Introduction to Culture Chapter Notes | AP Human Geography - Grade 9 PDF Download

Introduction

This chapter Notes explores the concept of culture, encompassing material and non-material elements, habits, customs, and cultural hearths. It examines how folk and popular cultures shape societal practices, from food and housing to government policies, and addresses the impacts of globalization. Key terms like cultural relativism, ethnocentrism, and relocation diffusion are highlighted to deepen understanding of cultural dynamics.

Culture Overview

Culture is described as the collective material traits, behavioral patterns, beliefs, social norms, and attitudes shared and passed down within a specific group. A cultural hearth is a region where new ideas and innovations emerge and spread outward, such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, or the Indus River Valley. A culture complex integrates various cultural traits, forming a cohesive set of attributes.

Habits and Customs: Defined

• Habit: A routine action performed repeatedly by an individual. Culture complexes with shared traits may combine to create a culture system.
  • Habits typically include daily activities such as brushing teeth, eating at set times, or exercising regularly.
• Custom: A repetitive practice carried out by a specific group. Folk culture is prevalent among homogeneous communities that preserve traditions and values, often in isolation, evolving slowly and spreading through relocation diffusion. Example: The Amish community.
  • Customs may involve unique practices, such as distinct greetings or event celebrations within a group.

Material vs. Non-Material Culture

Culture is divided into two categories: material and non-material. 

• Material culture encompasses tangible items like clothing, furniture, and artifacts. 
• Non-material culture includes intangible elements such as customs, traditions, folk tales, myths, religions, oral and written languages (mentifacts), as well as religious, political, and educational institutions (sociofacts).
• For example, folk music in an agrarian society may narrate stories of daily tasks like farming, passed down through generations.

Folk Customs

Folk customs often originate from unknown sources and dates, developing across multiple cultural hearths. Over time, isolation fosters the growth of diverse and unique folk customs. These customs vary by region, shaped significantly by the local landscape, resulting in distinct cultural identities.

Food

• Food preferences in folk cultures vary widely due to religious and socioeconomic influences on customs. Taboos, or socially imposed restrictions, play a role in food choices. For instance, Islam and Judaism prohibit pork consumption.
• Food preferences are also shaped by wealth, social status, and marketing. For example, wine is typically consumed by those who can afford it.

Housing

• In popular culture, housing preferences are largely dictated by prevailing architectural trends. 
• Folk customs and environmental factors also influence housing, determining what is suitable based on available resources in a region. 
• For instance, constructing a brick house may be impractical in a jungle environment.

Governments

• Governments often express concern over social mobility, youth and women’s empowerment, and diversity, as these may challenge traditional folk cultural values. Some governments impose censorship by banning popular media outlets and restricting free speech, as seen in the Soviet Union and North Korea.
• For example, in 1989, anti-communist protesters at Tiananmen Square in Beijing faced a violent government response.
• Another instance is the Arab Spring of 2011, where revolutions in Arab countries against corrupt regimes were censored by governments shutting down mass media. However, social media facilitated the spread of revolutionary ideas.
• Additional threats to folk culture include the pervasive influence of popular culture and the spread of globalization.

Social Customs

A social custom begins at a specific cultural hearth, a hub of innovation and progress, and is often associated with popular culture.

Pop Culture

• Popular culture is embraced by large, diverse groups, typically originating in developed regions where greater leisure time and wealth enable access to its elements. It spreads rapidly through hierarchical diffusion from key nodes and contagious diffusion. Unlike folk culture, which varies by location, popular culture evolves over time within a single place.
• A notable example of popular culture is blue jeans, a widespread trend among youth in Western societies, driven by globalization, communication, transportation, and marketing networks.
• With increasing internet access, popular culture diffuses quickly and efficiently. For instance, pop music is created by specific individuals for global commercial sale, exemplifying globalization.
• Resistance to popular culture may stem from efforts to preserve cultural heritage, nationalist ideologies in less developed countries, or demands for greater autonomy among minority groups in such regions.
• Sustainability challenges associated with popular culture include waste generation, uniform landscapes, animal endangerment due to overuse of animal products, and the need for recycling. Ethnocentrism refers to the belief that one’s own ethnic group is superior, while cultural relativism advocates for an unbiased understanding of other cultural beliefs and practices.

Key Terms

• Animal Endangerment: The risk of species extinction due to habitat loss, poaching, pollution, or climate change, reflecting cultural interactions with the environment.
• Arab Spring: A wave of pro-democracy protests in the Arab world starting in 2010, peaking in 2011, driven by demands for political reform and fueled by social media and economic discontent.
• Blue Jeans: Durable denim trousers, originally workwear, now a global fashion staple symbolizing cultural trends and globalization.
• Cultural Hearth: A region where significant cultural practices originate and spread, often tied to early agriculture and urbanization, shaping global cultural traits.
• Cultural Relativism: The principle of understanding cultural beliefs and practices within their own context, promoting tolerance and avoiding judgment based on external standards.
• Culture: The shared beliefs, norms, customs, and practices of a group, influencing social structures, identity, and regional development.
• Culture Complex: A set of interrelated cultural traits, such as beliefs and customs, that collectively define a society’s identity and lifestyle.
• Cultural Preservation: Efforts to protect and maintain cultural heritage, traditions, and practices against threats like globalization or modernization.
• Custom: A traditional, widely accepted practice specific to a group, reflecting its history and shaping social norms and identity.
• Environmental Capacity: The maximum population or activity an environment can sustain without degrading its resources, critical for sustainable cultural practices.
• Ethnocentrism: The belief in the superiority of one’s own culture, influencing social interactions and perceptions of other groups.
• Folk Culture: Traditional practices of small, homogeneous groups, often rural, passed down through generations, tied to local environments and values.
• Folk Customs: Traditional rituals and practices passed down within a cultural group, maintaining identity and social cohesion through activities like festivals or crafts.
• Folk Music: Traditional music reflecting a community’s cultural identity, using local instruments and storytelling to preserve historical experiences.
• Globalization: The growing interconnectedness of countries through trade, communication, and technology, transforming cultural, political, and economic systems.
• Habit: A routine individual behavior, often unconscious, shaping daily life and reflecting learned cultural practices.
• Housing Preferences: Choices about living spaces influenced by culture, socioeconomic status, and environmental factors, shaping community interactions.
• Material Culture: Tangible objects like clothing and artifacts that define a culture, reflecting and influencing its beliefs and practices.
• Mentifacts: Intangible cultural beliefs, values, and ideas, such as religion and language, shaping a group’s worldview and identity.
• Nationalist Ideologies: Belief systems prioritizing national unity and identity, influencing political movements and cultural preservation efforts.
• Non-Material Culture: Intangible cultural elements like beliefs, norms, and customs, guiding social practices and identity formation.
• Pop Music: A genre of popular music with broad appeal, reflecting societal trends and serving as a tool for cultural expression through global markets.
• Popular Culture: Practices and trends embraced by large, diverse groups, evolving over time and diffusing rapidly through modern networks.
• Recycling: The process of reusing materials to reduce waste, reflecting cultural values of environmental responsibility and sustainability.
• Relocation Diffusion: The spread of cultural traits through the physical movement of people, carrying practices to new regions.
• Social Custom: A widely accepted traditional practice within a society, fostering cohesion and reflecting cultural values.
• Sociofacts: Social structures and norms shaping interactions, forming the foundation of a society’s organization and identity.
• Taboos: Cultural prohibitions on behaviors or practices, rooted in beliefs, maintaining social order and varying across societies.
• Uniform Landscapes: Standardized environments shaped by global cultural and economic trends, reducing local distinctiveness in architecture and urban planning.