultural systems Wider than a complex Includes history, territorial affiliations, politics, economics, etc.

II. Cultural Systems A cultural system is the complete way of life of a people. A cultural system is the complete way of life of a people. Cultural systems are not bounded---different people within a cultural system may live differently. Cultural systems are not bounded---different people within a cultural system may live differently. (It’s a fuzzy concept) (It’s a fuzzy concept)

Cultural Systems: Religion Religion is an interesting cultural system, because it spreads spatially. Religion is an interesting cultural system, because it spreads spatially. Religions start in a hearth area, and then (in some cases) go through diffusion. Religions start in a hearth area, and then (in some cases) go through diffusion. Much of the diffusion of religion happens because of diaspora, which is when a previously homogeneous group is spatially dispersed. Much of the diffusion of religion happens because of diaspora, which is when a previously homogeneous group is spatially dispersed.

Religious diffusion leads to spatialized religious difference Branches of Christianity Orthodoxy vs. Catholicism Protestantism Mormonism Religious syncretism in Africa

Cultural Systems: Language Language is.. Fundamental to cultural identity Often the only real dividing line among closely associated groups Organized into families, branches, and groups of related languages

Language trees Languages are grouped in families, branches and groups because the way they change is spatial. Languages are grouped in families, branches and groups because the way they change is spatial. When a group of speakers goes into diaspora, languages diffuse across space. When a group of speakers goes into diaspora, languages diffuse across space. Groups of speakers spatially isolated from each other transform the language differently, creating dialects which can become new languages. Groups of speakers spatially isolated from each other transform the language differently, creating dialects which can become new languages. Parisian French vs. Quebecois Parisian French vs. Quebecois Polish vs. Slovak Polish vs. Slovak

Language conversion More than 470 languages out of the world’s 6000, considered “endangered” More than 470 languages out of the world’s 6000, considered “endangered” Most are small, indigenous languages. Most are small, indigenous languages. More than 200 languages lost in the last three generations More than 200 languages lost in the last three generations Some endangered languages Some endangered languages *Circassian *Circassian *Hawaiian *Hawaiian Provencal Provencal If languages tend to fission through diaspora and diffusion, why are languages dying? Official Languages World Languages

Official languages Languages authorized by the nation-state. Languages authorized by the nation-state. These become lingua francas inside a country. These become lingua francas inside a country. Mandarin Mandarin Russian Russian

World Languages World Languages.. Have a large number of speakers Have many non- native speakers Have an official status in a powerful country Create a linguistic community not defined by ethnicity. Top Five World Languages Mandarin Spanish English Hindi/Urdu Arabic

World Languages World languages are often spread by colonialism and empire

III. Cultural Nationalism and Cultural Imperialism Cultural nationalism is the effort to protect regional and national cultures from the impact of globalization Cultural nationalism is the effort to protect regional and national cultures from the impact of globalization Example: Academie Francaise Example: Academie Francaise

Cultural Imperialism Domination of one culture by another, especially through exported products and ideas Domination of one culture by another, especially through exported products and ideas Means Means Global brands Global brands Television and movies Television and movies Global personalities Global personalities Exported technologies (eg, iPhone) Exported technologies (eg, iPhone)

Is global culture becoming homogeneous? Hybridization and postmodernity create new global mashups. Hybridization and postmodernity create new global mashups. Products of American culture are transformed into new, localized cultural products. Products of American culture are transformed into new, localized cultural products. Bollywood Bollywood World Music World Music Many times transformed cultural products are re-imported to the US!

Key Questions How does culture shape space and place? How does culture shape space and place? Specific places provide specific opportunities and constraints Specific places provide specific opportunities and constraints How do cultural practices come into contact across distances? How do cultural practices come into contact across distances? Diffusion, diaspora, colonialism, empire, cultural imperialism Diffusion, diaspora, colonialism, empire, cultural imperialism What effects does cultural contact have, both historically and in the contemporary world? What effects does cultural contact have, both historically and in the contemporary world? Creation of new hybrid cultural products Creation of new hybrid cultural products Global circulation of cultural mashups Global circulation of cultural mashups