AP Human Geography - Unit 3: Cultural Patterns and Processes

Introduction to Culture

• Culture is a multifaceted concept that encompasses both tangible and intangible elements that define a society or group of people:

  • Material culture: Includes all the physical objects created, used, and shared by a group of people. These can range from clothing, tools, and technology to art, architecture, and other artifacts that reflect the culture's values and practices. Material culture provides a tangible representation of a society's way of life.

  • Non-material culture: Refers to the abstract ideas and beliefs, values, norms, language, symbols, and rituals that shape and guide people's behavior. These intangible aspects of culture influence how individuals perceive the world, interact with one another, and make decisions. Non-material culture is essential for social cohesion and cultural identity.

• Subculture: A smaller group within a larger society that shares distinct beliefs, values, and practices that set them apart from the mainstream culture. Subcultures often have their own unique styles of dress, music, language, and social customs. Examples include:

  • A group of students enrolled in an AP Human Geography class may form a subculture within their school, characterized by shared academic interests, specialized knowledge, and inside jokes related to the course content.

  • Online gaming communities can be considered subcultures, where players share a passion for video games, engage in virtual interactions, and develop their own unique slang and social norms.

Cultural Perspectives: Ethnocentrism vs. Cultural Relativism

• Ethnocentrism: The tendency to view and judge other cultures from the perspective of one's own culture, often leading to misunderstandings, biases, and negative evaluations. Ethnocentrism involves using one's own cultural standards as the basis for assessing the values, beliefs, and practices of other cultures without attempting to understand the other culture's viewpoint.

  • Example: Judging another culture's cuisine based on your own culture's taste preferences, without considering the historical, environmental, and social factors that have shaped their culinary traditions.

• Cultural Relativism: The principle of understanding and judging a culture by its own standards and values, rather than imposing one's own cultural norms. Cultural relativism requires an open-minded and empathetic approach to understanding cultural practices within their own cultural context.

  • It emphasizes the importance of avoiding judgment and recognizing that different cultures have different ways of meeting the needs and challenges of their members. It does not mean agreeing with the culture but understanding its values and practices within its own context.

  • Example: Understanding a student's behavior by taking into account their upbringing, cultural background, and personal experiences, rather than judging them based on preconceived notions or stereotypes.

The Cultural Landscape

• Cultural Landscape: The visible imprint of human culture on the natural environment, reflecting the values, beliefs, and practices of a particular group or society. It encompasses all the human-induced changes to the physical environment, including:

  • Architecture

  • Land use patterns

  • Agricultural practices

  • Infrastructure

  • Settlement patterns

  • Observations of the cultural landscape can provide valuable insights into a region's economic development, cultural values, and population density.

• Examples of observations from cultural landscapes:

  • Building materials and the compactness of houses can indicate population density and economic development. Areas with high population density and limited resources may feature smaller, more compact housing units constructed from readily available materials. In contrast, wealthier areas may showcase larger homes built with more durable and expensive materials.

  • Roof styles can provide clues about the local climate. Flat roofs are commonly found in warmer, arid climates, where there is little rainfall, while peaked roofs are better suited for colder climates with heavy snowfall.

  • The presence of religious sites, tourist attractions, and modern buildings can reveal a region's cultural values and degree of globalization. The prominence of religious sites may indicate the importance of religion in the local culture, while the presence of tourist attractions suggests a focus on leisure and recreation. Modern buildings can reflect a society's embrace of technological innovation and economic development.

Sequent Occupancy

• Sequent Occupancy: The concept that successive societies leave their cultural imprints on a place, each contributing to the cumulative cultural landscape. This layering of cultural influences creates a rich and complex tapestry that reflects the historical interactions between people and their environment. In simpler terms it is the notion that cultures leave impacts on a geographic are over time, contributing to the cultural landscape.

  • Example: The Berlin Wall as a relic boundary, which are discussed more in depth in Unit 4. The Berlin wall is a relic since it no longer serves its purpose as a wall, but is a reminder of the past conflict with East and West Berlin.

