© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 7: Ethnicity The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 7: Ethnicity

The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography

Cultural HeritageExamples of Syncretism

- Merging of cultural, religious and sometimes political beliefs

Native American Cultural Traits

• Human Sacrifices to Gods as part of complex rituals that petitioned the Gods for something (ex: Aztecs - rising of sun)

European Cultural Traits • Belief in the Crucifixion of

Jesus Christ as a reconciliation with God for forgiveness of human sins.

- Mexican Catholic Traditions unique and distinct to Mexican culture. - Widespread acceptance of Catholic belief system within Mexico and has become a large part of their cultural heritage.

Cultural HeritageExamples of Syncretism

Native American Cultural Traits

• Worship of the Dead (especially dead rulers) – In the pre-Hispanic era, it was

common to keep skulls as trophies and display them during the rituals to symbolize death and rebirth.

– Aztecs honored the “Lady of the Dead”

European Cultural Traits

• Worship of dead saints in Catholic traditions– All Saints Day (November 1st)– All Souls Day (November 2nd)

Dia de los Muertos – merges the Native and Catholic traditions

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Catrinas_2.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gran_calavera_el%C3%A9ctrica2.jpg

Holidays & Syncretism

Christmas• When we celebrate

Christmas with Christmas trees, and feasts, we hearken back to Pagan rituals that were swept up and incorporated into Christianity in an effort to convert non-Christians. The date for Christmas was originally a holiday for the pagan god Mithras.

Easter• If you hunt Easter eggs at

Easter, you’re not only celebrating the resurrection of Christ but also adding Greek and Roman pagan ritual to your beliefs as a Christian.


Religion and Ethnicity

• Complex conflict that merge both religion and ethnic conflict, often over defined areas or resources.

•


Ethnicity

• Ethnicity = from the Greek ethnikos, meaning “national”– Ethnicities share a cultural identity with

people from the same homeland– Ethnicities have distinctive cultural traits

• Race = people who share a biological ancestor

Universalizing vs. ethnic religions

• Universalizing religions attempt to be global, to appeal to all people wherever they live – 60% of world’s population (Christianity, Islam, Buddhism)

• Ethnic religions appeal to one group of people living in one place – 25% (Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shintoism, Judaism, ethnic African religions

• No religion – 15% of world’s population

Borders • How are Borders determined?

– Borders can separate nations, cultures, or neighborhoods.

– A number of factors determine where borders can be located…

Berlin wall

Peace Lines, Belfast, Northern Ireland Israel-Palestine Wall: Banksy Graffiti

West Bank Wall

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ptRtRVn8EU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ptRtRVn8EU



Belfast Peace Walls• What are the

problems with cultural borders?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2d4NPNmSfQ

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afxRUsMsqDg



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afxRUsMsqDg



Borders

• What are the problems with natural borders?– Who controls the

resources?

• What are the problems with geometric borders?– Ethnic conflict

http://news.msn.com/science-technology/china-eyes-greenlands-natural-resources



The Nine Nations of North America

http://strangemaps.wordpress.com/2007/09/11/174-the-nine-nations-of-north-america/

http://strangemaps.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/afbeelding-6.png

Regionalism

• Clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity or description (similar characteristics, either physical or human).– Many regions are perceptual

How do we define our regions?1.Legal Regions2.Regionalism based on early settlement patterns3.Belt Regions4.Cultural Regions

Regionalism• 1. Legal Regions – US census Bureau Regions

2. Regions based on settlement patterns • "American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North

America."

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entertainment/july-dec11/colinwoodard_11-24.html

3. Belt Regions• Belt Regions of the US – portions of the

country that share certain characteristics. – First applied to growing regions – follow lines of

latitude and have similar climates, soil conditions. – Usage has expanded to other economic, climatic

and cultural concentrations. – Often vague borders– Ex: Bible Belt, Snowbelt, Sun Belt…

4. Cultural Traits by Region• EX: Observations of Stephen Fry in Maine….

– Language – accents – People – hard workers (immigrant heritage)– Landscape, animals, food (insiders knowledge)

• http://video.yandex.ru/users/stephenfry-ru/view/5/?cauthor=stephenfry-ru&cid=3Maine – 6:30

Cultural Regionalism within StateThe Quiet Corner• noticeably more rustic in character than the more suburban towns to the west• under populated and isolated in contrast with the rest of Connecticut, with many

of its towns having populations below 5,000.Greater Hartford• Not dependent on out-of-state metropolitan areas such as New York City or Boston. • It is on the fairly level land of the Connecticut River valley with soil less rocky than

that of other areas in the state

Examples of American Regions Geography’s impact on regional culture

• Midwest developed into food crop centers– Northern plains were rocky

• lent to Dairy Belt: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Dakotas, Montana

– Central plains had rich soil• Wheat Belt (Texas up to Saskatchewan) • Corn Belts (Ohio to Iowa)

• West/Pacific– Mixed economy

• Started as timber in Oregon on up• Gold/minerals in California and Rocky Mountains• Now: Hollywood, technology (Silicon Valley), fruits (plus win)

• Overall, population has shifted westward and southward


Where Are Ethnicities Distributed?

