CULTURE! CHAPTER 4 By: Kelsey.

What are local and popular cultures?  Culture- belief systems, norms, and values in a group of people. Folk/Local CulturePopular Culture Folk: -Small; homogeneous -Rural; Cohesive Local: -Group of people who see themselves as a community who work to preserve traits. - “Keep other cultures out, keep your own culture in”- Simon Harrison Example: Little Sweden, USA Larger & heterogeneous More urban Quick changes: A dress on a runway in Milan can be in a magazine in LA in a matter of days. Example: NYC

What are local and popular cultures?  Rural Local Culture -Easier to maintain (not as much migration) -Economic activity is so vital to the culture that many customs are tied to it. -Think Makah Indians and their whaling.  Urban Local Culture -Ethnic neighborhoods! -Ex: Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn, Italians in Boston.

Material vs. Non-Material Culture  Material culture: What the people construct (i.e. housing, art, sports, foods)  Non-Material culture: includes the beliefs, aesthetics, and values of that culture. So...when woman must cover their head in Islamic cultures, is it material or non-material?

How are local cultures sustained?  Assimilation: Process where one culture loses its unique traits after coming into contact with another culture. -Think of the Native Americans  Acculturation: Exchange of cultural traits while still retaining uniqueness. - Like transculturation; think of immigrants adopt new traits from their new country

How are local cultures sustained?  Customs-practice that group of people routinely follow  Cultural Appropriation- when one culture uses another cultures customs to their own benefit. - Natural pharmaceuticals being privatized is an example. tilak

How are local cultures sustained?  Authenticity of Places -Authenticity: The accuracy with which a single image/experience is conveyed to another culture. -Remember the “authentic” Irish pubs around the world. So, to sustain a local culture: 1. Avoid assimilation/acculturation 2. Avoid cultural appropriation 3. Keep authenticity

How is popular culture diffused?  Distance Decay-effects of distance on interaction -generally, more distance=less interaction -But, more technology and communication has changed this. -resembles a bulls-eye with the center being the hearth Hearth

How is popular culture diffused?  Time-space compression -David Harvey refers to it as the effects of the accelerated movement of goods and ideas. -Relates to time-space convergence -Explains how innovations are interlinked and quickly diffused through transportation and communication technologies

How is popular culture diffused?  Time-space compression -think of the Internet, cell phones, social net- working sites bringing cultures together. -Things diffuse the quickest through time- space compression

How is popular culture diffused?  Popular culture -diffuses hierarchically -Corporations play a big role in popular culture, remember the “cool hunters”? - Popular culture hasn’t “blanketed” the world because of reterritorialization.

How is popular culture diffused?  Popular culture -Reterritorialization- when people re-produce popular culture in the context of their local culture and making it their own - Example: Hip-Hop that diffused from NYC all over, so now Europe or Africa would have it’s own kind of rap music.

How is popular culture diffused?  Popular Culture -Some people feel threatened by cultural homogenization, especially by America, Western Europe, and Japan. -Local cultures try to curb this influence through their own policies. -i.e. France required 40% of radio play be in French.

How can local and popular culture be seen in the cultural landscape?  Cultural landscape-the visible imprint of human activity on the landscape. -Anything from buildings, to signs, to statues. -Reflects the values, norms, and aesthetics of the culture.

How can local and popular culture be seen in the cultural landscape?  Placelessness- Edward Relph calls it the loss of the uniqueness of the culture landscape. -Has three dimensions: 1. Architectural forms and planning have diffused around the world 2. Individual businesses/products are so widespread that they imprint faraway cultures. 3. Borrowing of idealized landscaped images “blurs” distinctiveness.

How can local and popular culture be seen in the cultural landscape?  Glocalization-process where people alter regional, national, and global processes. -Therefore, interaction across scales is important and influential to all cultures.

How can local and popular culture be seen in the cultural landscape?  Housing Regions -Remember that homes are a part of the cultural landscape and reflect the environment, resources available, aesthetic values, and uniqueness.

How can local and popular culture be seen in the cultural landscape?  New England House - “salt-box” house - fireplace in the center because whole house was cold

How can local and popular culture be seen in the cultural landscape?  Mid-Atlantic House - Originally a log cabin - Stone fireplace with fireplace on one end because it wasn’t as cold - Later added porch and second floor

How can local and popular culture be seen in the cultural landscape?  Southern Tidewater House - Smaller than others - One story with characteristic porch - Usually built on a raised platform