Culture Week 2

AIM: How does the environment shape culture? Do Now: How does the geography of NYC shape housing practices? What do you think houses are like in the rural south? Learning Objectives Evaluate how the environment shapes housing and food decisions Identify and describe the main styles of folk housing within the US Analyze an excerpt from “A History of the World in 6 Glasses” to understand the global preferences for Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola

2 Theories on Environment and Culture ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINISM: the environment determines the actions/advancement of humans. EUROCENTRIC! Used to justify racist views of areas near the Equator POSSIBILISM: the environment can hinder actions, but people can adapt and overcome most things.

Cultural Landscape Cultural Landscape: the visible human impact on the landscape Consider… How have people changed the landscape? What buildings, statues, and so forth have they erected? How do landscapes reflect the values of a culture?

terraced rice fields in Vietnam Neighborhood canal in Venice, Italy Predjama Castle (Slovenia) built into the mountainside

Food Preferences Affected by the environment and the availability of products as well as cultural traditions What is eaten establishes one social, religious, and ethnic memberships  oplatek,

Food and the Environment Food preferences depend on what it suitable for that particular region Ex: Asia: rice grown in milder/moister regions, while wheat is grown in colder/drier regions Northern Europe: abundance of wood encourages slow stewing/roasting of food over flame Provides food and warmth

Food Preferences & the Environment People must consider the soil, climate, & terrain EX: Bostans in Istanbul, Turkey

Food and Folk Culture Certain foods are eaten in folk cultures because their natural properties are perceived to enhance qualities considered desirable by the society The Abipone people in Paraguay eat bills, jaguars, and stags to make them strong, brave, and swift. They believe eating hens or tortoises will make you a coward. The Ainu people in Japan avoid eating otters because they are believed to be forgetful animals, and consuming them promotes memory loss The Mbum Kpau women in Chad avoid eating chicken or goat before becoming pregnant as it prevents childbirth pains and abnormalities

Food Taboo Taboo: a restriction on behavior imposed by social custom or religious law EX: Pork- Muslims and Jews; Cow-Hindus Reasons for a food taboo? Concern for natural environment Protect endangered animals Conserve natural resources

Environmental Impacts: Taboos Pigs unsuited for dry lands of Arabian Peninsula (Islamic hearth) Would compete for resources without contributing benefits (can’t plow or produce milk) Widespread raising of pigs would be an ecological disaster in Islam’s hearth Banned by Muslims

Environmental Taboo: Cows in India Cows produce oxen, the traditional source of pulling plows/carts in India India fields must be plowed regularly Religious sanctions (Hinduism) keep the cow population high

Social Influence: Taboos Social values also influence food taboos The Jewish Bible states that Hebrews were prevented from eating animals that do not chew their cud or have cloven feet, and fish lacking fins or scales This Kosher law has allowed Jewish people to maintain their identify and communal affiliation

Popular Food Preferences Influenced more by cultural values than environmental features However, some regional variations can be observed between and within countries

Regional Differences: Global Scale Coca-Cola accounts for ½ of the world’s cola sales and Pepsi for another 1/4th Coke is the sales leader in most of the Western Hemisphere EXCEPTION: QUEBEC, CANADA Pepsi ran a campaign that connected Pepsi to uniquely French Canadian culture

Regional Differences: US Snack and Fast Food Utah has a low rate of alcohol consumption because of the high amount of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons). They do not drink any alcohol Tortilla chips preferred in Texas due to the large Hispanic Population while multigrain chips are preferred in the West due to a cultural desire for “healthy” food

Folk Housing: Environmental Influences Environment determines types of building materials: stone, grass, sod, skins, etc Two most common are wood and brick Environment also affects construction style EX: a pitched roof facilitates runoff and prevents collapsed roofs in snowy environments

Folk Housing: Cultural Influences Houses may have sacred walls or corners based on cardinal directions EX: In parts of Java the door always faces South as this is the direction of the South Sea Goddess who holds the key to the Earth EX: Madagascar: the northern wall is for honoring ancestors and honored guests are seated against it

AIM: Why is Coca Cola considered “Globalization in a Bottle”? Do Now: Read the handout on Shotgun houses from yesterday . Answer the 2 questions at the bottom Learning Objectives Evaluate how the environment influenced the design of the shotgun house Collaboratively analyze/discuss in small groups “Globalization in a Bottle” to evaluate the consumption patterns of Coca Cola and Pepsi

P.1 Groups Aaliyah, Elijah, Michael, Kalee, Akosia, Matthew Kelly, Hakeem, Menen, Brandon, Lian Sherlicia Kennedy, Neina, Justin, Tanisha, Jahshua, Zakiya Tsai, Alisa, Rayanna, Zavidel, Destiny Chi Chi, Dujon, Camilla, Olivier, Devin Libna, Mark, Casiyeta, Rickaela, Tevaughn

Pd. 2 Groups Jensen, Julio, Shermol, Adebusola, Taylor Savannah, Josiah, Asiquir, Aneurin, Sherrod Devin, Hasani, Jonathan, Mahari, Abigail Ghazanfar, Dale, Darren, Kyah, Yacaisa Mekhi, Daniel, Antonio, Nyiesha, Javin

Pd. 3 Groups Samuel, Sasha, Joshua C., Ezinne, Issaiah Jodeane, Aaron, Klarke, Schaina, Saimun Jada, Jessenta, Dante, Michelle, Dimitri Chaina, Kaliq, Shadae, Jasmine, Matthew Kaiyes, Eduardo, Lexi-Anne, Stephon, Keandre, Charlene Joshua B., Bradley, Aryel, Abigail, Grace, Zaire

Pd 7 Groups Sean, Victoria, Shalisa, Zakia, Carlyns Jada, Nathanael, Shalae, Stacey, Kayla S. Kwame, Kayla H., Sarah, Kensley, Jian Shamel, Daniella, Ade, Tayla, Ijeoma Devanta, Jahvon, Angelique, Candice, Nicholas

Shotgun Case Study

Folk Housing 3 Main Types in the US New England Mid Atlantic Tidewater Folk houses are old and increasingly rare (everything after 1940 is considered Pop Housing) Take into consideration environment and social needs

New England Kitchen placed in the center to provide heat Large: need to do activities indoor Types of Houses Saltbox Two Chimney Cape Cod Front Wing and Gable

Saltbox Houses

Two Chimney

Cape Cod

Colonial Cape Cod

Mid-Atlantic Central Hallway Popular house to build during Westward Expansion Type of house: I-House Called I House for it’s prevalence in Indiana, Iowa, and Illinois

I-House

Tidewater Kitchen often in the basement/lower level to keep cool Often one story (will evolve into ranch style) Steep roof Sometimes on stilts Porches

Globalization in a Bottle Qs Describe the relationship between Coke and WW2 How was Coke thought of by the Communists during the Cold War? Specifically address the term “Cola-Colonization”. Why did Coke struggle with the Arab world in the 1960s? What is meant by “globalization in a bottle”? How has culture shaped the preferences for Pepsi and Coke globally?

AIM: How did the Lost Boys adapt to life in America? Do Now: Why did the Lost Boys originally leave Sudan? Why did they come to America? What did they expect American life to be like? Learning Objectives Analyze “GGToU” is evaluate whether the Lost Boys experience in the US reflects acculturation or assimilation Describe challenges the Lost Boys faced in adapting to American culture

AIM: How do social norms create gendered spaces? Do Now: Brainstorm places that seem to be associated with a certain gender. What types of places do you associate with each gender? Learning Objectives Complete a graphic organizer based of an analysis of an article (“Where the Girls Aren’t”) Discuss how society creates gendered spaces

AIM: How did the Lost Boys adapt to life in America? Do Now: How have the boys fared since coming to America? Are you surprised by their experiences? Learning Objectives Analyze “GGToU” is evaluate whether the Lost Boys experience in the US reflects acculturation or assimilation Complete a graphic organizer based on the Article “Where the Girls Are (and Aren’t)

AIM: Why do Folk and Popular Culture Face Sustainability Challenges? Do Now: Based on last weeks lectures, what do you think folk culture’s biggest challenges regarding sustainability? Learning Objectives Compare and contrast the consumption of folk and pop cultures Evaluate the sustainability of both pop and folk culture

Folk Culture Challenges FOLK culture’s greatest challenge is the expansion of globalization and electronic media, which threaten its sustainability and unique character.

