Unit 1 Topic 2: Cultural Geography

Question 1

Define what culture is

Unit 1 essental question: What is the relationship between geography and culture

Answer 1

The shared customs and way of life of a group of people found in their languages, customs and traditions, religions, arts and literature, form of government, and economic system.

Question 2

What are the elements of culture
6 in total, 6 explanations

Answer 2

Languages
* what languages do they speak in that country or region?

Customs and beliefs
* What holidays do they celebrate? Foods do that they eat? What are some common traditions there?

Religion
* What are the main religions practiced in that region?

Arts and literature
* What music, authors, and art are they known for in that place.

Government
* What type of government do they have there?

Economy
* What economic system is used in that place?

Question 3

Explain cultural norms, and list some examples. What is culture when compared to behavior?

Answer 3

Culture is a blueprint for behavior. It signals how we should behave to be accepted in a community

Cultural norms: Dicate what behavior is acceptable. For example
* Looking at someone directly when speaking;
* How you are expected to treat the elderly;
* How much time you spend with your familyl
* How you define beauty
* How you display affection in public

Question 4

Definition of cultural relativism
Definiton of ethnocentrism

Answer 4

Cultural relativism
* Understandng a culture’s beliefs and practices from that culture’s point of view. It is NOT judging another culture based on your point of view.

Ethnocentrism
* Is using your own culture’s rules and standards to judge someone else’s culture. It’s thinking that your culture is better or superior to someone else’s culture.

Question 5

How can we avoid viewing cultures through that one lens? How does culture drive behavior.

Answer 5

Get to know about other cultures. Learn more and educate yourself. Don’t assume anything and think of people as people. Avoid stereotypes

Question 6

What are the dangers of ethnocentrism
List examples, explain the 6 main points

Answer 6

• It creates close-minded views of the world.
• It teaches individuals to believe they are superior to others who are different than them.
• Encourages sterotypes
• Develops a racist mindset
• Promotes discrimination
• Leads to hate crimes

Examples: Us cultures values and everything else are better than other nations. Political interferring/control of countries. Also European imperialism. Beliefs of uncivilized and undeveloped countries with savages and barbarians. Though they were more superior developed. Terroism and hate crimes. Nazi Germany. Food. Fashion.

Question 7

Regional Spotlight Canada

Location and Size

Answer 7

Like the US Canada is located on the Western Hemisphere encompassing all of the North American continent north of United States except Alaska

It is the worlds 2nd largest country in size

Canada is bound to the N by the Arctic Ocean, on the E by several straits and channels and the Atlantic Ocean, on the S by the U.S. and on the W by the Pacific Ocean and the US state of ALaska. The coastal waters of Canda also include the Hudson Strait and Hudson bay

Capital city: Ottawa

Question 8

origin (of Canada)

Answer 8

The name Canada is derived from the indigenous word Kanata

Kanata means “settlement” or “village” in the langauge of the Lawrence Iroquoians.

Question 9

Climate (of Canada)

Answer 9

Temperaature in Canada varies widely from region to region. Winters can be harsh in many parts of the country, particularly in the interior provinces, which experience a contiental climate, where daily average temperatures are near 59 F, but can drop below -40 F with severe wind chills.

Question 10

Population: 39.8 million ppl. (2023)

Answer 10

1/3 of canadians identify themselves as being of mixed ethnic descent.

1 million people identify themselves as native american

90% of the population lives along the US canadian border

Largest urban area: Toronto

Question 11

Language and religion

Answer 11

Canada has 2 official languages: English and French.

Christians make up the largest religious group in Canada. Other religions include Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Sikhism

Question 12

Canada became a country on July 1, 1867

Canada is a Monarchy

As a member of the British commonwealth, we share a king with the UK.

Healthcare is free in Canada.

Answer 12

The border between Canada and the United States 5,525 miles long

Canada is third-largest oil reserve holder in the world

Canada has 10 provinces and it’s populous is Ontario

Quebec is the only officially French speaking province

Home of the Niagara Falls

Question 13

Ethnic groups
What they are
2 examples and how they are unique

Answer 13

Are social groups or categories of the population that, in a larger society, is set apart and bound together by common ties of race, language, nationality, or culture.

Cajuns - speak cajun french

Bedouins - nomadic arabs in the middle east

Question 14

Pop culture vs folk culture
Explain each and give examples
- spread
- change rate
- population diversity
- area
- examples

Answer 14

pop culture
* widespreed
* changes often
* large heterogeneous population
* associated with cities
* ex: social media, tv, popular songs, fashion styles

folk culture
* local culture
* spreads slowly
* resists change
* homogenous population
* associated with rural areas
* Ex: amish, cajun, aboriginal

Question 15

Cultural hearth
The 7 hearths
2 rivers, 2 valleys! 2 Mesos, 1 Africa

Answer 15

the place of origin from which cultures diffuse
1. * Nile River
2. * Indus river
3. * wei-huang valley
4. * ganges river valley
5. * mesopotamia
6. * mesoamerica
7. * west africa

Question 16

Cultural diffusioon

Answer 16

is the spreading of information, ideas, behaviors, and other aspects of culture from their place of origin (hearths) to other places.

