Chapter 4: Folk and Popular Culture

The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography

Culture

• Combination of 3 things:– Values – Material artifacts – Political

institutions• This chapter:

material artifacts

Material Culture

• 2 categories: – Folk culture

• Small, isolated, homogeneous groups in rural areas

– Popular culture• Large, heterogeneous groups of people with common

habits regardless of different personal characteristics

– Geographers: interested in 2 aspects of culture:• Where cultures are located in space• How cultures interact with the environment

Where Do Cultures Originate and Diffuse?

• Origin of folk and popular cultures– Folk culture = hearth area; originators are

usually unknown– Popular culture = hearth areas in MDCs

• MDC populations have disposable income & leisure time

Where Do Cultures Originate and Diffuse?

• Origin of folk & popular music– Folk music

• Tells a story or recounts important life events or activities

• Is personal in nature

– Popular music• Written by individuals for the purpose

of selling to a large audience

• Highly technical

Where Do Cultures Originate and Diffuse?

• Diffusion of folk & popular culture– Folk culture

• Diffuses slowly, mostly through migration, on small scales

• Amish culture

– Popular culture • Diffuses rapidly, by hierarchical

diffusion, & over large scales• Sports

Why Is Folk Culture Clustered?

• Influence of physical environment– Close connection to environment

• Most are rural & agricultural• May ignore environmental

conditions

Why Is Folk Culture Clustered?

• Influence of the physical environment– Food preferences

are adapted to environment

– Food taboos may be very strong

– Terroir = sum effects of local environment on a food item

Swine Stock

Figure 4-8

Why Is Folk Culture Clustered?

• Influence of physical environment– Folk housing & the environment

• Reflects cultural heritage, current fashion, function, & physical environment

• Most common building materials = wood & brick

• Minor differences in environment can produce very different house styles

Why Is Folk Culture Clustered?

• Isolation promotes cultural diversity– Himalayan art– Beliefs & folk house forms

Why Is Popular Culture Widely Distributed?

• Diffusion of popular housing, clothing, & food– Popular culture varies more in time than place

• Food customs: consumption of snack foods & alcohol• Clothing styles: reflect occupation, not environment• Housing: reflects U.S. fashion trends since 1940s

U.S. House Types (1945–1990)

Figure 4-16

Why Is Popular Culture Widely

Distributed?

• Electronic diffusion of popular culture– Watching television

• Most popular leisure activity in MDCs

• Diffusion from U.S. to rest of the world in 50 years

– The Internet• Diffusion from U.S. to

rest of the world in 10 years

Diffusion of Facebook

Figure 4-21

Why Does Popular Culture Cause Problems?

• Threats to folk culture– Loss of traditional

values– Media imperialism– Satellites

• Limit government control of information

Why Does Popular Culture Cause Problems?

• Environmental impact of popular culture– Modifying nature

• Golf courses• Uniform

landscapes

– Negative impacts• Increased

demand for natural resources

• Pollution

The End.