Chapter 4: Folk and Popular Culture

HABITS CUSTOMS CULTURE A repetitive act that an individual performs A repetitive act performed by a group to the extent that it becomes a characteristic of the group A group’s entire collection of customs. Material Culture Survival activities from one’s daily life Food, clothing, shelter Culture involving leisure activities Arts and recreation Most of us are part of a distinct culture with certain customs- a repetitive act, or habit, practiced by a large group - These customs, when combined with a group’s entire collection, are called culture

Mali

India

China

Japan

Iceland

Russia

Kuwait

South Africa

The Philippines

The United States

Folk Culture vs. Popular Culture Practiced by small, homogenous groups living in isolated areas Found in large, heterogeneous societies that share certain habits despite differences in other personal characteristics. A group develops distinctive customs from experiencing local social and physical conditions in a given place. Is more widespread than folk culture Spreads through relocation diffusion (migration) Spreads through hierarchical or contagious diffusion Isolation from other cultures contains the spread of certain folk cultures. Advances in technology and increased leisure time allow customs to spread rapidly. Prevalent in areas still heavily reliant on agriculture as an economic base Prevalent in the United States, Western Europe, and Japan Often have anonymous hearths, or centers of innovation (& multiple hearths, originating independently in isolated locations Hearth of innovation is identifiable– for example, we can trace the origins of jazz music in the U.S.

B/c of globalization, pop culture is becoming more dominant, threatening the survival of folk culture. Folk culture provides a unique identity to each group who occupies a specific region of Earth. Disappearance of folk culture lead to less diversity in the world, or a “uniform” cultural landscape

Origins of Folk & Popular Music Usually (not always) composed anonymously and transmitted orally May change from one generation to the next Almost always derived from “everyday life” events experienced by the people of a certain cultural group Farming Life cycle events (marriage, birth, death) Religious or mysterious events

“Big Rock Candy Mountain” “Big Rock Candy Mountain” first recorded by Harry McClintock in 1928

“Po’ Lazarus” - James Carter and the Prisoners

“O Death” - Ralph Stanley

Origins of Folk & Popular Music Written by specific individuals for purpose of selling it. High degree of technical skill and sometimes can only be performed in a studio. Originated around 1900 Tin Pan Alley in NYC (printed music) Diffusion began during WWII when music was broadcast worldwide by Armed Forces Radio Network wherever soldiers went. As a result, English became the international language for popular music.

Origins of Folk & Popular Music POPULAR (cont’d): Hip Hop- Originated in the South Bronx in the late 1970s Low income African Americans & Puerto Ricans Spread into other parts of NYC including Queens, Brooklyn, and Harlem Diffused to major cities in South, Midwest, and West Interplay between local diversity & globalization Themes play on local references, but the music is distributed worldwide and purchased by mass amount of people Technology today allows to rapid diffusion (iTunes)

The Diffusion of Folk & Popular Culture

Pop culture follows hierarchical diffusion from hearths. Examples… Hollywood for movies; Madison Ave, NY for advertising. Pop culture diffuses rapidly through the use of modern communication and transportation. Folk culture is transmitted through relocation diffusion It spreads from one location to another slowly and on a smaller scale.

The Amish: Relocation Diffusion of Folk Culture How has Amish culture spread through relocation diffusion? -Shunning electrical and mechanical power, travel by horse & buggy -Amish only number 80,000, or .03 of the population 1600s- Jakob Ammann, a Swiss Mennonite, gathered group together who became known as the Amish - Originated in Bern, Switzerland; Alsace, France; Southwest Germany - First wave settled in U.S. in early 1700s, came to PA b/c of cheap land advertised by William Penn - Second wave settled in early 1800s (those from France) and came to Illinois, Ohio, and Iowa and some parts of Canada bc of cheap land - As frontiersmen adopted to traditions as Americans, the Amish held on to theirs and formed tight-knit communities - Recently, they have been moving interregionally– i.e. Lancaster, PA to southwestern Kentucky b/c of cheaper land & lack of crazy tourists from the metropolitan areas of PA

Amish culture

Soccer: Hierarchical Diffusion of Popular Culture

Began as a folk culture tradition “Kick the Dane’s head” Cow bladders Medieval village games 1800s- Rec clubs formed in Britain Football Association formed in 1863, professional teams created Exported around the world to other countries and colonies of the British Empire Most popular in Europe & Latin America U.S. adopted rugby rules, eventually adapted to American football

Other Sports in Popular Culture Each country has its own favorite sports. Cricket in Britain Football in U.S. Hockey in Canada, Russia Martial Arts in China Willingness throughout the world to pay for the privilege of viewing, whether on TV or in person, events played by professional athletes. The most viewed event in history is the World Cup soccer final every 4 years. In the US, most viewed is the Super Bowl.