Question 17

Types of cultural diffusion
3 type
Expansion has 3 sub types

Answer 17

1. Relocation diffusion occurs when people move from their original location to another and bring their innovations with them. Ex. Southern US architecture, cuisine, & music have African and Carribean origins due to the forced relocation of African people during the trans-Atlantic slave trade
2. Expansion DIffusion the spread of an idea through a population where the amount of those influenced grows continously larger.
   * A. contagious diffusion is defined as the distance-controlled spreading of an idea through a local population by contact from person to person. Ex. religion
   * B. Hierachical diffusion is when an idea spreads by passing first among the most connected individuals, then spreading to other individuals. Ex A business CEO is more informed on matters within their company before the spread of that information to employees and he general public.
   * C. Stimulus Diffusion - ideas diffuse from their cultural hearths, but the original idea is changed by the new adopters. EX. the changing interpretations of religious texts as they are translated into other languages
3. Maladaptive diffusion is the adoption of diffusing traits that are not practical or reflective of a reigions environment or culture

Question 18

Distance decay and time space compression

Answer 18

distance decay
* the decrease (or decay) in interaction between two places or people as the distance between them increases

Time space compression
* the reduction in the time it takes to spread something to a distant place as a result of improved communications and transportation systems.

Question 19

Ethnic v. Universalizing religions

Answer 19

Universalizing religions offer belief systems that are attractive to the universal population. They look for new members and welcome anyone who wishes to adopt their belief system. Universalizing religions have many deverse members who come from different ethnic backgrounds, hence the term universal. Therefore, it is evident that universal religions consisnt of many different ethnic groups because they convert and accept anyone of any background are usually not closely tied to one location. Examples include Christianity, Islam, and Buddihism.

Ethnic Religions usually consist of beliefs, superstitutions, and rituals handed down from generation to generation within an ethnicity and culture. It follows one’s ethnicity because the religion does not tend to convert. In some ways, ethnic religions act like a folk culture. It exapands via relocation diffusion and often increases through birth rates. Ethnic religions relate closely to culture, ethnic hertiage, and to the physical geography of a particular place. They do not attempt to appeal to all people, but only one group. Examples: judaism, Hinduisim.

Question 20

Cultural aspects language
- what is it
- how many languages does the world have

Answer 20

There are many aspects of a person that go into their
culture. Language, like religion, is a crucial aspect of
culture.

Language is a system of communication through
speech, a collection of sounds that a group of
people understands to have the same meaning.

The world has over 6,900 languages, but only 11 are
spoken by more.

Question 21

LINGUISTICS
- what are scientists that study languages called
- what does language do regarding culture
- what is a language family and what do they descend from?
- what are the 8 language families

Answer 21

Through language, people communicate
information and experiences and pass on
cultural values and traditions.

Linguists, scientists who study language,
organize the world’s languages into
language families.

A language family is a group or different languages that all descend from a particular common language (protolanguage).

There are 8 language families:
1. Indo- European
1. Sino-Tibetan
1. Niger-Congo
1. Austronesian
1. Afro-Asiatic
1. Dravidian
1. Turkic
1. Japonic

Question 22

Diffusion of Language. Explain
* cultural landscape
* assimilation
* acculturation
* cultural appropriation

Answer 22

Cultural Landscape
* Landscapes that have been affected, influenced, or shaped by human involvement

Assimilation
* The process through which people lose originality differentiating traits, such as dress, speech, particularities, or mannerisms, when they come into contact with another society or culture.

Acculturation
* When cultures come into contact and a less dominant culture adopts some of the traits of the more influential or dominant one.

Cultural Appropriation
* The process by which cultures adopt customs and knowledge from other cultures and use them for their own benefit

Question 23

TYPES OF LANGUAGES
explain the:
* lingua franca
* pidgin
* creolization
* syncretism (doesn’t have to do with language)

Answer 23

Lingua franca
* A language mutually understood and commonly used in trade by people who have different native languages
* Ex - English for air traffic controllers

Pidgin
* Languages that develop out of contact between at least two groups of people who do not speak the same language or share a common language
* informal

Creolization (Creole)
* Stable language that develops from a pidgin and has its own formal grammar and vocabulary
* Haitian Creole, Louisiana Creole (Kouri-Vini)

Syncretism
* The blending traits from two different cultures to form a new trait.