What is Culture?What is Culture?

Adapted for Geog 1001, 1002, & 2001By Joe Naumann, UMSL

Objective: To explore and clarify what culture is and what it means to different people

Culture and Learning Goals

CULTURE: The values, traditions, worldview, and social and political relationships that are created, shared, and transformed by a group of people bound together by a common history, geographic location, language, social class, and/or religion.

(adapted from Sonia Nieto)

Objective: To explore and clarify what culture is and what it means to different people

Culture and Learning Goals

CULTURE: The learned, generally accepted, and ever changing way of life of a group of people that is shaped by the attitudes, objectives, technical skills, and world view of the group.(adapted from Preston E. James)

1. Culture is a dynamic, constantly changing process that is shaped by the attitudes, objectives, technical skills, knowledge and world view of the society and the consensus perception of political, social and economic conditions.

2. People share a myriad of different group identities based on a complex interaction of factors including racial identity, ethnicity, language, gender, socio-economic status (class), age, physical ability, religion, political ideology, interests and experiences.

3. Although general knowledge of the cultures represented in our classrooms is useful, authentic cultural knowledge is gained one person at a time and requires long exposure to that culture.

Adapted from Eugene García

What Culture Is What Culture Is (the social framework for living)

Dynamic, neither fixed nor staticDynamic, neither fixed nor static A continuous and cumulative processA continuous and cumulative process Learned and shared by a peopleLearned and shared by a people Behavior and values exhibited by a peopleBehavior and values exhibited by a people Symbolically represented through language Symbolically represented through language

and interactionsand interactions That which guides people in their thinking, That which guides people in their thinking,

feeling and actingfeeling and acting

What Culture Is What Culture Is Not Not (small parts of the picture)

Mere artifacts of material used by a peopleMere artifacts of material used by a people A ‘laundry list’ of traits and factsA ‘laundry list’ of traits and facts Biological traits such as raceBiological traits such as race The idealized and romantic heritage of a The idealized and romantic heritage of a

people as seen with music, holidays, etc.people as seen with music, holidays, etc. Higher class status derived from a know-Higher class status derived from a know-

ledge of the arts, manners, literature, etc.ledge of the arts, manners, literature, etc. Something to be bought, sold, or passed outSomething to be bought, sold, or passed out

Culture Exists on 3 LevelsCulture Exists on 3 Levels

The Symbolic: (Deep Culture)

Our values and beliefs

The Behavioral: (Part deep & surface)

What we do and how we communicate

The Concrete: (Surface Culture)

Artifacts, music, foods, tools, artistic works, etc.

What is done?

What is good/best?

What is true?

What is real?

Artifacts & Behavior

Values

Beliefs

World View

SurfaceCulture

DeepCulture

“Perceptions depend on our life experiences and cultural orientation.”

Ha! And you were worried they wouldn’t like Americans…Why, these people just lit up when I explained we were Virginians!

Adapted from J.A.Banks, Multiethnic Education: Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. (Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1988), p. 79.

THE INDIVIDUAL

Social ClassSocial Class

ReligionReligion

Physical Physical DifferencesDifferences

Race/Ethnic GroupRace/Ethnic Group

NationalityNationality

Sexual OrientationSexual Orientation

GenderGenderGeographic Geographic RegionRegion

AgeAge

These group affiliations provide you with your sense of identity and a certain security in the world.

When they become dangerous and damaging to others, is when they become discriminatory.

Racism

Sexism

Class-ism

Age-ism

Able-ism

Heterosexism

To explore and clarify what culture is and what it means to different people

Culture and Learning Goals

To examine some of the obstacles that culturally diverse people face in group situations.

Adapted from J.A.Banks, Multiethnic Education: Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. (Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1988), p. 79.

THE INDIVIDUAL

Social Class

Religion

Physical Differences

Race/Ethnic Group

Nationality

Sexual Orientation

GenderGeographic Region Age

How can these group identifiers be obstacles that culturally diverse persons

face in social (group) situations?

To explore and clarify what culture is and what it means to different people.

Culture and Learning Goals

To examine some of the obstacles that culturally diverse people face in group situations.

To reflect on how the decisions one makes are guided by one’s perspectives about who one is, who your other persons are, and how to best facilitate positive interaction.

Is there such a thing as campus culture?

Think about it – do different university or college campuses have different cultures?– UMSL– St. Louis U.– Harvard– Washington U.– Fontbonne U.– Harris-Stowe U.

Identify your own cultural Identify your own cultural orientation.orientation.

Nationality…Nationality…

Age…Age…

Ethnicity…Ethnicity…

Economic status…Economic status…

Gender…Gender…

Race…Race…

Other…Other…

Urban-suburban-rural…Urban-suburban-rural…

Geographic region…Geographic region…

To explore and clarify what culture is and what it means to different people

Culture and Learning Goals

To examine some of the obstacles that culturally diverse people face in group situations.

To reflect on how the decisions one makes are guided by one’s perspectives about who one is, who your other persons are, and how to best facilitate positive interaction.

To examine how your own beliefs and practices are shaped by your socio-cultural context

Our Approach in Geog 1001, Our Approach in Geog 1001, Geog 1002, and Geog 2001Geog 1002, and Geog 2001

View other cultures with an open mindView other cultures with an open mind

View other cultures non-judgmentallyView other cultures non-judgmentally

Attempt to view other cultures through Attempt to view other cultures through their perceptions rather than those of their perceptions rather than those of our cultureour culture

Seek to better understand the actions of Seek to better understand the actions of others who have been shaped by a others who have been shaped by a different culturedifferent culture