Culture

What is Culture? Culture – the complex mix

of values, beliefs, behaviors, and material objects that together form a people’ way of life (Material/Non-Material)

Values – are culturally defined standards that guide the way people assess desirability, goodness, and beauty, and that serve as guidelines for moral living.

Beliefs, Behaviors, Norms

Cultural Landscape

If you have ever studied the earth’s surface from an airplane thousands of feet in the air, you have observed the cultural landscape – the modification of the natural landscape by human activities.

Culture

Cultural Trait-A single attribute of a culture is called a Culture Trait and a culture region consists of countless numbers of traits.

Cultural Complex “American”

Acculturation

Acculturation – when smaller/weaker groups take on traits of the larger/dominant culture. Can be 2-way process – . Aztecs acculturated into Spanish culture, but some Aztec traits remained and became Spanish culture.

Assimilation

Assimilation – the adoption of cultural elements can be so complete that two cultures become indistinguishable – e.g. – jeans being worn here in Japan

Folk Culture Is traditionally

practiced by small, homogenous groups living in isolated rural areas Wearing a sari

in India Small Scale Slow Change

due to lack of communication

Popular Culture Found in large,

heterogeneous societies that share certain habits (like wearing jeans) despite differences in personal characteristics.

Varies from time to time at any given place

Changes rapidly Global V. Local Environment (Native

Americans/Nature)

Diffusion of folk vs. popular culture Folk culture

Anonymous or multiple hearths Relocation, not expansion

Popular culture Deliberate innovation, advanced

economies Mass production Expansion (hierarchical or contagious)

Two Types of DiffusionExpansion

Relocation

Kinds of Expansion Diffusion

Hierarchical Diffusion – spread of an idea through an established structure usually from people or areas of power down to other people or areas

Expansion Diffusion

Contagious Diffusion – spread of an idea/trait/concept through a group of people or an area equally without regard to social class, economic position or position of power.

Expansion Diffusion

Stimulus Diffusion – the spread of an underlying principle even though the characteristic itself does not spread.

ORStimulus Diffusion - involves

the transfer of an underlying concept or idea, without the specific accompanying traits due to some cultural or other barrier to the movement of the idea

RELOCATION DIFFUSIONSequential diffusion process in

which the items being diffused are transmitted by their carrier agents as they evacuate the old areas and relocate to new ones. The most common form of relocation diffusion involves the spreading of innovations by a migrating population.

This occurs when the people migrate and take their cultural attributes with them.

Where do Folk & Popular Culture Originate and Diffuse? Folk Music

Transmitted Orally

Folk songs tell a story or convey information about daily activities

Spirituals▪ “Wade in the

Water”

Diffusion and music: the blues

Folk music of African-Americans

Based on slavery, religion Call-and-response Hidden messages Subject matter

Diffusion and music: the blues

Hearth: Mississippi Delta

Relocation diffusion: Memphis, Chicago, Texas, St. Louis, Detroit, Piedmont

Contagious diffusion: radio, TV

Popular culture: jazz, rock-and-roll, hip-hop

Diffusion and music: the blues

Original hearth: Africa?

Similar sounds, rhythms

Griot or traveling storyteller/musician

Banjo/guitar, percussion

Popular Music

Is written by specific individuals for the purpose of being sold to a large number of people

Broadcasting 1940s

Hip Hop: Why not folk?

Diffusion and sports: soccer

Spread by contagious diffusion Exchange students

from Netherlands English engineers to

Spain Expatriates throughout

British Empire Rugby modified in U.S.:

American football Rapid spread through

television

Diffusion and sports: soccer

English, Scots, Vikings, Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, Assyrians, Persians, Chinese, Japanese, Native Americans

Folk origin: 11th century England

Village-wide contests Banned between late

1300s and 1600

Diffusion and sports: soccer

Transition to popular culture

Industrial Revolution: more time, income Professional soccer

leagues (1863) Standardized rules Distinguished from

rugby