AP Human Geography - Chapter 4 Folk and Popular Culture

Folk culture

Culture traditionally practiced by small, homogenous, rural groups living in isolation

Popular culture

Culture found in large, heterogeneous societies that share certain habits despite differencse

Built environment

Human-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity

Method of popular culture spread

Through hierarchical diffusion aided by modern communication and transportation

Method of folk culture spread

Through relocation diffusion, slowly and on a small scale

What threatens folk cultures today?

The dominance and spread of popular culture

Where do folk cultures usually originate?

Anonymous hearths, dates, and originators

Where does popular culture originate?

Often in MDCs like North America, Western Europe, or Japan

Hearth

The region from which innovative ideas originate

How is folk music typically created and transmitted?

Composed anonymously and passed orally, often telling daily life stories

How is popular music different from folk music?

Popular music is created by specific individuals to be sold and performed using modern technology

Tin Pan Alley

A music industry hub in New York that helped diffuse American popular music

Hip-hop is an example of

A local music form that diffused globally via electronic means

What is the difference in diffusion between folk and popular culture?

Folk spreads through relocation; popular spreads rapidly through media

The Amish are an example of

Folk culture that diffused through relocation across the U.S.

Hierarchical diffusion

Spread from nodes of authority or power to other persons or places

Where did soccer originate?

As a folk custom in England during

How did soccer become a global sport?

Through hierarchical diffusion during British colonization and global communication

Bostans

Traditional Turkish gardens supplying fresh vegetables in Istanbul

How do environmental factors influence folk clothing?

Based on needs like warmth, waterproofing, or comfort in climate

Food taboo

A restriction on behavior imposed by social custom, especially dietary rules

Why don’t Muslims eat pork?

Because pigs are inefficient in dry climates and offer limited utility

Why do Hindus avoid eating beef?

Cows are needed for agricultural labor, particularly in India

Terroir

The environmental contribution to the flavor of a particular food or beverage

What are the two main building materials in folk housing?

Wood and brick

Why do houses in cold climates have pitched roofs?

To allow snow and rain to slide off and prevent accumulation

What determines folk house orientation in places like Laos or Java?

Religious or cultural beliefs

U.S. folk housing hearths

New England, Middle Atlantic, and Lower Chesapeake

“I”- house

A Middle Atlantic folk house type, two stories high and one room deep

Neo-eclectic house style

A mix of past architectural elements popular since the 1960s

Ranch house

A one-story house with all rooms on one level, popular in the 1950s

Minimal traditional house

A small house style popular in the 1940s, simple with limited decoration

What does the spatial distribution of wine production reveal?

It depends on physical environment and cultural preferences

Region best for growing wine grapes

Temperate climates with rainy winters and hot summers

Why do people in different regions prefer different snack foods?

Due to local production, culture, and advertising

What are jeans a symbol of?

Western popular culture and youthful independence

How did jeans affect the Soviet Union?

Symbolized rebellion; they were highly sought after on black markets

Why has regional housing style diminished in the U.S.?

Mass production and national styles have replaced local traditions

What role has television played in popular culture?

It’s the main medium for spreading popular customs worldwide

How did TV diffuse globally?

From the U.S. to Europe and MDCs, then to LDCs

Diffusion pattern of the internet compared to TV

Similar, but much faster

How do popular food preferences vary?

Based on availability, culture, and advertising—not always environment

Why is wine not produced in Muslim regions?

Due to religious prohibitions on alcohol consumption

Contemporary house style

Popular in the 1950s-70s, known for flat or low-pitched roofs

Split-level house

Popular in the 1950s-70s, with staggered floors for different uses

How did popular sports like baseball diffuse?

Through globalization and American military presence

Why do folk cultures vary more by place than by time?

Isolation preserves traditions in specific locations

Why do popular cultures vary more by time than by place?

Global connections cause rapid and frequent changes