Themes in Cultural Geography Different lenses on the world

Five Themes Culture Region Culture Region Cultural Diffusion Cultural Diffusion Cultural Interaction Cultural Interaction Cultural Ecology Cultural Ecology Landscape Studies Landscape Studies

Review

Culture Region Can be defined by: Can be defined by: A culture trait (formal region) A culture trait (formal region) A combination (complex) of culture traits (formal region) A combination (complex) of culture traits (formal region) An organizing structure or system (functional region) An organizing structure or system (functional region) Popular culture (vernacular region) Popular culture (vernacular region)

Cultural Diffusion The expansion of a culture trait through space due to: The expansion of a culture trait through space due to: Immigration (relocation diffusion) Immigration (relocation diffusion) The neighborhood effect (contagious expansion diffusion) The neighborhood effect (contagious expansion diffusion) Communications and commerce (hierarchical diffusion) Communications and commerce (hierarchical diffusion) Adaptation and significant reinterpretation (stimulus diffusion) Adaptation and significant reinterpretation (stimulus diffusion)

Cultural Interaction Cultures are integrated systems in which each part (trait) is linked to others Cultures are integrated systems in which each part (trait) is linked to others This situation makes it possible to identify culture regions defined not be single traits but by complexes of traits This situation makes it possible to identify culture regions defined not be single traits but by complexes of traits Culture complex

Cultural Ecology Human-environment relationships Human-environment relationships To what extent does the environment affect culture? To what extent does the environment affect culture? environmentculture To what extent does culture rework the environment? To what extent does culture rework the environment? cultureenvironment

General Trend Environmental determinism has been rejected Environmental determinism has been rejected Current approaches are based on ecology and possibilism Current approaches are based on ecology and possibilism Much greater focus on human impacts on the environment than on the environment’s culture-shaping force Much greater focus on human impacts on the environment than on the environment’s culture-shaping force

Greek Worldview

Tropical degeneration “Insensitivity is in them a vice of their altered constitution. They have an unpardonable laziness, invent nothing, plan nothing and in no way extend the sphere of their understanding beyond what they see: pusillanimous cowards, nervous and without any nobility in their minds, their discouragement and absolute lack of anything that constitutes a reasoning animal makes them useless to themselves and to society.” “Insensitivity is in them a vice of their altered constitution. They have an unpardonable laziness, invent nothing, plan nothing and in no way extend the sphere of their understanding beyond what they see: pusillanimous cowards, nervous and without any nobility in their minds, their discouragement and absolute lack of anything that constitutes a reasoning animal makes them useless to themselves and to society.” C. De Pauw Recherches philosophiques sur les Américains ou memoires intéressans pour servir à l’histoire de l’espèce humaine, (Paris: Jean-Michel Place, 1768). C. De Pauw Recherches philosophiques sur les Américains ou memoires intéressans pour servir à l’histoire de l’espèce humaine, (Paris: Jean-Michel Place, 1768).

Environmental Determinism (mixed with Racism) “None of these tropical peoples … has a native civilisation, or is fitted to play any part in history, either as a conquering or as a thinking force, or in any way, save as producers by physical labour of material wealth. None is likely to develop towards any higher condition than that in which it now stands, save under the tutelage, and by adopting so much as it can of the culture, of the five or six European peoples which have practically appropriated the torrid zone, and are dividing its resources among them. Yet the vast numbers to which, under the conjoint stimuli of science and peace, these inferior black and yellow races may grow, coupled with the capacity some of them evince for assimilating the material side of European civilisation, may enable them to play a larger part in the future of the world than they have played in the past.” James Bryce, British Ambassador to the US, 1892

Seeing like a colonist…

Cultural Ecology Today Organism-environment relationship is reciprocal and mutually constitutive, that is, it is a two-way street. The same is true of human-environment relations. Organism-environment relationship is reciprocal and mutually constitutive, that is, it is a two-way street. The same is true of human-environment relations. Animals adapt to their environments over eons, genetically Animals adapt to their environments over eons, genetically People adapt through culture but also rework their environments People adapt through culture but also rework their environments Culture is in part a strategy for environmental adaptation, mainly (but not entirely) limited to humans; learned, cooperative behavior produces major environmental modifications as well as modifications of human behavior Culture is in part a strategy for environmental adaptation, mainly (but not entirely) limited to humans; learned, cooperative behavior produces major environmental modifications as well as modifications of human behavior

Possibilism Scientific philosophy that the environment does not determine elements of culture, but it does set bounds on the possible or probable forms that culture will take Scientific philosophy that the environment does not determine elements of culture, but it does set bounds on the possible or probable forms that culture will take Natural environments offer opportunities and constraints from which culture groups must choose, based on their knowledge and internal power relations Natural environments offer opportunities and constraints from which culture groups must choose, based on their knowledge and internal power relations

Cultural Landscape Studies start with what you see

Case Study – Orrtana PA

Houses How old do they appear to be? How old do they appear to be? Are there particular styles from a certain period? Are there particular styles from a certain period? Do the styles change over time? Do the styles change over time?

Culture is “written” on the landscape Why does the old house have a separate kitchen? Why does the old house have a separate kitchen? Why does the new house have a big lawn? Why does the new house have a big lawn? Why is the new house far from the road? Why is the new house far from the road? Why is the old house near to the road? Why is the old house near to the road? Why does the old house have a porch? Why does the old house have a porch? Why doesn’t the new house have a porch? Why doesn’t the new house have a porch?

Other Buildings What are they for? What are they for? What do they tell you about the way people lived in the past and present? What do they tell you about the way people lived in the past and present?

“Pennsylvania Barn” Why do you think it has a “forebay”?

Springhouse What is it for? Why is it here? How does its design vary from place to place and what might that variation indicate?

Vegetation What appears to be the natural vegetation of this area? What appears to be the natural vegetation of this area? What kinds of plants are people cultivating here now? What kinds of plants are people cultivating here now? How has the possibility of growing fruit trees shaped life in this place? How has the possibility of growing fruit trees shaped life in this place? How have people reworked their natural environment to favor fruit trees? How have people reworked their natural environment to favor fruit trees? How do people reshape these trees, and why? How do people reshape these trees, and why?

Commerce How is this retail activity reflected in the visible landscape? How is this retail activity reflected in the visible landscape? What is being sold? What is being sold? Who is selling to whom? Who is selling to whom? How do spaces of consumption relate to other kinds of space in this place? How do spaces of consumption relate to other kinds of space in this place?

Good landscape-based geography Get a feel for the place Get a feel for the place Try to partially escape the outsider’s perspective Try to partially escape the outsider’s perspective Discover elements of an insider’s sense of place Discover elements of an insider’s sense of place Rather than analyzing the place in abstract terms or simply describing features, try to understand how it feels to live here Rather than analyzing the place in abstract terms or simply describing features, try to understand how it feels to live here Ask: “What are the meanings people attach to places and things in this landscape?” Ask: “What are the meanings people attach to places and things in this landscape?” Sense Topophilia (Tuan) Sense Topophilia (Tuan)

Q. What can we achieve besides explanation? A. Understanding

REVIEW Throughout the semester, each chapter will address these 5 themes Throughout the semester, each chapter will address these 5 themes Culture region Culture region Cultural diffusion Cultural diffusion Cultural Interaction Cultural Interaction Cultural Ecology Cultural Ecology Landscape Studies Landscape Studies These provide different “lenses” on the world, helping to answer different kinds of questions These provide different “lenses” on the world, helping to answer different kinds of questions