GEOGRAPHY & CULTURE

What is Culture? Culture is the beliefs, customs, practices, and behaviors of a particular nation or group of people A cultural trait is an idea or way of doing things that is common in a certain culture Where do we learn cultural traits from? Parents, media, friends, school Can cultural traits change or do they stay the same? Give some examples. They change (clothing styles)

Ethnicity, Race, & Nationalism An ethnicity is a group of people who share cultural traits such as language, music, food, and religion People of the same ethnic group often share a home region. A race is a group of people with similar physical traits. Each race includes several ethnicities, with a variety of cultural traits Nationalism - loyalty or devotion to a nation or ethnic group Nationalists believe that all people in a nation belong to one group, regardless of ethnicity or race For example, many ethnicities, such as Italian and Greek, are part of the Caucasian, or white, race. For example, a nationalist believes that people of every ethnicity and race in the U.S. share a distinct American culture. A nation’s flag and national anthem are important cultural symbols of nationalism.

Culture & Geography Humans can shape their environment by creating cultural landscapes, or geographic areas that have been shaped by people. environment can also shape culture A culture region is an area in which a single culture or cultural trait is dominant Common traits that unify a culture region include shared religion or language The cultural landscape of a place reflects how its people meet their basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter. These landscapes differ from one culture to another, because people of different cultures use the land in different ways. They build houses differently. They plant farm fields and build settlements differently. In Canada, French Canadian culture dominates much of the province of Quebec. The people of Quebec who have this culture identify themselves as French Canadian or Québécois (kay bek wah). The music, food, religion, history, and French language of the Québécois make Quebec a distinct culture region of Canada. The United States also has several culture regions. Culture regions are often different from political units. Occasionally, a culture region may cover an entire country. In Japan, for example, nearly everyone speaks the same language, eats the same food, and follows the same customs. A country may also include more than one culture region. For example, the French Canadian culture region of Quebec is one of several culture regions in Canada.

What role did environment play in the building of this house?

Seven Elements of

ocial organization: organizing members of society into smaller units A society is a group of humans with a shared culture who have organized themselves to meet their basic needs The most basic unit of any society is the family nuclear family: includes wife, husband, and children extended family: several generations living in one household social classes: a group of people living in similar economic conditions

ustoms and traditions teach and reflect our culture Socialization is the process that teaches people the rules, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that are acceptable in a society social pressure is used to enforce minor rules of behavior Ideas about right and wrong are enforced by laws

on the back of the lyric sheet! Bell Work Take out Culture Core Concepts notes. Read the lyrics to “Youth of the Nation” by P.O.D. Choose a favorite song, TV show, movie, or book and write a sentence describing why it is meaningful to you. on the back of the lyric sheet!

anguage reflects a culture’s identity Look at the map that shows the locations of the world’s major language groups. Languages in each of these groups share a common ancestor. This ancestor was a language spoken so long ago that it gradually changed to become several related languages.

rts & Literature teach us about a culture’s values Works of art can reflect a society by dealing with topics or issues that are important to that society. Art can even shape society, as contemporary issues influence creative expressions. For example, books that describe poverty or environmental problems can help win public support for solving those problems. Works of art can reflect a society by dealing with topics or issues that are important to that society. Art can even shape society, as contemporary issues influence creative expressions. For example, books that describe poverty or environmental problems can help win public support for solving those problems. In 1962, for example, Rachel Carson described the harmful effects of pesticides on the environment in the book Silent Spring. The book became a best seller. It led to stricter controls on the use of pesticides in the U.S.

The worship of one god: monotheism eligion is a system of worship and belief, including belief about the nature of a god or gods The worship of one god: monotheism The worship of more than one god: polytheism

Sikhism Sikhism is based on the writings of several gurus, or prophets Sikhism Sikhism is based on the writings of several gurus, or prophets. Guru Nanak founded Sikhism about a.d. 1500 in South Asia. Sikhism’s teachings include the cycle of rebirth and the search for enlightenment. There are about 24 million Sikhs.

Republic - people choose leaders who represent them G overnment is a group of people who have the power to make and enforce laws for a country Democracy is a form of government in which citizens hold political power; citizens are the ultimate source of government power and authority. In a direct democracy, citizens come together to pass laws and select leaders. Republic - people choose leaders who represent them Monarchy is a country ruled by a king or queen

conomics is the study of how people meet their wants and needs Economics involves supply and demand Demand is the desire for a certain good or service Supply is the amount that is offered for sale Supply and demand are connected to price The law of supply says that as market prices rise, supply will increase and vice versa The law of demand says as prices rise, demand for products will decrease and vice versa

supply demand You sell apples. You want to set a price. How do you determine what price to sell your apples? Supply and demand determine that.

Generally, a low supply and a high demand increases price Generally, a low supply and a high demand increases price. In contrast, a high supply and a low demand decreases price

How Changes

Science - the active process of acquiring knowledge of the natural world Technology - the skills and tools that people use

Environmental change - People tend to settle in areas that have favorable geographic conditions, such as bodies of water, flat land with fertile soil, and moderate temperatures. But what if the geographic conditions change? Cultural diffusion is the spread of cultural traits from one culture to another

Work together to come up with examples of diffusion DIFFUSION - examples Work together to come up with examples of diffusion The spread of music (jazz started as a blend of the music of Africa and the Caribbean) Popularity of foods from different countries (sushi) People in the United States celebrate Cinco de Mayo. The worldwide popularity of Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism Inventions like paper and gunpowder The English language (it contains many words from other languages)