1.  This element of folk culture persists alongside popular or commodity culture when other elements of folk culture have been abandoned  "Religion" comes from religare (Latin) meaning to fasten or connect loose parts into a whole  Formal regions defined by religion are noticeably different from each other (e.g. the contrast between Catholic and Protestant regions in the Americas and in Europe)--why? Ritual bathing in the Ganges River (Varanasi, India)

2.  As religion connects it also divides  “Identity” is the glue that holds groups together  Personal (who am I?)  Geographical (where do I belong?)  For example, religions involve prohibitions of various sorts, that non-believers do not observe, and that act as barriers to diffusion. The crucial element is the reduction or elimination of interaction with persons who are not co-religionists.  In addition, labels like "infidel," "heathen," and "gentile" promote the idea that those with different cultural traditions are bad, evil, or misguided  Inclusion and exclusion is the name of the game worshipers at a mosque in Pakistan

3.  The existing pattern of religions is the result of centuries of diffusion.  Religion defines "Us" and "Them" which shapes diffusion of other traits  Proselytizing (or proselytic) religions promote diffusion outside their cultural region (Christianity) or inside that region (Islam), while ethnic religions do not

6.  Major religions correspond to large regions:  Christianity : Europe, Americas, Oceania  Islam : North Africa, Middle East, parts of S. Asia & S.E. Asia  Hinduism : India and part of Sri Lanka  Buddhism : parts of S. Asia, much of S.E. Asia, much of E. Asia  The boundaries between religious culture regions are like plate boundaries in the earth's crust: lots of shaking and frequent eruptions.  No rule is hard and fast in geography, however  The contact zone between Islam and Hinduism also led to the emergence of the Sikh religion, which reconciles conflicting elements of Hinduism and Islam  Various beliefs coexist alongside each other in North America with relatively little conflict

8.  All sociofacts associated with religion tend to both group and divide people, including dietary prohibitions (proscriptions)  Kashrut and Dhabiha Halaal  Pork avoidance and more (next slide)  Hinduism and beef avoidance  http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/04/02/asia_letter/main2640540.shtml  Jainism, Buddhism, and vegetarianism  Ahimsa and karma  Whether intentionally or not, dietary prohibitions tend to reduce casual interaction between non-coreligionists, and therefore inhibit diffusion across religious lines  How important is it to social ties who you eat with?  Commensalism (eating together) symbolizes togetherness  Beliefs about what is edible/inedible therefore form a foundation for personal and group identity

9.  "...and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you." (Leviticus 11:7)  These explanations are partial and subject to a variety of interpretations  Kashrut (Jewish dietary restrictions)  No swine  No camels  No amphibians  No shellfish  Dairy and meat items must be cooked separately, with separate utensils  Special rules for slaughtering animals  Must be performed by a trained, licensed shochet  Animal must be inspected after slaughter  Meat must be salted to draw out impurities  Dhabiha Halaal (Islamic dietary restrictions)  No swine  No alcohol  No amphibians  God’s name must be pronounced before slaughtering an animal  Animal must be inspected after slaughter  Meat is often purified with vinegar

10. http://www.flickr.com/photos/sarahglidden/127900107/

12.  The global production of pork and beef are both visibly affected by dietary proscriptions associated with religion

13.  A cultural-geographic process  Like other elements of folk culture, religion is eroded by popular culture  This diffusion-based process is called "secularization," and has trade-offs:  positive impacts:  mutual tolerance  scientific progress  material progress  negative impacts:  loss of deep convictions  preoccupation with superficial pleasures  radical relativism, anomie (loss of a sense of meaning)  alienation (loss of connection to others)