Pop and Folk Culture vocabs

What is Cultural Geogragry ?

The study of how culture varies across space.

What does the Latin word “Cultus” mean?

“To care about.”

What are the three elements that make up culture?

Artifacts (material objects), Customs (beliefs and values), and Traditions (social behaviors).

What is a Cultural Landscape?

The combination of physical features, agricultural and industrial practices, religion, language, and architecture that express culture in an area.

Define Folk Culture

Traditionally practiced by small, homogeneous, rural, and isolated groups.

Define Popular Culture

Found in large, heterogeneous societies that share certain habits despite personal differences.

What is Acculturation?

When one group adopts traits of a dominant society while keeping parts of its original culture.

What is Assimilation?

The process by which a minority culture loses its identity and fully blends into the dominant culture.

What is Cultural Imperialism?

Dominance of one culture over another, often due to colonization or media influence.

What is Cultural Syncretism?

The blending of two distinct cultural traits to form a new hybrid culture.

What is Cultural Relativism?

The idea that a culture should be understood and judged by its own standards, not another’s.

What is a cultural hearth?

The place of origin of a culture or cultural trait.

How does Folk Culture diffuse?

Slowly through relocation diffusion and without technology.

How does Popular Culture diffuse?

Rapidly through hierarchical diffusion, often from large cities and via technology.

What are the types of diffusion?

Relocation, Expansion, Hierarchical, Contagious, and Stimulus diffusion.

Why is Folk Culture clustered?

Because it’s influenced by the local physical environment and isolation.

What is Terroir?

The impact of the local environment on the taste or qualities of a food item

How is Folk housing influenced?

By environment, available materials (wood, brick), and cultural traditions.

How does Popular Culture vary?

It varies more by time than by place.

What are examples of Popular Culture diffusion?

Global fast food, fashion, music, and social media.

What is the major threat of Pop Culture to Folk Culture?

Loss of traditional values and cultural identity.

How can Popular Culture impact women negatively?

Promotes western standards that may conflict with traditional gender roles or lead to exploitation.

How does Popular Culture affect the environment?

Leads to uniform landscapes, pollution, and high resource use (e.g., golf courses, waste).

Define Possibilism

The idea that people can adjust and modify the environment, not be strictly limited by it.

Contrast Folk and Popular Culture.

Folk: Rural, isolated, slow change, local diffusion, environmental determinism. Pop: Urban, global, rapid change, hierarchical diffusion, possibilism.

Example of Folk Culture in the U.S.?

The Amish communities.

Example of Popular Culture globally?

McDonald’s, Hollywood, BTS, MTV.