Introduction to Culture

Culture – is the way of life of a group of people who share I. What Is Culture? A. Culture – is the way of life of a group of people who share similar beliefs and customs. B. Eight traits of culture – when studying culture, geographers look at the following eight traits of culture: 1 2 3

1. social groups Geographers study rich, poor, and classes (middle class) b. age and gender c. ethnic groups or people who share a common culture, language, or history.

2. language dialect – a local form of a language that differs from the main language. b. language is used to share information which makes it one of the strongest unifying forces for a culture.

helps people answer basic questions about life’s meaning 3. religion helps people answer basic questions about life’s meaning 4. daily life a. food and dress 5. history a culture group has a shared history which helps them shape how they view the world ancient C1

paintings, sculptures, architecture, dance, music, theater, and 6. arts paintings, sculptures, architecture, dance, music, theater, and literature. 7. government the types of government can reflect a country’s culture 2

b. monarchy - kings & queens inherit rulership c. dictators control & rule as they wish or see fit d. Democracy (U.S.) the power of the government is held by elected officials (we have voted for)

8. the economy When studying how the people of a culture earn a living. Geographers study the culture’s economic system - or the sets of rules for how people decide what goods & services to produce and how they are exchanged. There are 3 main types of economies:

b. Traditional economy things are done “the way they have always been done” economic decisions are handed down from generation to generation.

c. Market economy individuals make decisions about what to produce, in other words people who own businesses make what they think customers want d. Command economy the government owns businesses & controls decisions about what goods & services will be produced

II. Cultural Change A. Cultural diffusion the process of spreading new knowledge and skills to other cultures this occurs as a result of trade the movement of people, war, the Internet, and so on.

B. Culture Over Time 1. Civilizations or highly developed cultures, which developed as people learned to grow food they tended to stay in one place and build settlements allowing their culture to advance.

2. Information Revolution occurred as result of computers and the Internet allowing people to store & share large amounts of information thus connecting the cultures of the world more closely than ever before.

geographers divide the world into groups with common characteristics. C. Culture Regions 1. Culture regions geographers divide the world into groups with common characteristics. 1 2