The Human MosaicThe Human Mosaic

CHAPTER TWOCHAPTER TWO

Many Worlds: Many Worlds:

Geographies of Cultural DifferenceGeographies of Cultural Difference

I. Introduction:► Many CulturesMany Cultures

folk culture vs. popular culturefolk culture vs. popular culture material vs. non-material culturematerial vs. non-material culture dominant cultures vs. subculturesdominant cultures vs. subcultures

1) Regions of Difference1) Regions of Difference

A) Material Folk Culture Regions A) Material Folk Culture Regions ►Plains Ranch (“beef wheel”)Plains Ranch (“beef wheel”)►African-American (“scraped earth”)African-American (“scraped earth”)►Yankee (“winged death heads”)Yankee (“winged death heads”)►Pennsylvanian (“forebay barn”)Pennsylvanian (“forebay barn”)►Quebec French (“petanque”)Quebec French (“petanque”)

Taking a look at roadside cemeteries

Shotgun Houses in Valdosta, Georgia

B) Is Popular Culture Placeless? B) Is Popular Culture Placeless? ►reasons for placelessness?reasons for placelessness?►popular subcultures and popular subcultures and “The Clustering of “The Clustering of

America”America” (Michael Weiss)(Michael Weiss)

Where are You?

Tokyo, Japan

Where are You? Idaho

Where are You? Finland

C) Indigenous Culture RegionsC) Indigenous Culture Regions►a clear sense of placea clear sense of place►how is their survival possible?how is their survival possible?►swidden agriculture and animism in South Asiaswidden agriculture and animism in South Asia►Mayan culture region of Central AmericaMayan culture region of Central America

D) Folklore RegionsD) Folklore Regions►Swiss Folklore regions: where do babies come Swiss Folklore regions: where do babies come

from? from?

Folk Culture: Sense of Place in Cappadocia

Murong tribesman with his children in indigenous culture region in Bangladesh

Mayan culture region in Middle America

Indigenous culture region of the Andes (Quechua & Aymara)

Where do babies come from?

E) Food and DrinkE) Food and Drink►from beer consumption to fast-food salesfrom beer consumption to fast-food sales

  

F)F) Popular MusicPopular Music►Elvis Who?Elvis Who?

G)G) Sports in North AmericaSports in North America►ice hockey, lacrosse, football, soccer, etc.ice hockey, lacrosse, football, soccer, etc.

H)H) Vernacular Culture RegionsVernacular Culture Regions►Where do you live? Midwest? South or Dixieland?Where do you live? Midwest? South or Dixieland?

Vernacular regions in North America (after Wilbur Zelinsky)

Defining the Midwest

2) Folk and Popular Culture Diffusion:2) Folk and Popular Culture Diffusion:

A) Agricultural Fairs A) Agricultural Fairs

B) Blowguns: diffusion or independent B) Blowguns: diffusion or independent innovation?innovation?

C) Diffusion in Popular CultureC) Diffusion in Popular Culture►hierarchical or contagious?hierarchical or contagious?►time-distance decay?time-distance decay?►Wal-Mart: reverse hierarchical Wal-Mart: reverse hierarchical

  

D)D) AdvertisingAdvertising►most effective device in diffusion in popular most effective device in diffusion in popular

cultureculture►neighborhood effectneighborhood effect►importance of visual messagesimportance of visual messages (“Marlboro Man”)(“Marlboro Man”)

  

E)E) Communication BarriersCommunication Barriers►of Punk Rock and Gangsta Rapof Punk Rock and Gangsta Rap►from the U.S. Congress to the Talibanfrom the U.S. Congress to the Taliban

  

F)F) Diffusion of the RodeoDiffusion of the Rodeo►from cowboy contests to commercial rodeo from cowboy contests to commercial rodeo ►absorbing and permeable barriers absorbing and permeable barriers

Another Mc Donald’s opening in Moscow …

3) Ecology of Folk and Popular Cultures3) Ecology of Folk and Popular Cultures

A)A) Indigenous EcologyIndigenous Ecology►sustainability and subsistence farmingsustainability and subsistence farming►conservation of global biodiversityconservation of global biodiversity►colonialism and neo-colonialism and its colonialism and neo-colonialism and its

consequences consequences

  

