Human Geography

The study of how human activity affects the development of the earth

Define Culture…

Includes history, traditions, food, language, music, clothing, housing (architecture), education, religion, transportation, entertainment, art, technology….. = culture identity

Why should we study culture?Why should we study other cultures?

Why should we study our culture?

Cultural Traits- components of overall culture (many traits go into overall culture)

• Clothing• Language, religion • Technology, science • Art, music, etc.• Social norms, roles• Morals, values• Housing, food• Government

Links in Cultural Traits• Many traits are linked together and affect

each other

Religion Clothes Food Values

Links in Cultural Traits • Ethnic Group Food Religion Values

Cultural Changes• Acculturation – when an individual or group

adopt some of the traits of another culture• Immigrants adopting all of main cultures traits =

assimilation

Changing Cultures• Innovation – new ideas that a culture accept • Diffusion – when an idea or innovation

spreads from one person or group to another and is adopted

• Cultural Region – an area in which people have many shared cultural traits

• Ethnic Group - a human population that shares a common culture or ancestry

Globalization • Connections around

the world increase and cultures become more alike - often increased by technology…..

Traditionalism • Following longtime practices and

opposing modern technologies and ideas • Fundamentalism

One Village

• The world is a village of 100 people. Your task is to give numerical estimates to the following questions. (Remember that you are using 100 for each question)

Compare your answersIf the world’s population of approximately five billion was reduced to a village of 100 people this would be the result

Population 59 would be Asian 13 would be African 9 would be European 8 would be Latin American/ Caribbean 5 would be North American 5 would be from the Soviet Union 1 would be from Oceania (Australian, etc)

Language 17 people would speak Mandarin 9 people would speak English 8 people would speak Hindi or Urdu 6 people would speak Spanish 4 people would speak Arabic The rest would speak Bengali, Portuguese, Indonesian, Japanese, German, French and 200 other languages

Religion 29 would be Christian 17 would have no religion 14 would be Muslim 13 would be Hindu 12 would be Buddhist 9 would be Confucian and Shinto 5 would be Animist 1 would be Jewish

Education 70 would be literate 1 would have a college education

Health 50 would be malnourished 33 would not have clean, safe drinking water

Questions

• “What are our perceptions of the global population?"

• "What do our perceptions reflect about our culture and our awareness of others?"

• What does "ethnocentric” mean?• "Were they or were they not ethnocentric?" and

"Why is it important to be aware of other people in the world?"

• How does geography enable us to understand other people?"

Difficulty in studying culture

• Ethnocentrism – favoring or looking positively upon one’s own culture, usually while looking down upon others; making false assumptions about others’ ways (or the world) based on our own limited experience

• This creates problems:– Offending others, generating ill feelings – Prevents us from resolving [international] conflicts– May cause racism, colonialism, genocide

Ethnocentrism

• How to avoid ethnocentrism– Remember that we do not know much about much– Take the attitude of a learner– Ask questions when researching other cultures:

• What is the meaning of their custom (how they feel about it)

• What is the function of their custom (how does it help them adapt?)

• http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-june-23-2009/jason-jones--behind-the-veil---ayatollah-you-so