Geography Cultural Diversity
Chapter 1
geography is the stud of environmental and social patterns on the earth
human geography is the study of the relationships between humans and the spaces in which they live
helps us to understand the diverse spatial arrangements we see around us
what is culture?
the sum of a variety of human behavioral traits that are learned, which help people communicate beliefs, practices, meanings, and values that influence behavior
cultural geographers examine the meaning, values, attitudes, and beliefs that different groups lend to and derive from spaces they inhabit and move through
People are born into a culture not with aculture, as cultural identity is developed over time through socialization within families, communities, and surrounding environments.
culture is not static
people engage with culture, changing their beliefs and practices over time and space
geographers seek to understand how cultures change how the differ and how the are the same, and how this differ between places
Culture and physical environment
understanding distribution of culture often require an understanding the geography of the physical environment
climate
plant and wildlife distribution
soil patterns
terrain
water bodies
criteria to classify culture
material culture: the visible objects that comprise culture; clothes, food, houses, art, musical instruments
non-material culture: the beliefs, values, myths, and symbolic meanings passed from generation to generation of a given society
Types of culture
Folk
Culture is associated with traditional ways of life in rural and agricultural spaces
many material items, such as clothes, food, houses, and furniture are homemade and consumed locally
nonmaterial practices are localized, passed down through generations, with distinct music and forms of storytelling
Indigenous
self-identified people
colonized
minorities in their homelands
indigenous culture’s material and nonmaterial characteristics share similarities with folk cultures, but their political histories and geographies set them apart
popular culture
modern material and symbolic practices are associated with the rise of mass-produced, machine-made goods, and the invention of long distance communication technologies
consumer-oriented
characterized by the placelessness, where the standardization of the built environment reduces or eliminates the uniqueness of specific locations
Cultural Diversification
how are difference and change reinforced by geography
segregation; whites and blacks
relocation; little Italy
diaspora culture; connection to homeland
subcultures are often resistant to the dominant culture, creating distinct identities and reinterpreting mass-produced goods
Visualization Tools
absolute location: the position of anything on the surface of the earth based on a coordinate system
latitude: parallel lines measured north and south of the equator
longitude: nonparallel vertical lines that circle the earth
relative location: the position of a place in relation to other locations or landmarks, helping to understand its significance within a geographical context.
Geospatial technologies
global positioning system (GPS) a technology the locates objects’ absolute locations using at least 4 satellites in space to triangulate position
remote sensing a method of collecting information via satellite or aerial photography using light, radar, or radio waves
geographic information system (GIS) collection, storing, retrieving, and visual representation geographic data
data can also be used from solving location based questions and research
Five Themes
Region
Formal region: a geographical area inhabited by people who have one or more traits in common ex: language, system of livelihood
functional region: a geographical area that has been organized to function politically, socially, culturally, or economically as one unit ex: cities, parish, or a state
vernacular region: a region that is perceived to exist, usually as evidence by the accepted use of a special regional name
mobility: diffusion
diffusion the pattern by which a phenomenon spreads from a particular location through space and time
all cultures are the product of countless innovations, including many products of diffusion
some innovations, however, arise independently in different places
independent innovation development of the same or similar inventions in different places by people working independently
relocation diffusion:when humans relocate they pick up aspects of culture from their original location and bring them to a new area, leading to a blend of cultural practices and values in the receiving society.
expansion diffusion: ideas or practices spread throughout the population in a snowballing process so that the total number of users increases
hierarchical diffusion: ideas that leap from one important person or place to another, temporarily bypassing other people or places
contagious diffusion: wavelike spread of ideas or practices
stimulus diffusion: a specific trait is rejected, but the underlying idea is accepted
weakening of diffusion
time-distance decay: recognition that the acceptance of a cultural innovation generally decreases with distance and time
friction of distance: distance has the effect of inhibiting the intensity and volume of most forms of human interaction
modern mass media have accelerated diffusion, decreased the impact of time-distance decay, and helped overcome the friction of distance
barriers of diffusion
absorbing barriers: processes or things that completely halt the progress of diffusion
permeable barriers: allow diffusion of innovations, but often in a weakened and partially complete way
non-diffusion: failure of innovation to spread due to cultural and environmental variables. it is more common than diffusion
mobility: migration
migration: the mass movement of people between different regions
stepwise migration: migration in stages, usually in a progression from country → city → capital city
return migration
forced migration
transnational migration
globalization
a process of economic, political, and social integration that collectively create ties that make a difference to lives around the planet
results in an interconnectedness such that actions and conditions in one place are linked to actions and conditions in other places
countries, economies, culture, and environments are increasingly connected with each other
is globalization making us more alike or more different?
nature-culture
focus on how people inhabit the earth and their relationship to the physical environment
ecology: a concept developed to encompass the complexity among living environments and the physical environment
cultural ecology: expands upon this idea to incorporate the interactions between local cultures and local ecologies
Environment determinism: physical environment is the dominant force shaping cultures
possibilism: the physical environment offered many ways for cultures to develop, and cultures makes choices that are guided by culture, politics, economies and technology
environmental perception: the mental images that people have of nature, which are shaped by knowledge, experiences, values, and emotions, that are distinct to each person and cultural group
human as modifiers: focus on how humans shape the environment, whether deliberately (ex: logging, mining) or not (ex: plowing, carbon emissions)
cultural landscape
the cultural landscape encompasses how cultural groups transform the landscape, including the symbols and values associated with that landscape
symbolic landscape: express the values, beliefs, and meanings of a particular culture ex: Eiffel Tower, statue of liberty
settlement pattern: roads, railroads,
Chapter 2
regions: regions are central to the creation, identification, and maintenance of cultural difference
U.S. college sports: many sports are concentrated, though not eexclusively plays, in certain regions
historical factors
climate factors
cultural factors: the sport is adapted to new local context and become closely associated with that place. ex: volleyball is more popular in California
indigenous regions are often isolated due to: poor road and communication infrastructure, displacement far from the capital, displacement far from national culture
LGBT districts
regions based on finding places where individuals in this community feel accepted and where this community can be visible in the landscape
LGBT district
gayborhood
gay village
chicago’s boystown
Mobility
movement of people, things and ideas shapes and is shaped by geography
Diaspora culture
people who flea conflict and settle in new places and create diaspora, or new community
the challenge is creating a coherent identity across the world in conditions of forced migration and uncertainty
cuban diaspora
hmong diaspora
sudanese diaspora
barriers to movement of digital information
diffusion of information has the potential to the immediate and to go anywhere
significant barriers create a digital divide
factors that contribute to the digital divide are
lack of internet access
government bans on technology and information
Globalization: interconnectedness
Experiences of time and space
modern experiences of time-space convergence
in time-space convergence, absolute distance remains the dame, but relative distance is reduced significantly
the ways that different cultures experience time and space is a characteristic of folk and popular culture
1500-1850 - horse drawn carriage and sailing ships (10 mph)
1850-1930 - steam locomotives to steam ships varying between 30 - 60 mph
1950s - propeller aircraft 300 - 400 mph
1960s - jet passenger 500 - 700 mph
globalization: cultural homogenization
cultural convergence
globalization is a “site of struggle”
globalization can revitalize local cultures by asserting differences in the face of global pressure, including engaging in consumer nationalism
nature - culture
a person’s view of nature is often a result of how that person interacts with it, whether for recreation or for livelihood
Chapter 3
Population distribution and density
people are very unevenly distributed across the earth
the densest regions of the world include