KBAT REVIEW

So what is culture?

The shared: Attitudes, Beliefs, Values, Symbols,

Practices, Forms of Behavior and Social Organizations

Together with its tools, structures and artifacts

Transmitted as a heritage to succeeding generations

And changing

Elements of Culture1. Styles of Dress2. Ways of Greeting People3. Beliefs about Hospitality4. Importance of Time5. Paintings6. Values7. Literature8. Beliefs about Child Raising

(Children & Teens)9. Attitudes about Personal

Space/Privacy10. Beliefs about the

Responsibilities11. Gestures12. Holiday Customs13. Music14. Dancing15. Celebrations

16. Concept of Fairness17. Nature of Friendship18. Ideas about Clothing19. Foods20. Eating Habits21. Facial Expressions and

Hand Gestures22. Concept of Self23. Work Ethic24. Religious Beliefs25. Religious Rituals26. Concept of Beauty27. Rules of Polite Behavior28. Attitude Toward Age29. Beliefs about the Importance

of Family30. General World View

Cultural Geography

A sub-field within Human Geography Can include:

-globalization

-diffusion of Western culture

-cultural assimilation

-cultural landscapes

Structure of Culture

Culture can be broken down into 3 categories:

Ideological Subsystem Technological Subsystem Sociological Subsystem

Ideological

Made up of ideas, beliefs and knowledge of a culture

The way these things are expressed in words and actions

Includes mythologies, legends, literature, philosophy and folk wisdom

Called MENTIFACTS

Technological

Composed of the stuff people have and how they use it

Includes the tools and objects that help us feed, clothe, house, defend, transport and amuse ourselves

Called ARTIFACTS

Sociological

Composed of the accepted and expected ways we handle social relationships

Includes family, economic, military, religious and other associations

Called SOCIOFACTS

Components of Culture

Let’s move from the smallest unit to the biggest. It starts with a . . .

Habit . . . then a

Custom . . . then a

Components of Culture

Trait (culture trait) . . . Learned behavior—language, tools used, games played. It can be an object, a technique, a belief or an attitude.

Complex (culture complex) . . .individual culture traits that are functionally interrelated (automobiles in the US—model reflects income, movies, sports, rites of passage)

Components of Culture

Culture System. . . When enough commonalities exist with traits and complexes, a system emerges.

(Citizens of the “melting pot” of United States speak different languages, eat different foods, have different religions yet all identify themselves as “Americans.”)

Components of Culture

Culture Region . . . A portion of the earth’s surface occupied by populations sharing recognizable and distinctive cultural characteristics (political organizations, religions, type of economy, housing, etc.)

Components of Culture

Components of Culture

Culture Realm . . . A large segment of the earth’s surface having uniformity in its cultural characteristics—and showing a significant difference in them from adjacent realms.

Cultural Realms

Components of Culture

And then . . . we have GLOBALIZATION