Cultural Landscapes The cultural impact on an area, including buildings, agricultural patterns, roads, signs, and nearly everything else that humans have created 6-1 Photo © Jon Malinowski. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Uniform Landscapes The distribution of popular culture around the world tends to produce more uniform landscapes. In fact, promoters of popular culture want a uniform appearance to generate “product recognition” and greater consumption. The diffusion of fast-food restaurants is a good example of such uniformity. The success of fast-food restaurants depends on large- scale mobility.

Global Diffusion of Uniform Landscapes Uniformity in the appearance of the landscape is promoted by a wide variety of other popular structures in North America, such as gas stations, supermarkets, and motels. These structures are designed so that both local residents and visitors immediately recognize the purpose of the building, even if not the name of the company. Diffusion of popular culture across Earth is not confined to products that originate in North America. Japanese automobiles and electronics, for example, have diffused in recent years to the rest of the world, including North America.

MAJOR CULTURE HEARTHS areas from which important culture traits, including ideas, technology, and social structures, originated MAJOR CULTURE HEARTHS areas from which important culture traits, including ideas, technology, and social structures, originated

Characteristics of Folk and Popular Culture – Diffusion Folk Culture – Smaller scale and slower transmissions from one location to another primarily through relocation diffusion (migration) Popular Culture – Tends to be transmitted by way of hierarchical diffusion » Diffuses rapidly and extensively form hearths or nodes of innovation with help of modern communications Where Are Folk and Popular Leisure Activities Distributed?

Characteristics of Folk and Popular Culture – Distribution Folk Culture – Combination of local physical and cultural factors influence distinctive distributions. » Isolation from other cultures because of physical barriers— e.g., distance and mountain ranges » Religion Popular Culture – Widely distributed across many countries with little regard for physical factors » Principal obstacle to access is lack of income to purchase the material Where Are Folk and Popular Leisure Activities Distributed?

The Amish: Relocation Diffusion of Folk Culture Amish customs illustrate how relocation diffusion distributes folk culture. Amish folk culture remains visible on the landscape in at least 17 states. In Europe the Amish did not develop distinctive language, clothing, or farming practices and gradually merged with various Mennonite church groups. Several hundred Amish families migrated to North America in two waves. Living in rural and frontier settlements relatively isolated from other groups, Amish communities retained their traditional customs, even as other European immigrants to the United States adopted new ones.

Amish Settlements in the U.S. Amish settlements are distributed through the northeast U.S.

Origin and Diffusion of Folk and Popular Music – Folk Music Possibly multiple hearths 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 » E.g., birth, death, or marriage – Environmental features » E.g., agriculture or climate Migration of people also diffuses the music. Small-Scale diffusion through migration Where Are Folk and Popular Leisure Activities Distributed?

Origin and Diffusion of Folk and Popular Music – Popular Music Music written by specific individuals with the intent of being… – Sold – Performed in front of a paying audience Started w/ Vaudeville (1900) The diffusion of American popular music worldwide began in earnest during World War II, when the Armed Forces Radio Network broadcast music to American soldiers. English became the international language for popular music. Rapid, hierarchical diffusion via modern communications Where Are Folk and Popular Leisure Activities Distributed?

Origin of Country Music U.S. country music has four main hearths, or regions of origin: southern Appalachia, central Tennessee and Kentucky, the Ozark-Ouachita uplands, and north-central Texas.

The pen is mightier than ______ the sword.

Better safe than ______ sorry.

Its always darkest before ______ the dawn.

Don’t bite the hand that ______ feeds you.

No news is ______ good news.

If you lie down with dogs, you’ll ______ get fleas.

A penny saved is a ______ penny earned.

Children should be seen and ______ not heard.

Better late than ______ never.

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