AP Human Geography Ch. 4: Folk and Popular Culture

Popular culture distribution

widely distributed across many countries with little regard for physical factors. Principal obstacles to access is lack of income to purchase the material.

What is the difference between a habit and a custom and provide an example of each?

A habit is a repetitive act performed by a particular individual. For example: one college student wears jeans with colorful patches. A custom is a repetitive act performed by a group. For example: pledge of allegiance in the morning.

Using the maps on page 128: B. In what regions, then, are there populations still relatively untouched by the internet?

Africa, Southwestern Asia, and Pacific Islanders.

Folk culture origin

Anonymous hearths, sources, unknown dates, unidentified originators

What are the world's two largest newspaper organizations? What countries are they associated with?

Associated Press (AP) and Reuters. Owned by American and British companies.

In what sense are building materials of folk housing unique?

Building materials are influenced by the availability of resources nearby. It could range from stone, grass, sod and skins but most popular are stone and brick.

What are three facts about clothing styles associated with popular culture?

Clothing style corresponds to occupation, incoming and rapid communications have allowed the rapid diffusion of clothing styles to different regions, and agricultural practices.

Food preferences are strongly influenced by ______________

Cultural traditions

Popular Culture

Culture found in a large, heterogeneous society that shares certain habits despite differences in other personal characteristics.

Folk Culture

Culture traditionally practiced by a small, homogeneous, rural group living in relative isolation from other groups.

How is the playing of golf and golf courses an example of a popular custom that is not generally in harmony with the local environment?

It's a warm weather sport popular in cold climates, remakes the land rather than destroy it (adds grass, hills, etc.), expands/drains bodies of water.

Indicate some food taboos, along with the cultures that practice them, in the chart below.

Hebrew- Don't eat animals that don't chew cud, have cloven feet, or fish that don't have scales. Also pig. These are for environmental purposes. Muslim- Don't eat pork because the dry lands of Arabian peninsula are unfit for pigs, they compete with humans for resources. Hindu- Don't eat cattle because they are the source for oxen, which pull carts and help plow the field, which is very important since harvest season is only right after a monsoon.

Consumption of large quantities of snack foods and alcoholic beverages are characteristic of popular culture. Explain how each of these food preferences are expressed regionally, according to culture.

In the south, people tend to eat more chips because potatoes and corn are produced more there. People in areas that produce a lot of grapes and vineyards drink wine and not really beer (CA)

How and why is this concept utilized by fast-food restaurants?

It's organized as a franchise, so there are more advertisements, the logo is more recognized, which leads to popularity, especially since it's cheap and quick, causing it to diffuse everywhere (McDonalds).

What three countries dominate the worldwide television markets?

Japan, UK, and United States.

Can you think of other restrictions on clothing styles in developed countries, perhaps in schools?

Low cut shirts, ripped jeans, leggings, shorts too short, midriff revealing, shoulder revealing.

What are the Neo-eclectic styles of the 1960's and 1970's?

Mansard, Neo-French, Neo-tudor, and Neo-colonial.

Complete the chart below to indicate the decade(s) during which each housing style was dominant and a fact about the particular style of house.

Minimal Traditional 1935-1950: One story, small and modest, for young families and vets returning from WWII. Ranch House 1936-1976: One story, long and parallel to street, takes up large lot, encouraged sprawl of urban areas. Split-level 1955-1975: -Bottom level: garage and family room. -Mid level: kitchen, formal living room, dining room. -Top level: bedrooms Contemporary Style 1940-1980: Architect designed with flat, low pitched roofs. Shed Style 1960-Present: High pitched roofs gave house geometric qualities.

List the elements of the origin and diffusion of popular music

Music written by specific individuals with the intent of being sold or performed in front of apaying audience. Often displays a high degree of technical skill, musicians often have strong connections with other similar musicians that may span the globe. (Limited connections with local musicians of different genres.)

Fred Kniffen, a cultural geographer, has identified three source regions for American folk housing styles: New England, Middle Atlantic and Lower Chesapeake. List the housing styles he identified with each region.

New England- box shaped with a central hall, small, one-story pitched roof "Cape Cod" style, irregular roof "salt box", one long pitched roof in front and a low angle roof in back. Middle Atlantic- "I" house with one room deep and at least two rooms wide. Two stories Lower Chesapeake- one story, with a steep roof and chimneys at either end.

