AP Human Geography - Damon - 2016

Intro to Local and Popular Culture

Local vs. Popular Culture

• Local (folk) culture: smaller, homogeneous population, typically rural, cohesive cultural traits

• Popular culture: larger, heterogeneous populations, typically urban, changing cultural traits

Challenge: Holding on to local culture in the face of increasing globalization

Examples of U.S. Popular Culture

Material Culture

Non-material culture

• Material culture: housing, clothing, food, music, art, etc.

• Nonmaterial culture: beliefs, values, etc.

How Do Local Cultures Sustain Themselves?

• They keep other cultures out and their own culture in

• They define a place (town or neighborhood) or space (annual festival, parade, etc.) as representing their culture

Example: Irish-American Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Celebration

U.S. Rural Local Culture Example:The Amish

U.S. Urban Local Culture Example:

Ethnic Neighborhoods

There are 3 Chinatowns in New York City. This one is in Manhattan.

Forced Cultural Assimilation Example: American Indian Boarding Schools

1870s to 1970s“… forbidden to speak native languages, taught Christianity

instead of native religions …forced to abandon their Indian identity and adopt European-American culture.”

Culture RealmsAreas with common cultural complexes

Culture RegionsAreas with common cultural traits

Natural Landscape

Cultural LandscapesImprint of human culture on the surface of the Earth

Placelessness

Lack of cultural uniqueness

Cultural DiffusionThe spread of ideas, innovations, etc.

from one person or group to another

Diffusion Isn’t Random: It Starts With a Cultural Hearth

• Cultural hearth: geographic source of innovation or idea

• Example: cultural hearth of hip hop music = Bronx, New York

DJ Kool Herc, Founder of Hip Hop

• Distance decay: the farther from the hearth, the less likely an idea is to be adopted

• Time-space compression: ideas diffuse more quickly to places that are highly connected via transportation and communication networks

Diffusion of Innovation Model

Example: Diffusion of Smartphone

Relocation DiffusionIdeas spread by the movement of people from one

location to another

Example: Spanish Language

Expansion Diffusion• Ideas spread without the physical relocation

of people– Types:

• Contagious• Hierarchical• Stimulus

Expansion Diffusion Type 1Contagious Diffusion

Ideas spread by person to person contact, media

https://youtu.be/ul7TZy9_fo4

Expansion Diffusion Type 2Hierarchical Diffusion

Ideas spread through a hierarchyFrom big cities to small places

From “trendsetters” to “the average Joe”

Stimulus DiffusionCore idea spreads and is adapted to fit local

culture

Germany - with beer!

India - no beef

Chile - with guacamole

Canada - lobster roll Japan - shrimp burger

Expansion Diffusion Type 2

Barriers to Diffusion• Physical barriers

– Oceans, mountain ranges, walls, etc.• Cultural barriers

– Language, religion, government, income level, education level, technology access, etc.