• Distribution of ethnicities in the United States– Hispanics (Latinos) = 15 percent of the U.S.

population– African Americans = 13 percent of the U.S.

population– Asian Americans = 4 percent of the U.S.

population– American Indians = 1 percent of the U.S.

population


Distribution of Hispanics in the United States

Figure 7-1


Distribution of African Americans in the United States

Figure 7-2


Distribution of Asian Americans in the United States

Figure 7-3


Distribution of American Indians in the United States

Figure 7-4



• Concentration of ethnicities in U.S. cities– 90 percent of African Americans and

Hispanics live in cities– Remnants of twentieth-century European

migration = still evident on the landscape• Example: clustering of restaurants in Little Italy,

Greektown


Distribution of Ethnicities in Chicago and Los Angeles

Figure 7-5 Figure 7-6



• African American migration patterns– Three major migration patterns

• Forced migration from Africa (eighteenth century)– The triangular slave trade

• Immigration from the South to northern cities (first half of the twentieth century)

– Identifiable paths of migration

• Immigration out of inner cities to other urban areas (second half of the twentieth century to present)

– The ghetto


Triangular Slave Pattern

Figure 7-8


African American Migration in the United States (Twentieth Century)

Figure 7-10



• Differentiating ethnicity and race– Often confusing– Race = traits that are shared genetically

• Biological features within one racial group are highly variable

– Biological classification of people into distinct racial groups is meaningless

• Spatial effects of racism– “Separate but equal”

– “White flight”

» Blockbusting

– Apartheid in South Africa


Apartheid

Figure 7-13


Why Have Ethnicities Been Transformed into Nationalities?

• Rise of nationalities– Nationality = identity with a group of people who

share a common allegiance to a particular country

– Nation-state– Examples

• Denmark• Nation-states in Europe

– Nationalism = loyalty and devotion to a nationality


Nation-states in Europe

Figure 7-15


Why Have Ethnicities Been Transformed into Nationalities?

• Multinational states– Multiethnic state

• A state with multiple ethnic groups, all of whom might contribute to a larger national identity

– Example: the United States

– Multinational state• A state with multiple ethnic groups who retain their own

distinctive national identity– Example: the United Kingdom– Example: Russia (the largest multinational state)

• Revival of ethnic identity


Ethnicities in Russia

Figure 7-18


Why Do Ethnicities Clash?

• Ethnic competition to dominate nationality– Ethnic competition in the Horn of Africa

• Ethiopia and Eritrea• Sudan• Somalia

– Ethnic competition in Lebanon• Religious and ethnic differences


Ethnic Diversity in Eastern Africa

Figure 7-21


Ethnicities in Lebanon

Figure 7-23


Why Do Ethnicities Clash?

• Dividing ethnicities among more than one state– Dividing ethnicities in South Asia examples

• India and Pakistan– Kashmir

• Sinhalese and Tamils in Sri Lanka


Ethnic Division in South Asia

Figure 7-24


What Is Ethnic Cleansing?

• Ethnic cleansing = process in which a more powerful ethnic group forcibly removes a less powerful group from their territory – The purpose is not to subjugate, but to

remove– Today, most ethnic cleansing happens in

Europe and Africa



• Ethnic cleansing in Europe– Largest forced migration = 1939–1945

• Jews, gypsies, and others forcibly removed by Nazis

– The former Yugoslavia• Creation of multiethnic Yugoslavia• The breakup of Yugoslavia

– Ethnic cleansing in Bosnia– Ethnic cleansing in Kosovo

– Balkanization


The Balkans in 1914

Figure 7-29



• Ethnic cleansing in central Africa– Most boundaries in Africa do not

correspond to ethnic groups– Conflict between Hutu and Tutsi

destabilizes the region • Ethnic cleansing and genocide in Rwanda• Refugees spill into neighboring countries• Democratic Republic of Congo falls into civil

war


Ethnic, Religion and Political Conflicts

• Similarities

• Differences

• Solutions? – Ethnic Tension – Religious– Political


http://www.flickr.com/photos/rolferossphotographs/92517906/





Ethnicities in Africa

Figure 7-33


The End.

Up next: Political Geography

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© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 7: Ethnicity The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography