What is Culture?

“We are, in sum, incomplete or unfinished Clifford Geertz (anthropologist) in “The Interpretation of Cultures” states: “We are, in sum, incomplete or unfinished animals who complete or finish ourselves through culture—and not through culture in general but through highly particular forms of it: Dobuan & Javanese, Hopi & Italian, upper-class & lower-class, academic & commercial.”

anthropology: the systematic understanding of cultural aspects of human behavior - tries to account for cultural differences/similarities - how do cultures “operate”? - language & religion *Culture assumed to be a “learned behavior”

Cultural Geography is concerned with… …how place affects culture …how culture affects place …the distributions of culture

A. Culture is…. The ways of life of people… - learned behavior - mental thoughts & feelings - group beliefs, attitudes, rules, or traditions - human adaptations

Why is “culture” so varied? How do we explain the differences & similarities between people? * If a shaman (witchdoctor) claims he can fly, can he? * Is the mental thought itself unreal? * What about the case of the sacred cow in India?

culture traits: units of learned behavior (the “building blocks” of culture)

culture region: populations sharing similar cultural traits

cultural ecology: the study of the relationship between a culture group & the environment

B. Cultural Boundaries: geographic areas defined by a shared culture a cultural border is a “social construct” that is developed from a political situation conflict may occur at such borders known as… “shatter belts” Examples: Language Religion

Nigeria’s Religious and Cultural Conflict

In your own words OR Example Term Definition In your own words OR Example

Culture: Vocabulary Acculturation Artifact Contagious Diffusion Cultural Autonomy Cultural convergence Cultural Divergence Cultural Integration Cultural Landscape Cutlural System Cultural Complex Culture Hearth Culture Realm Syncretism Diffusion Environmental Determinism Expansion Diffusion Hierarchical Diffusion Hunter-Gatherer Ideological/Sociological/ Technological Subsystem Independent Invention Mentifact Multilinear Evolution Possibilism Sociofact