Geographers look at:› Particular social custom’s origin, its

diffusion, and its integration with other social characteristics

› Relation between material culture and physical environment

Material Culture:› Leisure activities vs survival activities

Habit vs Custom› Habit: Repetitive act that a particular

individual performs› Custom: Repetitive act of a group.

Folk and Pop Culture:› Folk: practiced primarily by small

homogeneous groups living in isolated rural areas

› Pop: found in large, heterogeneous societies that share certain habits despite differences in personal characteristics

Folk originates at a hearth, a center.› Migration and diffusion

Pop is a product of MDCs› Technology, some diffusion

Folk:› Tells stories, conveys information› Composed anonymously› Transmitted orally› May be modified between generations to

reflect changing conditions Pop:

› Written by specific individuals to be sold to a large number of people

› Technical skill, performed in studios with electronic equipment

Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones,Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones,Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones,

Now shake dem skeleton bones!

The toe bone's connected to the foot bone,The foot bone's connected to the ankle bone,The ankle bone's connected to the leg bone,

Now shake dem skeleton bones!

The leg bone's connected to the knee bone,The knee bone's connected to the thigh bone,The thigh bone's connected to the hip bone,

Now shake dem skeleton bones!

Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones,Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones,Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones,

Now shake dem skeleton bones!

The hip bone's connected to the back boneThe back bone's connected to the neck bone,The neck bone's connected to the head bone,

Now shake dem skeleton bones!

The finger bone's connected to the hand bone,The hand bone's connected to the arm bone,

The arm bone's connected to the shoulder bone,Now shake dem skeleton bones!

Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk aroundDem bones, dem bones, gonna walk aroundDem bones, dem bones, gonna walk around

Now shake dem skeleton bones!

Rihanna: Umbrella Stevie Wonder: Superstition Aretha Franklin: Respect Don McLean: American Pie R.E.M.-Losing My Religion Madonna: Ray of Light Michael Jackson: Billie Jean Righteous Brothers: You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feelin Pink: Get the Party Started Frank Sinatra: Strangers in the Night Marvin Gaye: Let’s Get it On A-Ha: Take on Me Nirvana: Smells Like Teen Spirit Simon & Garfunkel: Mrs Robinson Britney Spears: Baby One More Time Joan Jett and the Blackhearts: I Love Rock n Roll OutKast: Hey Ya Carly Simon: You’re So Vain Judy Garland: Over the Rainbow John Lennon: Imagine

Pop:› Diffuses rapidly through modern

communication and transportation› Uses hearths or nodes of innovation

Hollywood: movies/tv

Folk:› Transmitted slowly and on a small scale› Migration/diffusion rather than

electronically

Most sports began as folk customs, diffused through migration

Earliest soccer game in England in 11th century

Early football resembled mob scenes in villages

Folk to pop began in England 1800s, new founded leisure time allowed for participants and spectators

Game was exported around Europe by English players-eventually by radio/tv around world.

Britain: Cricket Ice Hockey: Canada, North Europe,

Russia China: Martial Arts Baseball: North America Lacrosse: Iroquois Confederation of Six

Nations Which have diffused to other areas?

Folk societies are responsive to the environment (for the most part)

Customs influenced by climate, soil, vegetation

Different societies prefer different food/house construction

Food is embedded in environment› Grow what the climate, soil, weather allows

People desire/avoid foods according to what may or may not harm them

Folk societies have ‘taboo’ foods.› What are taboo foods to certain regions?

Himalayan Art Study› Buddhists: north-monks, saints: some

terrifying.› Hindus: south-everyday life and local

scenes› Muslims: Islamic west-beautiful plants and

flowers. No harsh climate conditions› Animists: Myanmar (Burma) and SE Asia-

symbols and designs from religion

Product of cultural tradition and natural conditions

Reflection of cultural heritage, current fashion, functional needs, impact of environment

Building materials influenced by resources available

Most common: wood and brick

Sacred Spaces› East wall sacred in Fiji› Northwest wall in China› Doors are on the west side in Madagascar

US Folk Housing› Older homes showcase folk traditions› Lower Chesapeake-one story, steep roof, two

chimneys (Chesapeake Bay, southeast coast)› Middle Atlantic- “I” House, two story, gables on the

side, one room deep; two rooms wide (Ohio Valley, App. Mtns, eastern US)

› New England-upper New England, southern Great Lakes to Wisconsin. 4 types

Why is Popular Culture Why is Popular Culture Widely Distributed? (key 3)Widely Distributed? (key 3)

Popular culture flourishes where income and time is available to get or use them

Beverages and snacks are chosen somewhat by what is produced, grown, imported locally

Cultural backgrounds affect amount/type of alcohol and snacks

Clothing reflects income and social forms

In North America and Western Europe, clothing depicts occupation than environment

Technology has increased the diffusion of styles around the world.

Globalization has created higher awareness of styles

Jeans-a status symbol

One’s Occupation: › Lawyer Attire= Solid color suits (black, grey, or blue)› Factory Worker Attire= jeans and factory shirt

Income:› Upper Class citizens usually wear more elegant and sophisticated articles of

clothing, as well as name brand.› Middle Class citizens usually wear casual articles of clothing and sometimes

name brand.› Low Class citizens usually don’t wear name brand clothing, and are very low

quality

Minimal Traditional: one story, dominant front gable, few details, small and modest

Ranch House: replaced minimal in 50s to 60s. One story, long side parallel to street rooms on one level, larger lot needed-urban sprawl

Split-level: variant of the ranch house (50s-70s), lower level garage, ‘family’ room w/tv, kitchen, formal and dining areas on intermediate level, bedrooms on top above family and garage.

Contemporary: 50s-70s for architect deisgned houses, flat or low-pitched roofs.

Shed: late 60s, high-pitched roofs, geometric look/form

Neo-Electic

Mansard: 1st popular style, shingle-covered second story walls-sloped inward, merged with roof

Neo-Tudor: 1970s, dominant, steep-pitched front-facing gables, half timbered details

Neo-French: 1970s-80s, dormer windows, rounded tops, high-hipped roofs

Neo-colonial: central great room, adaptation of English Colonial homes

• New England• Clapboard• Central Chimney• Sloping back roof

line

Symmetrical—center door Duel chimneys Vernacular form in clapboard—

also called I-house

Typically found in the South. 2 cabins with a breezeway in between.

Gambrel or ‘barn’ roof Dormers in the roof line

Any material; gothic ornamentation

Square box, sometimes porch, lower roof line, Midwestern

TV and InternetTV and Internet

TV: Most popular activity in MDC TV: most important part of pop culture TV:US to Europe to other MDC to LDC TV: 1954: 37 million tv in world: 86% in US TV: 2005: LDC owning climbed sharply Internet: diffused like TV but faster Internet: 1995: 40 mil in world, 25 mil in US Internet: 2008: 1.6 billion: US: 74% of population Facebook: 2004, by 2009-200 mil users

Threat to folk culture? Traditional values lost…

› Global diffusion may alter women’s role› Controversial

Media Imperialism› MDC media threatens independence› US, UK, Japan dominate› Promotes economic/cultural imperialism,

could destroy traditional custom

Modifies/controls environment Imposed on rather than evolves from.. Example in book: Golf-increase in

courses Landscape becomes uniform not

unique Fast food restaurants

Depletion of scarce resources› Petroleum› Animals› Meat consumption

Pollution› High volumes ( cans, bottles, paper,

plastic)› Folk culture has some (like burning

grasslands for planting)