1. GLOBAL CULTURES

2. WHAT IS CULTURE?
Culture is the way of life a group of people share similar beliefs & customs
Culture can be looked at thru:
LANGUAGES, LITERATURE, ART, MUSIC
RELIGION
CUSTOMS, INCLUDING CLOTHES, FOOD, FORMS OF SHELTER, AND TRADITIONS
INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING FAMILY, SCHOOLS, AND GOVERNMENT.
TECHNOLOGY AND MATERIAL GOODS
SOCIAL GROUPS
GOVERNMENT
ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
REGIONS

3. SOCIAL GROUPS Every culture has a social group
Helps people to work together to meets basic needs
FAMILY is most important group
Cultures include people who belong to different ethnic groups
People who share a common language, history & a place of origin

4. CULTURE REGIONS
Geographers divide the world into specific regions called Culture Regions
Divisions based on variety of factors (government, social groups, economic systems, language, or religion) (FORMAL REGION)
This is the way we study World Geography
United States and Canada
Latin America
Europe
Russia
North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia
Sub-Sahara Africa
South Asia
East Asia
Southeast Asia
Australia , Oceania, Antarctica
Cultural regions may share similar economic systems, forms of government, social groups, food, clothing, and housing

5. Cultures DO NOT remain the same over time
CULTURAL DIFFUSION
GLOBALIZATION
Cultures DO NOT remain the same over time
New ideas, lifestyles, & inventions create change
The process of spreading new knowledge & skills from one culture to another is called Cultural Diffusion
The expansion of economic, political, and cultural processes to the point that they become global in scale and impact

6. CULTURE HEARTHS
The world’s first civilization arose in what is called Culture Hearths
Early centers of civilization whose ideas & practices spread to surrounding areas
5 influential culture hearths:
Egypt, Mesopotamia (Modern day Iraq), India, China, Mexico
All had similar geographic features
Emerged from farming
Mild climates
Fertile lands located near rivers & source of water

7. LANGUAGE Language is KEY in a culture’s development
People communicate information
Pass on cultural values & traditions
Scientist who study language organize the world’s language into language families
Large groups of languages having similar roots

8. WORLD LANGUAGE MAP

9. RELIGION
Religious beliefs vary around the world & sometimes are a source of conflict
Helps identify people at times
Religious symbols & stories share cultural expressions
Ex: paintings, sculptures, architecture, music, dance
Major world religions:
Animism
Judaism
Christianity
Islam
Hinduism
Buddhism
Sikhism

10. WORLD RELIGIONS MAP

11. SOCIAL STRUCTURE (GROUP)
People who share similar wealth, power, and prestige are said to belong to the same social class

12. CUSTOMS Dress Eat Celebrate holidays Turning points in life Marriage
Things people usually do:
Dress
Eat
Celebrate holidays
Turning points in life
Marriage
Parenthood
Death

13. ROLES
Based on rules for the proper behavior of individuals in particular positions and situations.

14. INSTITUTIONS
Organizations developed by each society to make social roles clear and to take care of social needs

15. RURAL OR URBAN (HOW PEOPLE LIVE TOGETHER)
Rural = countryside
Small huts
Simple cottages
farms
Urban = city
Buildings of steel, concrete, and glass
Hot and cold water
Sewage system
Internet