UNDERSTANDING CULTURE

VOCABULARYCulture

Cultural Landscap

e

Civilization

Institution

The way of life of a people, including their beliefs and practices

The parts of a people’s environment that they have shaped and the technology they have used to shape it

An advanced culture with cities and a system of writing

A custom or organization with social, educational, or religious purposes

Example of Cultural LandscapeJapanese(Bonsai tree shape)

What is Culture?Definition?

Parents pass culture on to their childrenKeep in mind, culture traits (?) can change over the years

Visible CultureMaterial possessions: clothes, homes,

technology, foodSportsLiterature and art

Non-Visible CultureLanguageIdeasSpiritual BeliefsGovernment and politics

Elements of Culture

Visible Culture Non-Visible Culture

Geographers want to know: How environment affects cultureEx: Japan has mountains and isolated

islands Farming is not good so they turned to

fishing

ANY OTHER EXAMPLES YOU CAN THINK OF?

But, environment doesn’t dictate culture…(meaning ?)

Ex: Greece has an environment like Japan but Greeks have pasture land for goats to graze

People create technology, technology impacts culture and environment

Ex: Cultural landscape Indonesia—farmers cared places into

hillside to farm

Culture and Environment

People and Environment

Development of Culture1.) Inventions of tools millions of years ago2.) Control of fire3.) Beginning of agriculture4.) Development of civilization (?)

In the past:People were primarily hunter &

gatherersTravel from place to place, fish & hunt

As time went on:Discovery of how to grow cropsTaming of wild animals to work or raise

to eatFarming became a bigger deal

4 Major Advances in Technology

Ways of Life Changes as

Time Goes On

Agriculture provides steady food supplyFarmers can grow more food than they need

Allowed products to be traded for foodAgriculture paved way for:

Laws to be created to help with trade and politicsTo store information used:

Writing was created

First civilizations produced 5000 years ago

Farming helped civilization spread throughout the world

200 years ago:Machines were created as new technologyIndustrial Revolution—growth of cities, science

and technology

Technology &

Civilizations

SICKLEREAPER

HARVESTER

Development of Agriculture Technology

Simple institutions (?) came before the big Agricultural Revolution

Extended familiesPolitical institutions—group of elders, small

councils

Cities formed, more complex institutions were needed

Organized religions, armies, governments, schools were needed as cities developed

MuseumsSports ClubsCorporationsPolitical PartiesUniversities

Development of Institutions

Modern Day Institutions

CULTURE AND SOCIETY

VOCABULARYA group of people sharing a culture

A pattern of organized relationships among groups of people within a society

A grouping of people based on rank or status

A mother, father, and their children

A family that includes several generations

Society

Social Structure

Social Class

Nuclear Family

Extended Family

How Society is Organized

Can range from:Small like a single community to as large as a

nationCould be a group of similar nations

Groups within a society:Work together on certain tasksEx: To get food, to protect, to education, etc

Social structure helps people work together to meet basic needs

Family is most important unit of societyTeaches customs and traditionsChildren learn to dress, act, eat, play, etc

Social Classes

Person’s status or position can come from:WealthLandAncestorsEducation

In the Past:It was hard to move up in social class

Today:People are equipped with tools needed to move upEx: Can obtain a good education Make more money Marry someone of a higher class

Kinds of Families

NOT ALL CULTURES DEFINE FAMILY IN THE SAME WAY

Ex: Nuclear family, extended family See these primarily in developed (?) nations

Nuclear FamilyName comes from word “nucleus” meaning

center

Elders in family are often respected for their knowledge and experience

Older family members pass on traditions

Extended families are becoming less common Because: people are moving from rural

to urban

LANGUAGEALL CULTURES HAVE LANGUAGE

Language is the basis for culture

Majority of communication w/ others depends on language

Verbal or nonverbal

The things that are important to that certain cultureEx: Christian and Jewish concepts have words

to depict things like baptism or sabbathEx: Some languages have concepts that have no

English translation

People can speak more then 1 language (?)

Celebrate different holidaysHave different customs

Language preserves shared ideas and traditions

What does language

reflect?

If you speak a different

language?

RELIGIONAN IMPORTANT PART OF EVERY CULTURE

Beliefs and practices will differ among religions

The same country can have different religions

Help make sense of the worldProvide comfort and hopeAnswer questions about meaning & purpose of lifeGuide people in ethics

What does Religion do?

Believes in 1 God

Believe in more than 1 God

Have prayers and ritualsCelebrates important places and timesExpect to treat one another well & behave properly

Islam, Judaism & Christianity

Hinduism & Other

Traditional Religions

ALL RELIGIONS

CULTURAL CHANGE

VOCABULARYThe movement of customs and ideas

The process of accepting new ideas & fitting them into a culture

Cultural Diffusion

Acculturation

How Do Cultures Change?ALL CULTURES CHANGE OVER TIME

Example of Blue Jeans:Many cultures contributed to them although they were invented in the US in 1800s.Marketed by Levi Strauss

He was German but moved to CaliforniaMade them w/ denim shortened from serge de Nimes which is a cloth from France

Blue jeans became popular in other countries1980’s Japanese and French developed “stonewashing”

process that makes brand new jeans look wornJeans comes from French name for Genoa, where a similar cloth to denim was first made

DON’T WRITE

JUST LISTEN

Why Cultures Change

New Technologies

Cultures change all of the timeWhy?---Culture is an entire of way of life A change in 1 part is going to change many parts Ex: Changes in natural environment, technology & ideas

1800s & early 1900sGrowth of industry drew Americas from countryside to cityFactories offered jobs to 1000s of men,

women & childrenLimited transportation so ppl had to live

closeInvention of the Car

Cars were more affordable 1920—many Americans owned themPeople could drive to workResult—suburbs in mid 1900s

How Does 1 Change Lead

to Another

Cultural Change Over

Time

Write down 1 way technology has changed culture of the United States: 1.)

Instant info is a part of our cultureRadios, TV’s and Computers

Technology has added new words to our languageEx.: Broadcast, Channel Surfing, Hacker

Can you think of any other words?

Been going on for a longEx: Ways of life, getting food, transportation, types of jobs

How Ideas SpreadBy people moving

Give me an example

Trading goods and products (?)

Sports

Literature and other written material

Example of Cultural DiffusionBaseball: An American sport that is played all

around the world but different countries change the game to make sense with their culture

Americans have to have a winner due to competition

Japan will end the game in a tie w/ no extra innings

How Cultures Adopt New

Ideas

Communication

Technology & the Speed of

Change

Defending Traditions

What’s the fastest way to get from your house to Japan?Plane? Phone Call? The internet?Depends on what your looking for in Japan

1000’s of years cultures changed slowly (Examples)Communication Technology has changed that—faxes & computers transport info almost instantly, magazines & computersNow done much fasterBenefits

Scientists can share info about curing diseases through computers

Telephones let us talk to people hundreds of miles away

Cameras and documentaries let us see all parts of the world

Change can help but can also hurtPeople may feel that their traditions are threatened with changeOnce traditional knowledge is lost it can’t be given backWork to preserve traditionsWhy?