WORLD GEOGRAPHY

Sept. 30, 2014

Today

Culture - Local culture, popular culture, cultural landscapes

Culture defined

Culture is…

Sum total of knowledge, attitudes, habitual behavior patterns shared and transmitted by the members of society.

Elements of culture- Language - gender roles

- Religion - architecture

- Customs and practices norms

- Clothing/fashion

- Cuisine/food

- Music

Korea: Then vs. Now

Elements of culture- Language

English words (loan words)

- Slang - gender roles

- Religion - architecture

- Customs and practices less traditional

- Clothing/fashion designer fashion (foreign brands)

- Cuisine/food

- Music Hip hop K-pop

Cultural effects of migration

Example: Migrants develop communities in foreign countries.

Little Havana – Miami, USA

Cultural effects of migration

Example: Migrants develop communities in foreign countries.

Little India – Georgetown, Malaysia

Cultural effects of migration

Example: Migrants develop communities in foreign countries.

China Town– New York, U.S.A.

Cultural effects of migration

Example: Migrants develop communities in foreign countries.

Korea Town – Toronto, Canada

Cultural effects of migration

Example: Migrants develop communities in foreign countries.

Itaewon – Seoul, South Korea

Cultural effects of migration

- Language

- Food

- Music

- Religion

Mind association

- What place do you think of when you see each of these images?

Mind association

Mind association

- What place do you think of when you see each of these images?

Fashion

“Cute” culture

Local & Popular Cultures

Local culture: A group in a particular place that sees itself as a community, shares experiences, customs, and traits, and works to preserve those traits and customs to distinguish the group from others.

Popular culture: A large, heterogeneous population, typically urban, with rapidly changing culture.

Local cultures

Acceptance vs. rejection of popular culture traits

Impact on the landscape- Nonmaterial culture: Beliefs, practices, aesthetics, values- Material culture: Constructed items, frequently expressing

nonmaterial culture

Establishment of neighborhoods, construction of places of worship and community centers

Example – the Amish

- Originated in Europe

- Anabaptists: separated from Catholic and Protestant Christianity.

- Live in their own farm-based communities

Maintain own culture: religion, education, technology

Example – the Amish

Example – the Amish

Popular cultures

Practiced by large, heterogeneous group

Rapid spread of new traits, often by hierarchical diffusion from a hearth, through transportation, communication, and marketing networks

Interaction between local and popular cultures• Patronage by local cultures of popular culture services• Adoption by popular culture of local culture traits

CommodificationProcess of making something that was not previously bought and sold a commodity in the marketplace

- Material culture objects for sale to outsiders- Tourist value of culture as a whole

Question of authenticity of places- Mystical images- Creation of identity from cultural traits

Merchants of Cool: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVE-ZWVipjo

Irish Pub Company Pubs

Irish Pub Company and Guinness Brewing Company created 5 models of pubs and export them around the world.

Outback Steakhouse

TGI Friday’s

Hard Rock Cafe

Diffusion of Popular Culture

Distance-decay: More interaction between closer places than between more distant places.

Time-space compression: Interaction dependent on connectedness among places.

Next Tuesday’s class

Group discussions:

- Find a partner.

- Choose an element of popular culture (anything)

- Prepare a brief (3 -5 minute) mini-presentation about:

1. Your topic’s origin/background2. How it came into popular culture3. How it affects current popular culture

Next class (Tuesday)

Group discussions:

Topics are first come, first serve (no repeat topics).

The sig-up sheet is on my office door.

- It will come down Monday afternoon, so make sure to sign up before then.

Before next class

Do the short reading (cultural landscape)