Where did Amish culture originate, and how did it diffuse to the United States?

Originated in Bern, Switzerland; Alsace, Northeast France; and Palatinate region of southwestern Germany migrated in early 1700s to Pennsylvania in 1800s in Ohio, Illinois, and Iowa as well as Ontario for religious freedom and opportunity.

List the elements of the origin and characteristics of folk music

Originates anonymously, transmitted orally (modifications to songs over successive generations to represent changes in conditions), content of songs centers on events in daily life that are familiar to the majority of people (life-cycle events: birth, death, marriage) (environmental features: agriculture, climate), Migration of people also diffuses the music.

Summarize major sources of waste and how each is recycled.

Paper- stimulates construction of more plants capable of using wasted paper. Plastics- goes to places to be sorted. Glass- create new glass from old glass Aluminum- replace glass bottles

List three different examples of food habits and the unique folk cultures each illustrates.

Paraguay - Abipone people: eat jaguars, stags, and bulls so they are brave, strong, and swift. Hens and tortoises make them cowardly. Japan- Ainu people: avoid eating otters because they are "forgetful" and eating them could cause loss of memory. Chad- Mbum Kpau Women: don't eat chicken or goat before pregnancy. Avoiding them is though to help escape pain in childbirth and prevent the birth of a child with deformities. They avoid antelopes with twisted horns which could cause deformed children.

What are the two ways in which popular customs have an adverse effect on the natural environment?

Pollution of landscape and depletion of scarce natural resources.

Popular culture origins

Product of developed countries, origin often traceable to specific person or corporation in a particular place.

How has global diffusion of popular social customs had an unintended negative impact on women in India?

Prostitution has increased, increased demand for dowries, meaning the bride was now expected to provide a gift of respect to the husband's family for a wedding.

folk culture diffusion

Smaller scale and slower transmissions from one location to another primarily through relocation diffusion (migration)

List the elements of the origin and diffusion of soccer. Be sure to discuss the connection to folk and popular culture.

Sports originated as isolated folk customs and diffused like other folk culture via relocation diffusion. Football (soccer) originated in England in the 11th century. Transformation from folk to popular sport began in 1800s, when organized clubs were formed in UL (pro players hired). Standardized rules organized pro leagues where it became a popular sport instead of folk.

Using the 2005 map in Figure 4-28 on page 126, complete the following chart about television access.

Television is Universal: North America, Europe, Asia (Russia and Shanghai), Australia Television is Common: South America, Southwest Asia, Some of Northern Africa Television is Rare: Southern and Central Africa, Greenland

What is a uniform landscape?

The spacial expression of a popular custom in one location being similar to another.

What is happening to the Amish in the United States today?

They're still slowly diffusing but as metropolitan areas grow and become more populated, the Amish move and try to find cheap farmland.

Why do developing nations view television as a new source of cultural imperialism?

U.S. tv may show women with more power where other countries want women to be submissive. Violent shows may encourage uproars or rebellions.

Using the maps on page 128: A. In 2011, where was the internet most widely available?

U.S., Canada, Europe, Russia, South America, Shanghai, Australia, Asia

Give two reasons for which television is an especially significant element of culture.

Watching TV is most popular leisure activity in the world. TV is most important mechanism for rapidly diffusing popular culture around the world.

Give three examples of how religious values or beliefs may influence folk housing.

Which way the door is facing. Where the bed is placed. Placement of the house in relation to their parent's house.

How long does clothing style (in this case shoes) indicate the influence of the environment on folk culture?

Wooden shoes are worn in the Netherlands because of wet climate. Fur-lined boots in arctic climates, no shoes in warm and humid climate.

Do your food preferences match the predominant ones in your region? *answers will be different per person*

Yes because Florida is pretty southern and I like to eat chips, meat, and mashed potatoes.

folk culture distribution

combination of local physical and cultural factors influence distinctive distributions. Isolation from other cultures because of physical barriers. Religion.

In Western countries where popular culture predominates, clothing styles generally reflect _______ rather than particular ________.

occupations, environments

Popular Culture Diffusion

tends to be transmitted by way of hierarchical diffusion. Diffuses rapidly and extensively from hearths or nodes of innovation with help of modern communications.