Why is Folk Culture Clustered? Key Issue #2 Why is Folk Culture Clustered?

Why Is Folk Culture Clustered? Isolation promotes cultural diversity Examples: Himalayan art Beliefs and folk house forms Sacred spaces U.S. folk housing

Himalayan Folk Cultural Regions Fig. 4-5: Cultural geographers have identified four distinct culture regions based on predominant religions in the Himalaya Mountains.

Why Is Folk Culture Clustered? Influence of the physical environment Folk culture = close connection to the environment Most folk cultures are rural and agricultural Clothing is often tied to environmental conditions Example: Wooden clogs in the Netherlands Folk cultures can ignore environmental conditions

Why Is Folk Culture Clustered? Influence of the physical environment Food preferences and the environment Food preferences are adapted to the environment Example: In Asia, rice is grown in milder, wetter environments whereas wheat is grown in colder, drier environments Food taboos may be especially strong People avoid certain foods because of negative associations with that food Terroir = the sum effects of the local environment on a particular food item

Istanbul Vegetable Garden Figure 4-6

Hog Production and Food Cultures Fig. 4-6: Annual hog production is influenced by religious taboos against pork consumption in Islam and other religions. The highest production is in China, which is largely Buddhist.

Why Is Folk Culture Clustered? Influence of the physical environment Folk housing and the environment Housing = a reflection of cultural heritage, current fashion, function, and the physical environment Two most common building materials = wood and brick Minor differences in the environment can produce very different house styles

Home Locations in Southeast Asia Fig. 4-7: Houses and sleeping positions are oriented according to local customs among the Lao in northern Laos (left) and the Yuan and Shan in northern Thailand (right).

House Types in Four Western Chinese Communities Figure 4-9

Why Is Folk Culture Clustered? Influence of the physical environment U.S. Folk House Forms Fred Kniffen identified 3 major hearths of folk house forms in the U.S. that have influenced homes throughout the U.S. New England Middle Atlantic Lower Chesapeake

Hearths of House Types

Diffusion of New England House Types Fig. 4-10: Four main New England house types of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries diffused westward as settlers migrated.

Why Is Popular Culture Widely Distributed? Key issue #3 Why Is Popular Culture Widely Distributed?

Why Is Popular Culture Widely Distributed? Diffusion of popular housing, clothing, and food Popular culture varies more in time than place Food customs: consumption of large quantities of snack foods and alcohol Clothing styles: reflect occupation rather than environment Housing: reflects fashion trends since the 1940s in the United States

Consumption of Canadian Whiskey and Tequila Figure 4-14

Wine Production per Year Fig. 4-13: The distribution of wine production shows the joint impact of the physical environment and social customs.

U.S. House Types (1945–1990) Figure 4-16

Why Is Popular Culture Widely Distributed? Electronic diffusion of popular culture Watching television The most popular leisure activity in MDCs Diffusion from the United States to the rest of the world = 50 years The Internet Diffusion from the United States to the rest of the world = 10 years

Diffusion of TV Figure 4-18

Diffusion of Facebook Figure 4-21

Distribution of Internet Hosts Fig. 4-15: The U.S. had two-thirds of the world’s internet hosts in 2002. Diffusion of internet service is likely to follow the pattern of TV diffusion, but the rate of this diffusion may differ.

Why Does Globalization of Popular Culture Cause Problems? Key issue #4 Why Does Globalization of Popular Culture Cause Problems?

Why Does Popular Culture Cause Problems? Threats to folk culture Loss of traditional values Media imperialism Satellites Limit to government control of information

Why Does Popular Culture Cause Problems? Environmental impact of popular culture Modifying nature Golf courses Uniform landscapes Negative impacts Increased demand for natural resources Pollution

Golf Courses in Metropolitan Areas Fig. 4-16: The 50 best-served and worst-served metropolitan areas in terms of golf holes per capita, and areas that are above and below average.