How are Local Cultures Sustained? Chapter 4 Section 2 Text pages 103-109 How are Local Cultures Sustained?

Customs A practice that a group of people routinely follows. Local cultures are sustained by maintaining customs.

In an age of globalization, where popular culture diffuses quickly, what do local cultures do to maintain their customs?

Local Cultures often have two goals 1.keeping other cultures out (i.e. create a boundary around itself) Avoid contamination and extinction keeping their own culture in (i.e. avoid cultural appropriation) Cultural Appropriation

Ethnic Neighborhoods Areas within major cities where certain cultures are practiced One way to keep their own culture in while keeping others out Defining a place (like a neighborhood) or a space for a short time (an annual festival) as representing a culture, members of a local culture can maintain its customs and its beliefs.

Gentrification A shift in an urban community toward wealthier residents and/or businesses and increasing property values Caused by increased investment Can attract business and create economic opportunity Can lower crime rates Why might this be viewed as bad?

Urban Local Cultures Can create ethnic neighborhoods within cities. Creates a space to practice customs. Can cluster businesses, houses of worship, schools to support local culture.

Rural Local Cultures Migration into rural areas is less frequent. Can better separate their culture from others and from popular culture. Can define their own space. Daily life my be defined by a shared economic activity.

Neolocalism Seeking out local culture and reinvigorating it Response to modernization or nostalgia

What are the Dangers to local Cultures? Assimilation Cultural Appropriation Commodification Contamination Crowding Out

Assimilation The process through which a group loses once differentiating traits after coming in contact with another culture Voluntary Why would people voluntarily assimilate? De Facto assimilation: Immigrants Involuntary or Forced What are some instances of involuntary assimilation? Ainu in Japan, Native Americans in the U.S., and Aborigines in Australia De Jure assimilation: indigenous and minority groups

Cultural Appropriation The process of one culture adopting customs and knowledge of one culture and using it for its own benefit Japan during the Meiji Restoration (Westernization of Japan) Pharmaceuticals developed by studying indigenous populations use of plants Why might cultures not want to be appropriated?

Commodification The process by which something that was not originally regarded as something to be heavily bought and sold becomes so on the world market How are aspects of local culture (material, non-material, place) commodified? what is commodified? who commodifies it?

Where’s the Commodification?

Authenticity Claims of authenticity abound – how do consumers determine what experience/place is “authentic” and what is not?

Irish Pub Company Pubs Irish Pub Company and Guinness Brewing Company created 5 models of pubs and export them around the world.

What is the last place you went to or the last product you purchased that claimed to be “authentic?” What are the challenges of defending the authenticity of this place or product while refuting the authenticity of other similar places or products?