Transcript What is Culture?

Human Geography Part 1
• Culture PPT/Notes
• Culture Project
What is Culture?
• Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors
shared and passed on by a group
Are you born with culture, or is it
taught to you?
• Culture is learned
Who teaches you culture?
• family, school, peers
What things do we share as
– Humans?
– Americans?
– Texans?
Where do cultures start?
• Cultural Hearth – where innovations, ideas,
materials and technology begin
How do cultures change and spread?
• Innovation vs. Invention
– To INNOVATE is to take an EXISTING concept and make it better.
– To INVENT is to make something entirely new; something that did not
exist at all, before.
• Diffusion
– spread of ideas, inventions, or patterns of behavior
• Assimilation
– smaller society adopts the culture of a majority group
• Acculturation
– society accepts or adopts an innovation
• Transculturation (a term coined by Cuban anthropologist Fernando Ortiz in 1947)
-- : a process of cultural transformation marked by the influx of new
culture elements and the loss or alteration of existing ones
Why do they call it……………..?
•
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names (toponyms), their origins, meanings, use
and typology.
– Examples:
Bolivia (South America): "Land of Bolivar" in New Latin, in honor of Simón
Bolívar, one of the leading generals in the Spanish
American wars of independence.
Burkina Faso (Africa): "Land of Honest Men", More burkina ("honest", "upright", or
"incorruptible men") and Dioula faso ("father's house")
Côte d'Ivoire (Africa): "Ivory Coast" in French, from its previous involvement in the
ivory trade.
For more go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_country-name_etymologies
• Columbian Exchange
– widespread exchange of the animals, plants, culture and
human populations including slaves, communicable
diseases, and ideas between the Eastern and Western
hemispheres
What culture did America adopt these
things from?
• Hot Dogs + Hamburgers
– German
• Chocolate
– Aztec
• Democratic Government
– Greek
• Halloween
– Celtic
• Number system
– Hindu-Arab
• Hockey
– Canadian
• Paper Money
– Chinese
Examples - How do cultures change and spread?
Cultural Diffusion – Real Life Example
• The blues originated in the “field hollers” of
southern slaves. (The field holler or field call
is a mostly historical type of vocal music sung
by southern labourers to accompany their
work, to communicate usefully or to vent
feelings.)
• The ancient African call-and-response pattern
is the core of the blues.
• Recordings of early artists from the 1920’s and
30’s reached Europe before World War II.
• Cultural Diffusion!
Blues Diffusion
Robert Johnson
• Traveling Riverside Blues
– Recorded in 1937
Led Zeppelin
• Traveling Riverside Blues
– Recorded in 1969
Blues Diffusion
Howlin’ Wolf
• Back Door Man
– 1961
The Doors
• Back Door Man
– 1967
What are the 9 Traits of Culture?
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Language
History
Religion (beliefs / morals / mores)
Food and Shelter (Types / Styles)
Education Systems
Security/Protection
Relationships – Family and Others
Political and Social Organizations
Creative Expression - Recreation