1. Comparing Folk and Pop Culture
AP Human Geography
Cultural processes unit

2. Comparing Homes
Explain how the cultures of the people who live in the houses are different.

3. Folk Culture People who maintain traditions (tradition is paramount)
Change comes infrequently and slowly
Describes people who live in an “old-fashioned way”
Simpler life-style
Rural, cohesive, conservative, largely self-sufficient group
Strong family or clan structure and highly developed rituals
Maintains order

4. Folk Culture Little specialization in labor
Duties may vary between genders
Subsistence economy prevails
Individualism and social classes are weakly developed
Common in underdeveloped regions
Industrialized countries no longer have unaltered folk cultures

5. Popular Culture
Consists of large masses of people who conform to and prescribe to ever- changing norms
Large heterogeneous groups
Often highly individualistic and groups are constantly changing
Pronounced division of labor
leading to establishment of
specialized professions
Police take the place of religion and family in maintaining order

6. Popular Culture Money based economy prevails
Replace folk in developed countries
Folk-made objects give way to their
popular equivalent
Item is more quickly or cheaply
produced
Easier or time-saving to use

7. Origin and Diffusion of Folk Culture
Often anonymous or independently in multiple hearths
Diffusion
Rarely diffuses; does so through relocation diffusion
Predominantly promoted through isolation
Customs usually only apply to the areas that they originate from
Limited by lack of technology and communication
Example of Folk to Pop: Soccer
Started as folk culture but popularity caused it to spread rapidly – becoming popular culture

8. Origin and Diffusion of Pop Culture
Most often economically MDC
North America, Western Europe, and Japan
Examples: music, fast food
Diffusion
Could start out as hierarchical
Contagious due to modern communication and transportation

9. Diffusion of Folk and Popular Culture
Pop Culture
Contagious due to modern communication and transportation
Hierarchical
Folk Culture
Rarely diffuses; does so mostly through relocation diffusion
Soccer
Started as folk culture but popularity caused it to spread rapidly – becoming popular culture

10. Wide Distribution of Pop Culture
TV is an important
part of spreading
pop culture
Most popular leisure
activity
Promotes other
popular cultures
The internet publishes
international news

11. Globalizing Pop can lead to loss of folk
Emigration from folk decreases population
Clothing trends
Role of women: TV and Internet
promote equality
MDC culture can become dominate
through TV and Internet
Majority of TV industry in the US,
UK and Japan, most LDCs in their
area are being introduced to that
country’s popular customs

12. Environmental Impact of Pop Culture
Modification of the environment
Golf courses, shopping centers
Increased demand for nat. resources
Animals (meat), oil, etc.
Pollution
Can produce a high volume of waste
Environmental preservation networking