Increased (and unavoidable) contact with popular culture makes maintaining centuries-old practices difficult.

Lancaster Disappearing Proximity to cities like Philadelphia – and growing Lancaster itself- is driving up land prices in Lancaster County. Many Amish are selling their Lancaster properties and movies to cheaper regions, like rural Kentucky.

Gender roles are strictly reinforced in Saudi Arabia under its strict form of Islam Women are limited in their opportunities, and must wear an all-covering garb. They are prohibited from driving alone without the accompaniment of a male relative.

In some places, however, popular culture has made life harder for women.

In India, a ‘DOWRY’ is a traditional part of a marriage. Traditionally, the dowry was a small gift given from the bride’s family to the groom’s family. It was more symbolic than expensive.

Since the mid-twentieth century, dowries have grown exponentially as popular material culture has entered the picture. Today, the families of many grooms will not accept a marriage unless a huge dowry was offered- often consisting of money and material items like cars, televisions, or computers.

When a bride’s family cannot pay the promised dowry, she is often beaten or thrown out of the house- or in some cases, killed by being set ablaze. This practice, called BRIDE BURNING, takes as many as 25,00 lives in India each year. It is illegal, but rarely reported in rural communities

In Conclusion… Folk culture’s sustainability is threatened by the intrusion of popular culture, which threatens to change its character, draw away members, and lead to increased conflict within traditional societies.

AIM: Why does Pop Culture Face Sustainability Threats? Do Now: Place the desks in groups of 4. Discuss the differences between folk and pop culture Learning Objectives Complete a summative assessment on Chapter 4 Evaluate the sustainability of pop culture

CHALLENGES TO POP CULTURE?

POPULAR culture’s greatest challenges come from its drive to produce uniform landscapes, and its high rate of consumption.

While folk culture often emerges FROM the environment and is strongly influenced by it, popular culture is often separate from and imposed upon the landscape.

Popular cultures cause damage by extensively modifying the environment in order to produce UNIFORM LANDSCAPES. Desirable features are reproduced in different locations, regardless of the effect on natural environments.

PLACELESSNESS- How popular cultural landscapes erase local identity, promoting the uniform over the unique.

People frequent businesses they are ‘familiar’ with. Uniform landscapes are used by companies to generate product recognition, leading to higher consumption. People frequent businesses they are ‘familiar’ with.

Popular culture promotes high levels of product and lifestyle consumption, which generates huge volumes of WASTE. Where folk cultures tend to produce little waste, popular culture has a USE-AND-DISCARD mentality.

Popular culture places a great demand on natural resources of all kinds. In order to sate popular material culture, many animals have been driven to near (or actual) extinction, and many natural resources are used unsustainably.

AIM: How do folk culture and pop culture compare? Do Now: What is placelessness? What creates it? Learning Objectives Compose a practice FRQ comparing and contrasting folk culture

In Conclusion Traits and leisure activities associated with folk culture tend to diffuse more slowly than those of popular culture. Folk clothing tends to be greatly influenced by local environmental conditions, whereas popular culture clothing tends to represent income and occupation. Important elements of material culture include clothing, food, and shelter.

In Conclusion Popular culture is diffused around the world through electronic media that began with the TV. It has since phased over into the Internet and Social Media. Globalization and greater connectivity have fostered a world where new ideas are spread more rapidly and fewer places of isolation exist. Folk cultures are threatened by interaction with popular culture; popular culture is threatened by the environmental disruption it causes.