CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY

Geography 2Instructor – Gary Booher

Geography is the science of place. Its vision is grand, its view panoramic. It sweeps the surface of the Earth, charting the physical, organic and cultural terrain, their areal differentiation, and their ecological dynamicswith human kind. Its foremost tool is the map.

Geography = “to describe the earth”

- Leonard KrishtalkaCarnegie Museum of Natural History

What is Geography?

Science of PlacePhysical & CulturalAreal DifferentiationEcological DynamicsMaps

Elements of Geography

Geography Studies…Differences from Place to Place

Population

Folk Culture

Popular Culture

Language

Religion

Ethnicity

Political Geography

Agriculture

Industry

Cities

Urban Patterns

Meaning of Culture

• Social Beliefs/Customs– Language, Religion, Ethnicity

• Material Traits– Food, Clothing, Shelter

Definitions of Culture – 2 aspects…To care about• To value

To take care of• Cultivate

Meaning of CultureCulture is…

A “way of Life”Shared by a group of peopleLearned

1. Culture Region

2. Cultural Ecology

3. Cultural Diffusion

4. Cultural Interaction

5. Cultural Landscape

Major Themes…

1 – Culture RegionArea unified by culture3 Types of Culture Regions…

FormalFunctionalVernacular

Has 1+ cultural traitsA __________ areaAn area with a lot of __________Indefinite boundary

Formal Regions

Formal RegionsPresidential Election (2008)

Electoral Vote (State)• “Blue” vs. “Red”

Popular Vote (County)• Urban vs. Rural

Organized to serve a FunctionFocused on a NODE

Political

Functional Regions

~ 200 Countries

Functional RegionsSocial

Church

EconomicArea for Service or Delivery

Based on a common or perceived name for an area

“Midwest”

Vernacular Regions

“The South” This area?

Vernacular Regions

Orange County?

Pacific Northwest?

A rice-growing region?

Pizza-delivery area for Pizza take-out?

Functional

Vernacular

Formal

Functional

What Type of Region?Formal, Functional or Vernacular?

Interaction of Culture & EnvironmentEnvironment influences Culture• Agriculture, Housing

2 – Cultural Ecology

Human activity influences Environment

Cultural Ecology

Environmental Determinism…Environment dominant over Culture• In a ________________ environment,

people/culture will be _____________

Cultural Ecology Views

PossibilismEnvironment offers Possibilities• For People to choose from

Environmental PerceptionPeople choose Possibilities…• From how they Perceive Environment

Cultural Ecology Views

Humans as Modifiers of the EarthPeople affect the Environment• Opposite of Environmental Determinism

Depends on…• Technology & Energy• Attitudes towards the Earth

Cultural Ecology Views

Environmental ModificationNetherlands…

Land drained & reclaimed from Sea

3 – Cultural DiffusionOrigin and spread of…

TraitsIdeasInnovations

Place of Origin is called a HearthDiffusion weakens from Hearth

Distance Decay

Cultural Diffusion – TypesRelocation Diffusion

• People Migrate

Expansion Diffusion• Ideas Migrate

HierarchicalContagious

Relocation DiffusionVia migration

Bring culture with them• Foods

Hierarchical DiffusionBetween…

Urban centersWealthy or trendy people

Examples…FashionsMoviesPop Culture

Contagious DiffusionNeighborhood effect

Influence of Peers

TastesMusic

ActionsLanguage

Cultural Diffusion

4 – Cultural InteractionInfluence between Cultural elements

Cultural traits are interdependent• Even when unrelated

5 – Cultural LandscapeMan-made Landscape

Buildings/Structures

Cultural LandscapeVisual Record of Cultures

Of Values, Tastes, Fears, Technology

Shows Identity of a Place

ToponymsCultural Landscape

Place-Names

Descriptive – for a Natural FeatureLong BeachRiversideThousand OaksSierra Nevada

Toponyms – Classification

Signify Values – of SettlersLos AngelesIslamabad

Toponyms – Classification

Show Historical SettlementIndigenous• Pasadena

Spanish• Santa Monica• San Pedro• Lomita

American• Walnut

Toponyms – Classification

CommemorativeFor a Person • Washington, DC• Santa Ana• Baldwin Park

Or another place• New York

– New Amsterdam

Toponyms – Classification

Functional – for an Economic ActivityHarbor CityCity of IndustryCommercePortland

Toponyms – Classification

ManufacturedInvented Words/Acronyms• Calexico• Mexicali• Norco• Altadena• Azusa

Toponyms – Classification

Toponyms

Lower Manhattan

Site – Physical Characteristics

Place – Site vs. Situation

Place – Site vs. Situation

Fig. 1-7: Singapore is situated at a key location for international trade.Singapore

Situation – Importance of LocationRelative to other places & factors

Place – Site vs. Situation

Spatial DistributionDensity

# per Area• High vs. Low

PatternArrangement• Regular vs. Irregular

ConcentrationSpread• Clustered vs. Dispersed

Concentration?Density?Spatial Distribution

Lower

Higher

= # 2

Dispersed

= # 1

Clustered

MapsCartography = Mapmaking

Contemporary ToolsRemote Sensing• Satellite Images

GPS = Global Positioning System

GIS = Geographical Information Systems

Portraying Location

Politically Incorrect MapCartographers gone Wild???