Elements of CultureWorld Geography

#1=Social Organization

● The way a culture divides its society into smaller structures/groups

● What is the most important social unit?○ Family

● Family Patterns○ Nuclear family - wife, husband, kids

■ typical to industrialized societies○ Extended Family - several generations in one

household. Parents, kids, grandparents, aunts, uncles. ■ Usually in developing nations

Social Organization

● Kinship = concept that everyone is related to someone○ There are rules (ie uncles can't marry nieces)

● Clan = ppl within an ethnic group who claim to be descended from a common ancestor

● Social Classes = rank ppl according to status in society○ can be based on $, occupation, heredity, education,

etc● Social mobility = chance to move up and

down the social ladder.

#2 Customs & Traditions

● Rules of behavior (enforced by social pressures or written laws)

● ways of doing everyday things● basic moral values● Language● Clothes● Foods● Education● Occupation

#3 Arts & Literature

● Products of human imagination teach us about cultural values. Can encourage pride or criticize.

● Includes:○ Painting, Sculpture, drawing, architecture○ music, theatre○ literature

● promote cultural pride & unity● teach about culture's values● rebel against cultural norms

#4 Religion

● Helps ppl answer the basic questions about the meaning of life; supports the values of culture; can shape morals & ethics of a group of ppl.

● Monotheism - belief in 1 god● Polytheism - belief in more than 1 god● Animism - belief that everything in nature

has a spirit● 5 major religions - Hinduism, Buddhism,

Christianity, Judaism, & Islam

#5 Forms of Government

● Gov't is designed to provide for ppl's common needs - keeping order in society & protecting it from outside threats○ refers to the person(s) who holds power & to

society's law & institutions● Types of Gov't:

○ Democracy - the ppl have supreme power○ Republic - ppl choose the leaders who will represent

them○ Dictatorship - a ruler (or group acting as 1) holds

power by force.

#6 Economic Systems

● How people use limited resources to satisfy their wants and needs

● 3 questions:○ What goods & services should we produce?○ How should we produce them?○ For whom should we produce them?

Economic Systems

● Traditional economy - ppl produce most of what they need to survive.

● Market economy - individual answer the economy questions by buying and selling goods & services

● Command economy - gov't controls what goods are produced, how they are produced & what they cost

● Mixed economy - individuals make some decisions and gov't makes others