B)B) Local KnowledgeLocal Knowledge►indigenous technical knowledgeindigenous technical knowledge►subsistence economiessubsistence economies►indigenous folk medicine and modern indigenous folk medicine and modern

pharmaceutical productspharmaceutical products

C)C) Global EconomyGlobal Economy►is “globalization” good for us?is “globalization” good for us?►turtles and the Miskito populationturtles and the Miskito population►resiliency of indigenous cultures and their fight resiliency of indigenous cultures and their fight

for survivalfor survival

D)D) Folk EcologyFolk Ecology►environmental perception in migration environmental perception in migration ►use of different building materialsuse of different building materials

F)F) Ecology of Popular CultureEcology of Popular Culture►product of industrializationproduct of industrialization►heavy demands on natural resources and heavy demands on natural resources and

ecosystemsecosystems►recreational activities recreational activities ►litter culturelitter culture►mechanistic view of nature? mechanistic view of nature?

(vs. organic view of nature)(vs. organic view of nature)

4) Interaction in Folk and Popular Cultures4) Interaction in Folk and Popular Cultures

A)A) Convergence HypothesisConvergence Hypothesis►Wilbur Zelinsky’s study of given names (1790/1968)Wilbur Zelinsky’s study of given names (1790/1968)

  

B)B) Difference Revitalized?Difference Revitalized?►greater individualism and resistance to conformity greater individualism and resistance to conformity

(“segregated” communities within popular culture)(“segregated” communities within popular culture) Sun City, ArizonaSun City, Arizona San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, California

►““narrowcasting” of and for special interest groupsnarrowcasting” of and for special interest groups►local consumption cultures / consumer nationalismlocal consumption cultures / consumer nationalism

C)C) Place ImagesPlace Images►accurate or misleading? Hawaii? Bali? Others?accurate or misleading? Hawaii? Bali? Others?

Sun City, Arizona

5) Folk and Popular Cultural Landscapes 5) Folk and Popular Cultural Landscapes

A)A) Folk Architecture Folk Architecture ►based on collective memory of traditional peoplebased on collective memory of traditional people►barns, churches, mills, fences, dwellings, roofsbarns, churches, mills, fences, dwellings, roofs

  

B)B) Folk Housing throughout the WorldFolk Housing throughout the World

Mongol Yurt Navajo hogan

C) Folk Housing in North AmericaC) Folk Housing in North America►Yankee “upright and wing”Yankee “upright and wing”►African-American “shotgun” African-American “shotgun” ►Upland Southern “saddlebag” & “dogtrot”Upland Southern “saddlebag” & “dogtrot”►Quebec French Quebec French ►Acadian “Creole” … etc.Acadian “Creole” … etc.

  

D)D) Landscapes of Popular CultureLandscapes of Popular Culture►landscapes of consumptionlandscapes of consumption►five-stage model of strip evolutionfive-stage model of strip evolution

single-family residential landscape → over time increasing single-family residential landscape → over time increasing commercial functions → creation of a commercial landscape commercial functions → creation of a commercial landscape

E)E) Leisure & Amenity LandscapesLeisure & Amenity Landscapes►recreational nomadsrecreational nomads►Golfscapes (> twice the size of Delaware)Golfscapes (> twice the size of Delaware)►weekend cottages & vacation homesweekend cottages & vacation homes►in-door skiing in Dubai?in-door skiing in Dubai?

  

F)F) Elitist LandscapesElitist Landscapes►gentleman farms of Kentuckygentleman farms of Kentucky►life on the French Rivieralife on the French Riviera►other examples you can think of?other examples you can think of?

G)G) The American Popular LandscapeThe American Popular Landscape►cult of bigness?cult of bigness?►casual chaos?casual chaos?

While temperatures outside may rise to 130 degrees … you can ski inside!

Oklahoma State Capitol … and an oil derrick.

World’s Largest Six Pack …in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

H)H) Shadowed GroundsShadowed Grounds►Waco, Texas (1993)Waco, Texas (1993)►Twin Towers of New York (2001)Twin Towers of New York (2001)►McDonald’s restaurant in San Diego (1984)McDonald’s restaurant in San Diego (1984)

Waco, Texas