Architecture

• Architecture: The art and science of designing and constructing buildings and other structures, reflecting the cultural, historical, and environmental context in which they are created. Architectural styles can vary widely depending on factors such as:

  • Available materials

  • Climate

  • Cultural preferences

  • Technological advancements

  • Traditional Architecture: Characterized by the use of local materials, traditional building techniques, and designs that reflect the cultural heritage and environmental conditions of a particular region.

  • Modern Architecture: Embraces simplicity, functionality, and the use of modern materials such as steel, glass, and concrete. Modern buildings often feature clean lines, open spaces, and a rejection of ornamentation.

  • Post-Modern Architecture: A reaction against the perceived uniformity and lack of character in modern architecture. Post-modern buildings often incorporate historical references, ornamentation, and a diversity of styles to create unique and visually engaging designs that reflect the cultural context of the building.

Land Use

• Land Use: Refers to the various ways in which humans utilize and manage land resources for different purposes. Land use patterns can reveal a great deal about a society's economic activities, cultural values, and environmental priorities.

• Land Use Patterns: Include agricultural, recreational, commercial, residential, industrial, and transportation which are all different.

• Example: The prevalence of personal vehicles in US cities versus public transportation in other societies indicates different societal priorities. This suggests that the US prioritizes personal convenience and individual transportation, while other societies prioritize sustainability, public accessibility, and efficient use of resources.

Culture and Places

• Place is made up of two things:

  • Physical Components

  • Human Characteristics

• A place consists of both physical and human characteristics, including the physical environment, population, cultures, and built landscape. The interaction between these factors shapes the unique identity and character of a place.

Placemaking

• Placemaking: A collaborative and community-driven approach to designing and managing public spaces that enhances their quality, promotes social interaction, and fosters a sense of belonging. Placemaking involves engaging local residents, businesses, and other stakeholders in the planning and decision-making process to create spaces that reflect the unique needs and aspirations of the community.

  • Associated Term: Centripetal Force: Unites and brings people together.

  • Opposite Term: Centrifugal Force: Divides people.

Sense of Place and Placelessness

• Sense of Place: The emotional and cultural connection that people feel towards a particular place, based on their experiences, memories, and sense of belonging. A strong sense of place is often associated with unique characteristics, historical significance, and cultural identity.

  • Example: Returning to your hometown and feeling a sense of comfort, familiarity, and connection to the community, even after being away for many years.

• Placelessness: The lack of a distinct identity or character in a place, often resulting from homogenization, standardization, and the dominance of globalized culture. Placeless environments tend to be generic, impersonal, and lacking in unique features or historical significance.

Built Environment

• Built Environment: The human-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity, ranging in scale from personal shelter and buildings to neighborhoods and cities can shape a place.

Homogenized Landscapes

• Homogenized, uniform cultural landscapes consist of similar or identical elements and lack unique characteristics or historical elements. They often arise from the spread of corporate franchises, standardized architecture, and mass-produced goods, which can lead to a loss of local identity and cultural diversity.

  • These landscapes lack any emotional response from an individual.

  • Example: Housing developments characterized by rows of identical houses, devoid of unique architectural details or personalized landscaping.

Diffusion

• Broad Types of Diffusion:

  • Relocation Diffusion: The spread of a cultural trait or idea through the physical movement of people from one place to another. As people migrate, they carry their cultural practices, beliefs, and innovations with them, which can then be adopted and adapted in their new location. The origin point shrinks as people move.

  • Expansion Diffusion: The spread of a cultural trait or idea from one place to another through direct or indirect contact. Expansion diffusion occurs when a trait or idea expands outward from its point of origin, affecting an ever-widening area. The origin point grows as its influence expands.

Types of Expansion Diffusion:

*   **Contagious Diffusion**: The rapid and widespread diffusion of a cultural trait or idea through a population, similar to the spread of a contagious disease. Contagious diffusion often occurs through direct contact and is not limited by social class, economic status, or power structures (e.g., viral videos, citrus smell).
*   **Hierarchical Diffusion**: The spread of a cultural trait or idea from one person or place of power or influence to other people or places. Hierarchical diffusion often occurs in a top-down manner, with innovations or trends spreading from urban centers to rural areas, or from wealthy elites to lower social classes (e.g., corporate decisions spreading from CEO to workers).
*   **Reverse Hierarchical Diffusion**: The spread of a cultural trait or idea from the bottom up, starting with marginalized or less influential groups and spreading to more powerful or mainstream groups (e.g., pickleball starting with a family and spreading nationally).
*   **Stimulus Diffusion**: The spread of an underlying principle or idea, even though the specific cultural trait is rejected or modified. Stimulus diffusion occurs when the adoption of a new idea leads to new innovations or adaptations that are unique to the adopting culture (e.g., McDonald's adapting its menu to different cultural practices worldwide).

