1. Material and Non-Material Culture
AP Human Geography
Cultural Processes Unit

2. For today, 10/22 Pick up a blank sheet of paper
Go to Socrative.com (ROOM ) and begin the activity

3. Culture Definitions
Culture: body of beliefs and material traits that together constitute a group of people’s way of life
Habit: individual
Custom: group
Cultural trait: what people do to reflect their culture
Cultural norm: “laws” that guide people’s behavior
Taboo: a restriction on a behavior

4. Cultural Iceberg Two components of culture: Material culture
“Above water”
Non-material culture
“Below water”

5. Non-Material Culture: Abstract, “below water”
Values: standards that guide how people assess desirability, goodness, and beauty
Serve as guidelines for moral living
Beliefs: specific statements that people hold to be true
Almost always based on values
Behaviors: actions that people take
Based on values and beliefs as reflected in cultural norms

6. Material Culture = concrete, “above water”
Artifacts
reflect values, behaviors, beliefs of a culture
Values?
Behaviors?
Beliefs?

7. My Cultural Handprint
Beliefs
Behaviors
For each finger: identify 5 elements of your culture
(Ex.)Values are environmental preservation
Beliefs: Gas guzzlers should be outlawed
Behaviors: I walk everywhere
In the palm: explain the connection
Values
Artifacts
Explain how your non-material culture is reflected in your material culture
Name, pd.