7 Elements of Culture

THE EIGHTEEN NATIONAL STANDARDS and Six essential elementsThe geographically informed person knows and understands...Essential Element I. THE WORLD IN SPATIAL TERMSStandard 1. How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.Standard 2. How to use mental maps to organize information about people, places, and environments in a spatial context.Standard 3. How to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth's surface.Essential Element II. PLACES AND REGIONSStandard 4. The physical and human characteristics of places.Standard 5. That people create regions to interpret Earth's complexity.Standard 6. How culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions.Essential Element III. PHYSICAL SYSTEMSStandard 7. The physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface.Standard 8. The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on Earth's surface.Essential Element IV. HUMAN SYSTEMSStandard 9. The characteristics, distribution, and migration of human populations on Earth's surface. Standard 10. The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics.Standard 11. The patterns and networks of economic interdependence on Earth's surface.Standard 12. The processes, patterns, and functions of human settlement.Standard 13. How the forces of cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of Earth's surface. Standard 14. How human actions modify the physical environment.Essential Element V. ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETYStandard 15. How physical systems affect human systems.Standard 16. The changes that occur in the meaning, use, distribution, and importance of resources.Essential Element VI. THE USES OF GEOGRAPHYStandard 17. How to apply geography to interpret he past.Standard 18. How to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.

Warm up Topics

• Celebrations: What kinds of celebrations are important in your family? In the United States?

• Greetings: How do you generally greet people you don’t know? People you do know?

• Beliefs about hospitality: How do you show hospitality in your community? In your school? In your home?

• The role of the family: Is there a particular age at which you celebrate an important event in your life with your family or community?

• Attitudes about personal space and privacy: How important do you feel it is to have personal space and privacy?

What is Culture?• Culture has to do with values and beliefs.• Culture involves customs and traditions.• Culture is collective, shared by a group.• Everyone has a culture.• Culture is learned.• Culture influences and shapes behavior.• Culture is transmitted from generation to generation.• Culture is often unconscious; people are sometimes not aware of how their behaviors and attitudes have been shaped by their culture.• People in all cultures have common needs.

CultureA system of beliefs, values, and assumptions about life that guide behavior and are shaped by a group of people. It includes customs, language, and material artifacts. These are transmitted from generation to generation rarely with explicit instructions.

YOU CAN SEE

WHY IS CULTURE SOMETIMES COMPARED TO AN ICEBERG?

YOU CAN’T SEE

1. Facial expressions

2. Religious beliefs

3. Foods

4. Eating habits

5. Paintings

6. Concept of self

7. Work ethic

8. Styles of dress

9. Literature

10.Concept of fairness

11. Childraising beliefs

Seven E lements of Cu l tu r e: GR A CE 'S L A N GU A GE

Social Organizationhow peop le and p laces a re d iv ided in to

sm alle r, m o re m anageab le ones

Customs and Traditionsaccep ted ru les o f behav io rs and trad -

itiona l p rac tices o f a cu ltu re

Religionansw ers the basic questions abou t the

m eaning and pu rpose o f life

Languagethe w ay thoughts, fee lings, and know ledge

are passed on

Economyhow peop le use lim ited resou rces

to sa tis fy un lim ited w an ts

Artsdance , d ram a, lite ra tu re , m us ic and

visua l a rts o f a cu ltu re

Governmentprov ides fo r the com m on needs o f

p ro tection , o rde r, and safe tyGovernment

Religion

Customs & Traditions

Social Organization

Language

Economy

Arts

overnment: rule or authority over a country, state, or town; provides for the common needs of protection, order, and safety

Voting in the November 1989 election to a constituent assembly in Namibia, as the UN trust territory moved towards independence from South African rule the following year.

eligion: system of faith and worship

Muslims performing salah (Islamic prayer)

rts: creative and literary expressions of a culture; examples are books, painting, architecture, dance, music

The Maori culture has big influence on sport, too. The Haka dance became part of the ceremonial beginning of rugby matches. What is the origin of the dance?

ustoms & Traditions: accepted way of acting; a habit or practice that is kept up over a long period of time

In the United States, single female wedding guests take part in the bouquet toss as a wedding tradition. Capturing the bridal bouquet toss by the bride is considered to generate good luck in getting engaged next.

conomy: how people use limited resources to satisfy unlimited wants

ocial Organization: how people are divided into smaller, more manageable groups

Bridegroom Milton Mbhele, with his four brides, left to right, Happiness, Thobile, Simangele, and Zanele at their wedding in Weenen, near Ladysmith, South Africa, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009. South African law recognizes traditional polygamous marriages, even President Jacob Zuma has three wives. Yet while polygamy remains common among several tribes including the Zulus and Swazis, simultaneous weddings are rare.

anguage: the way the people of a certain culture communicate with each other and other cultures.

Women reading text message from a cellphone! As remote as their village is and as basic as their way of life is, the tribal people in this region of Vietnam apparently embraced the use of modern technology.

overnment: rule or authority over a country, state, or town; provides for the common needs of protection, order, and safety

eligion: system of faith and worship

rts: creative and literary expressions of a culture; examples are books, painting, architecture, dance, music ustoms & Traditions: accepted way of acting; a habit or practice that is kept up over a long period of time

conomy: how people use limited resources to satisfy unlimited wants

ocial Organization: how people are divided into smaller, more manageable groups

anguage: the way the people of a certain culture communicate with each other and other cultures