Chapter 1 Key Issue 3 Why Are Different Places Similar

Big Question What affect does globalization have on scale, space, and connections?

Key Terms Scale Assimilation Globalization Acculturation Transnational Corporations Syncretism Space Diffusion Distribution Hearth Density Relocation Diffusion Concentration Expansion Diffusion Clustered Hierarchical Dispersed Contagious Pattern Stimulus Uneven development Distance Decay Connections Space-time Compression

Scale: Global and Local A place is unique but human activities are rarely isolated Scale, space, and connections help geographers explain why similarities show patterns and not just coincidence

Scale: Global and Local Scale is the relationship between a portion of the Earth being studied and the Earth as a whole The relationship between scale on a local level and scale on a global level shows us that events on a global scale are becoming more important and events on a local scale are now less important This process of global interdependence is known as globalization

Scale: Global and Local Some believe globalization is resulting in a more uniform world, or monoculture, and is causing local cultures to push against globalization Economic globalization has been led by transnational corporations Companies such as Exxon Mobile, Proctor and Gamble, McDonalds, and Coca-Cola now operate around the world and not just where their headquarters is located

Scale: Global and Local The corporations use some areas for raw materials, others for production of a product, some for distribution, and ultimately some for sales Each area in the process is connected to one another and develops some common characteristics

Scale: Global and Local Globalization does have some negative effects on local cultures as new products and corporations bring in new languages, values, and even religions Despite the negatives and fears that economic globalization can threaten local cultures, the world is actually seeing local cultures preserved and blended with global norms http://www.mcdonaldsindia.net/burgers.aspx

Space: Distribution of Features Space is the physical gap or interval between two objects Understanding the space between things and people is key to geographers in understanding why they are placed where they are To study this, geographers look at the distribution or arrangement of a feature in space

Space: Distribution of Features There are three properties of distribution: Density – The frequency with which something occurs in space…how many of something are in a specific space (ex. 500 people per square kilometer, 20 houses per square mile)

Space: Distribution of Features Concentration – The way something is spread over an area. Objects that are closer together are clustered and those that are farther apart are dispersed. Different than density…ex – two identically sized classrooms have 40 students in them, classroom A has all students huddled in one corner and classroom B has them spread evenly throughout Pattern – The geometric arrangement of objects in a space ex – city streets or townships

Space: Cultural Identity Some geographers look at how cultural groups occupy a space Three cultural traits that are commonly looked at are gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation…these are best examined on a local scale

Space: Cultural Identity By looking at these three cultural traits as well as the economic trait of income level, we can determine why certain things are where they are. Where is a new high-end hotel going to be? Where are government assisted houses needed? Where should a new police station be built? Where is the new subdivision of $500,000 homes going to be built? Where in the city do residents have the highest life expectancy?

Space: Inequality Cultural characteristics influence where people and things move to and certain characteristics can lead to inequality when it comes to acquiring resources and education Understanding different cultural groups and being sensitive to their differences is absolutely vital when understanding places and spaces Since the world is becoming more and more connected through technology, the world’s standard of living is increasing

Space: Inequality However, lack of access to new technologies can be detrimental to the growth of a place or region The world’s wealth and technology is centered around three economic and technological hearths (centers), New York City, Tokyo, and London Those areas that sit on the outside of these circles are often at a huge disadvantage when it comes to growing and prospering

Space: Inequality This turns into multinational companies not wanting to invest in these areas that are behind and leads to what is known as uneven development True globalization would see every point, cultural group, and physical resource distributed and used equally

Connections: Diffusion Connections are relationships among people and objects that cross the barrier of space The methods in which connections are made are very important to human geo Recently, more rapid connections have decreased the distance in space-time

Connections: Diffusion These connections can have several results: Assimilation – One groups cultural features change to resemble another’s Acculturation – Both cultures retain individual cultural features but are changed in someway Syncretism – Two culture groups come together to form a new culture

Connections: Diffusion The process by which a cultural feature, idea, or innovation spreads from one place to another is known as diffusion Ideas, innovations, and cultural features begin at hearth when a cultural group tries something new or develops new resources

Connections: Diffusion Two basic types of diffusion exist: Relocation diffusion – The spread of an idea people when move from one place to another. Ex. Language or pizza Expansion diffusion – The direct or indirect spread of culture without physically moving from one place to another. Occurs much more rapidly and occurs in on of three ways: Hierarchical is where something spreads outward from a center of wealth or importance

Connections: Diffusion Contagious is when something spreads rapidly outward from person to person Stimulus is when something fails to spread but the people still adopt a characteristic of it

Connections: Spatial Interactions Historically the farther away places are from each other, the less likely they are to communicate with each other Contact diminishes with increased distance and disappears, this is known as distance decay Globalization has reduced the distance between places which has created the new term called space-time compression, the reduction of time it takes for cultural traits to diffuse to another place

Big Questions & Key Terms What affect does globalization have on scale, space, and connections? Scale Assimilation Globalization Acculturation Transnational Corporations Syncretism Space Diffusion Distribution Hearth Density Relocation Diffusion Concentration Expansion Diffusion Clustered Hierarchical Dispersed Contagious Pattern Stimulus Uneven development Distance Decay Connections Space-time Compression