1. Global Cultures

2. Elements of Culture
Culture – the way of life of a group of people who share similar beliefs and customs
Elements of Culture
Language
Religion
Social Groups
Government
Economic Activities
Culture Regions
Cultural Change

3. Language
Language allows people to communicate and pass on cultural values and traditions
A shared language is one of the strongest unifying forces for a culture
Dialect – a local version of a language that differs slightly from the main language
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4. Religion Religious beliefs vary significantly around the world
Religious differences can often lead to conflict, but religious similarities tie people together

5. Social Groups Family – people who are biologically related
Social classes – groups of people based on wealth, education, ancestry, etc.
Ethnic group – people who share a common language, history, and place of origin.

6. Government All governments have certain common traits:
Maintains order within the country
Provides protection from outside dangers
Supplies services to the people
Governments are typically organized by region (local, regional, national) and by type of authority (one ruler, a group of leaders, etc.)

7. Culture Regions
Geographers have divided the earth into several culture regions
Culture regions may share similar economic systems, forms of government, social groups, religions, histories, etc.

11. Cultural Change
Cultures change over time through a process called cultural diffusion
Example – The Agricultural Revolution
Around 10,000 years ago humans began to stop roaming the land and began to settle down. They started planting crops and became farmers
The Agricultural Revolution

12. Culture Hearths
Culture hearths are where the world’s first civilizations began
The world’s main culture hearths include what is now Egypt, Iraq, Pakistan, China, and Mexico.
All 5 of these areas had similar characteristics that made them suitable for starting a civilization: fertile land and near a source of water
Civilizations