1. Folk and Popular Culture
Chapter 4 - CULTURE
Folk and Popular Culture

2. 1. What is Culture?
CULTURE: A set of values, views of reality, and codes of behavior held in common by people who share a distinctive way of life; the sum of all learned behavior
colere – to cultivate, or till the soil
Middle Ages – “the refinement of crops” (agriculture)
Enlightenment – “the refinement of people” ; the arts (cultured)
Present – “learned behavior of a group people”
instinct vs. learned behavior / habits vs. customs
instinct – eat to satisfy hunger (habit)
learned behavior – choose recipe, take $ to the store, buy ingredients, cook food in certain way, sit down to eat, use manners or some code of behavior (custom)
nature vs. nurture (nurture = culture)
Tabula Rosa – John Locke
because humans can learn so many things they can learn to do things differently
the different learned behaviors create different cultures and sub-cultures (cultural divergence in isolated culture hearths)
Culture is learned in 3 ways
Socialization – the process of learning ones culture from previous generations – if socialization fails, culture dies
Diffusion – learn culture from new members of society, immigrants
Acculturation and Syncretism – combining of old and new

3. 2. What makes cultures different?
Components of “American” Culture –

4. 2. What makes cultures different?
Components of “American” Culture –

5. 2. What makes cultures different?
Hierarchy of Cultural components –
Cultural Trait – smallest unit of distinction between culture; specific characteristics of society; units of learned behavior
Culture Complex – Cultural Universal – set of related traits (complimentary characteristics)
Cultural Region – portion of earth’s surface occupied by populations sharing distinctive cultural characteristics; principal unit of study for cultural geographers/anthropologists
Cultural Realm – larger segment of earth; set of regions showing related complexes and landscapes
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8. 3. Structure of Culture – Three Subsystems
1. Technological Subsystem – Artifacts: material objects; visible objects that a group possesses and leaves fro the future (material culture) (Ch. 4)
food, clothes, houses, tools, weapons, vehicles, art, music, games
Tangible evidence of human interaction with environment – cultural landscape; built environment
2. Ideological Subsystem – Mentifacts: values, ideas, beliefs, knowledge, communication, abstract belief systems (non-material culture) (Ch. 5&6)
Language, religion, mythology, legends, literature, philosophy, folk wisdom (“old-wives tales”)
Transmitted through the education and socialization process – children taught how to think and communicate within a society
3. Sociological Subsystem – Sociofacts:
expected and accepted forms of interpersonal relations
Sociofacts define the organization of and accepted behavior within a society – family, church, school, state (government)
material and non-material culture 8

9. Key Issue #1 – Where Are Folk and Popular Leisure Activities Distributed?
2 categories of Material Culture:
1. Folk Culture – small, homogeneous groups in isolated, rural areas
Exist much in original forms; little or no change over time
Limited interaction with “outside” cultures
Diffuses mainly by relocation/migration; threatened by expansion diffusion of popular culture thru interaction and communication (tv and radio)
Strong resistance to change – celebrate local diversity with festivals
Minimal impact on environment; stewards of scarce resources and fragile environments

10. 2 categories of Material Culture
2. Popular Culture
Large, heterogeneous societies share habits despite different personal characteristics
Widespread distribution, greater interaction
Rapid global connections – modern communication and transportation (radio, tv, computers, internet, Facebook, twitter, instagram)
Frequently changing trends and fads
Globalization of popular culture threatens survival of folk cultures
Leads to uniformity (sameness) of cultural landscapes
Less consideration for environment; exploitation of natural resources for commercial profits