Folk and Popular Culture Chapter 4 - CULTURE

1. What is Culture? CULTURE: A set of values, views of reality, and codes of behavior held in common by people who share a distinctive way of life; the sum of all learned behavior colere – to cultivate, or till the soil –Middle Ages – “the refinement of crops” (agriculture) –Enlightenment – “the refinement of people” ; the arts (cultured) –Present – “learned behavior of a group people” instinct vs. learned behavior / habits vs. customs –instinct – eat to satisfy hunger (habit) –learned behavior – choose recipe, take $ to the store, buy ingredients, cook food in certain way, sit down to eat, use manners or some code of behavior (custom) –nature vs. nurture (nurture = culture) Tabula Rosa – John Locke –because humans can learn so many things they can learn to do things differently –the different learned behaviors create different cultures and sub-cultures (cultural divergence in isolated culture hearths) Culture is learned in 3 ways –Socialization – the process of learning ones culture from previous generations – if socialization fails, culture dies –Diffusion – learn culture from new members of society, immigrants –Acculturation and Syncretism – combining of old and new

2. What makes cultures different? –Components of “American” Culture –

2. What makes cultures different? Components of “American” Culture –

2. What makes cultures different? Hierarchy of Cultural components – –Cultural Trait – smallest unit of distinction between culture; specific characteristics of society; units of learned behavior –Culture Complex – Cultural Universal – set of related traits (complimentary characteristics) –Cultural Region – portion of earth’s surface occupied by populations sharing distinctive cultural characteristics; principal unit of study for cultural geographers/anthropologists –Cultural Realm – larger segment of earth; set of regions showing related complexes and landscapes back

3. Structure of Culture – Three Subsystems 1. Technological Subsystem – Artifacts: material objects; visible objects that a group possesses and leaves fro the future ( material culture ) (Ch. 4) –food, clothes, houses, tools, weapons, vehicles, art, music, games –Tangible evidence of human interaction with environment – cultural landscape; built environment 2. Ideological Subsystem – Mentifacts: values, ideas, beliefs, knowledge, communication, abstract belief systems (non-material culture) (Ch. 5&6) –Language, religion, mythology, legends, literature, philosophy, folk wisdom (“old-wives tales”) –Transmitted through the education and socialization process – children taught how to think and communicate within a society 3. Sociological Subsystem – Sociofacts: –expected and accepted forms of interpersonal relations –Sociofacts define the organization of and accepted behavior within a society – family, church, school, state (government) –material and non-material culture

Key Issue #1 – Where Are Folk and Popular Leisure Activities Distributed? 2 categories of Material Culture: 1. Folk Culture – small, homogeneous groups in isolated, rural areas –Exist much in original forms; little or no change over time –Limited interaction with “outside” cultures –Diffuses mainly by relocation/migration; threatened by expansion diffusion of popular culture thru interaction and communication (tv and radio) –Strong resistance to change – celebrate local diversity with festivals –Minimal impact on environment; stewards of scarce resources and fragile environments

2 categories of Material Culture 2. Popular Culture –Large, heterogeneous societies share habits despite different personal characteristics –Widespread distribution, greater interaction –Rapid global connections – modern communication and transportation (radio, tv, computers, internet, Facebook, twitter, instagram) –Frequently changing trends and fads –Globalization of popular culture threatens survival of folk cultures –Leads to uniformity (sameness) of cultural landscapes –Less consideration for environment; exploitation of natural resources for commercial profits