1. Regional Mexico: An Overview ANTH 221: Peoples and Cultures of Mexico Kimberly Martin, Ph.D.

2. Culture and the Environment Ecological anthropology = the study of the relationship between a groups culture and its environment – includes how culture affects the environment and how the environment affects culture. – Reciprocal and cyclical mutual adaptation (adjustment) of cultural systems to environment and environmental systems to culture.

3. Systems Theory Cultures are systems All parts of a system are interrelated – Kinship system, economic system, religious system, political system (etc.) are parts of the larger cultural system Systems Change in Feedback loops (cycles) – Positive feedback = as one thing increases, others also increase – Negative feedback = as one thing increases, others decrease

4. Determinism Kinds of determinism include – Biological determinism = our biology is our destiny; our psychology, social systems and culture are determined entirely by our genetics, anatomy and physiology Vs. biology and environmental conditions interact with each other to produce psychological and social systems and culture. – Environmental determinism = the physical environment determines what the culture of a society will be. Vs. Environmental “possibilism” = the environment limits the kinds of culture that a society can develop.

5. Geographic Zones Desert = dry with no grass, little rainfall, desert adapted cactus and succulent plants

6. Geographic Zones Steppe = a relatively flat grassland without trees, not quite dry enough to qualify as a desert.

7. Geographic Zones Savannah = a relatively flat combination of grassland and open forest where a forest canopy does not form.

8. Geographic Zones Temperate forest = high density of trees that do not form a canopy, but allow light to filter in; light to moderate seasonal rain

9. Geographic Zones Temperate Rainforest = Heavily forested with tree canopy and heavy seasonal rain.

10. Geographic Zones Tropical Rainforest = Heavily forested with multiple levels of canopy, heavy rain year round.

11. Geography and Climate Zones

12. Geography Zones: Altitude Relief Map Satellite Map

13. The central plateau and the valley of Oaxaca = high altitude plateaus with savannah and temperate forest geography and seasonal rain. The Maya Area = Tropical rainforest (the Highland Maya and Savannah/Steppe (the Lowland Maya). The gulf coast = primarily savannah and tropical rainforest..

14. Political Map: Major Cities

15. Political Map: States

16. States of Mexico