Historical Causes of Diffusion

• Colonialism, imperialism, and trade are historical causes of diffusion, leading to the spread of cultures and traits through both relocation and expansion diffusion.

Key Terms regarding Historical Causes of Diffusion:

*   **Lingua Franca**: A language that is used as a common means of communication between people who speak different native languages. Lingua francas often develop in areas with diverse populations and serve as a bridge for facilitating trade, diplomacy, and cultural exchange (e.g., English).
*   **Creoleization**: The process by which two or more languages and cultures merge and create a new, hybrid language and culture. Creole languages often arise in colonial contexts, where enslaved people and European colonizers come into contact and create new forms of communication and cultural expression (e.g., Haitian Creole, Swahili).
*   **Diaspora**: The dispersion of people from their original homeland to other parts of the world, often due to forced migration, economic hardship, or political persecution (e.g., the Atlantic slave trade).

Contemporary Causes of Diffusion

• Globalization, urbanization, technological advancements, military, and political and economic relationships lead to diffusion today.

  • Technology, especially social media, facilitates the diffusion of ideas, goods, and practices. Social media platforms enable people from different cultures to connect, share information, and exchange ideas on a global scale.

  • Diffusion can lead to new goods, ideas, increased prosperity, and awareness of different government systems, which influences democratization and devolution.

Cultural Convergence vs. Cultural Divergence

*   **Cultural Convergence**: The tendency for cultures to become more alike over time, as a result of increased interaction, communication, and exchange of ideas. Cultural convergence is often driven by globalization, which promotes the spread of Western culture, consumerism, and technology (Starbucks and Mcdonalds around the world).
*   **Cultural Divergence**: The tendency for cultures to become more distinct over time, as a result of isolation, physical barriers, or a desire to preserve unique cultural identities and traditions. Cultural divergence can occur when groups emphasize their differences and resist outside influences (e.g., Basque people isolated by mountains, American colonies separating from England).

*Religion

*Focus on understanding where they originated.focus on understanding that place of worship! Focus on brief descriptions of faith, but focus mainly on the diffusion and how it impacts the cultural landscape.

Religion Classifications

• Universalizing Religions:

  • Christianity (Jesus, House of worship the church)

  • Buddhism (Temple - Pagoda)

  • Islam

  • Sikhs (Golden Temple)

• Ethnic Religions:

  • Hinduism

  • Judaism (Synagogue)

Language

• Isogloss: A boundary defined by linguistic differences. It represents a line on a map that separates areas where different language features are used, such as pronunciation, vocabulary, or grammar.

• Dialect: Regional variances that occur in a form of language, generally based on the local culture. Dialects can differ in pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and idiomatic expressions.

• Endangered Language: A language that's at risk of disappearing. It is a language that has a declining number of speakers and is in danger of becoming extinct. Factors that contribute to language endangerment include globalization, urbanization, and the dominance of major languages.

• Dead Language: A language that is no longer spoken as native by any community! It is a language that has no living native speakers and is no longer used for communication.

Cultural and Societal Forces

Centripetal vs. Centrifugal Forces

• Centripetal Forces: Forces that unite people and promote social cohesion within a society.

• Centrifugal Forces: Forces that divide people and create social divisions within a society.

• Events can cause either of these forces can vary.

  • Example: 9/11 as a centripetal force for the United States; language barriers as a centrifugal force.

Patterns of Cultural Change

• Assimilation:

Individual or group of people, and theyre just adopting that cultural norms.

• Acculturation:

Culture is going to take certain traits of another one

• Syncretism:

Two or more cultures actually evolve and they change kind of over time

• Multiculturalism:

Society here, we have a lot of diversity, um, and they coexist kind of within!