Chapter 5.2Chapter 5.2

Cultural Geography

Pg. 94

Studying Culture

Culture includes all of the features of a people’s way of life.

It is learned and passed down from parents to children.

Language, religion, architecture, clothing, economics, family life, food and government.

Cultural Traits

Activities and behaviors that people often take part in are called cultural traits.

Example: Americans eat with a knife, fork, and spoon. Chinese eat with chopsticks, Ethiopians with their fingers.

Culture Regions

Different ways of life for different groups generate distinctive cultural landscapes around the world.

An area where people have many shared culture traits is called a culture region.

Japan is an example of a country with one culture region.

Some of many different ethnic groups.

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Ethnic groups are human populations that share a common culture or ancestry.

Culture Change

Culture traits change through time. Example: clothing.

Some are more complex. 1800’s people rode streetcars downtown to do their shopping, in the 1900’s they used buses and cars eventually took over.

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Throughout history processes such as migration, war, and trade have caused cultures to change. New traits are added and others fade away.

When an individual or group adopts some of the traits of another culture the process is called acculturation.

Innovation and diffusion

Innovation – new ideas that a culture accepts. Example: baseball, how to build a boat.

Diffusion – when an idea or innovation spreads from one person or group to another and is adopted. Jazz music in the U.S.

Globalization

A global set of cultural traits is taking hold because of T.V. and internet.

Globalization – connections around the world increase and cultures become more alike.

Traditionalism

The opposite of globalization. Traditionalism – following longtime

practices and opposing many modern technologies and ideas.