Cultural Landscapes

Local vs. Popular Culture Local Culture: A group of people in a particular place who see themselves as a collective or a community, who share experiences, customs, and traits, and who work to preserve those traits and customs in order to claim uniqueness and to distinguish themselves from others. Popular Culture: A wide-ranging group of heterogeneous people, who stretch across identities and across the world, and who embrace cultural traits such as music, dance, clothing, and food preference that change frequently and are ubiquitous on the cultural landscape.

Material and Nonmaterial Culture The things a group of people construct, such as art, houses, clothing, sports, dance, and food. Nonmaterial Culture The beliefs, practices, aesthetics, and values of a group of people.

Material vs. Nonmaterial Culture

Folk Cultural Survival Regions

Folk (Local) Architecture Building Materials Natural environment Economic and Social Organization Sedentary vs. nomadic Floor Plans/Site Plans

Ecology of Folk Architecture

U.S. Folk House Forms Three major hearths of folk house forms in the US: NE-saltbox, two-chimney, cape cod, front gable and wing Mid-Atlantic: “I” house Lower Chesapeake-one story with steep roof and two chimneys Style of housing not as distinctive anymore due to rapid communication and transportation systems. Majority of people do not build the houses they live in today.

Saltbox

Cape Cod

Colonial Cape Cod

Front Wing and Gable

More

I-House

I-House in Aiken, SC

Tidewater House in Virginia Beach

Folk (Local) housing in the South Dogtrot house: two log rooms separated by an open roofed breezeway Shotgun house: African-American, one room wide, but two to four rooms in depth Creole cottage: half-timbered with a central chimney and built-in porch, found in Acadiana, a French-derived folk region in Louisiana

Shotgun House (Southern Tradition)

U.S. House Types, 1945-1990 Fig. 4-11: Several variations of the “modern style” were dominant from the 1940s into the 1970s. Since then, “neo-eclectic” styles have become the dominant type of house construction in the U.S.

Kitsch Architecture: Lacrosse, Wisconsin Kitsch – trivial, showy, designed for mass consumption – it is increasingly common in placeless landscapes. Much kitsch in North American and Australia is characterized by gigantism This is purported to be the world’s largest six-pack.

Kitsch Architecture: Lacrosse, Wisconsin Gottlieb Heileman, a German immigrant, founded his brewery in 1870 and this region has one of the highest per capita beer consumption figures in the nation.

Cotton Gin Inn Clarksdale, MS Cotton Gin Inn http://www.eccentricamerica.com/highlights.htm#se Cotton Gin Inn Clarksdale, MS

Shack Up Inn Clarksdale, MS http://www.eccentricamerica.com/highlights.htm#se Shack Up Inn Clarksdale, MS

Gatorland Kissimmiee, FL Kissimmiee, FL – Gatorland (Prior to being torn down) http://www.eccentricamerica.net/oddities.cfm?ref=120&action=detail&s=FL Gatorland Kissimmiee, FL

Wigwam Village Cave City, KY Wigwam Village – Dixie Hwy, Cave City, KY http://www.eccentricamerica.net/oddities.cfm?ref=98&action=detail&s=KY Wigwam Village Cave City, KY

Mammy’s Cupboard Natchez, MS Natchez, MS – open since 1940 http://www.eccentricamerica.net/oddities.cfm?ref=48&action=detail&s=MS

Impacts of the Globalization of Popular Culture Threats to folk culture Loss of traditional values Foreign media dominance Environmental impacts of popular culture Modifying nature Uniform landscapes Negative environmental impact

Placelessness Superficially, popular culture appears to vary less areally than folk culture Canadian geographer Edward Relph’s placelessness Popular culture produces a profound placelessness A spatial standardization that diminishes cultural variety Demeans the human spirit James Kunstler’s “geography of nowhere” One place become much like another, robbed of its geographical essence Pervasive influence of a continental or worldwide popular culture

Where is this Place? Toronto! Skyscrapers in Toronto—From the picture, it is hard to “place” these. http://www.uwec.edu/Geography/Ivogeler/w188/less3.htm

Placelessness: Anywhere USA Without signage, how do we know what type of place this is? Is there a sense of distinctiveness? Nothing sets these structures apart as being in a particular place; this is placelessness.

Placelessness: Anywhere USA This is suburban Columbus, Ohio “Test Market USA.” Columbus -- representative cross section of American society; place to try out new products. Most fast food menus are tested here.

McDonald’s in Tokyo

Wendy’s in Idaho

Pampas Grill in Finland

Commodification Authenticity Reterritorialization