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Introduction and Key Terms of Cultural
Geography Definition of Cultural Geography Fundamental Concepts
Vermeer’s The Geographer. Holland, 1669
What is CULTURE?What are its elements?
How is it transferred?
How does it affect the landscapes of the world?
What is CULTURE?Culture is learned behavior that is passed
on by imitation, instruction, and example. Culture is almost entirely relative. Proper behavior
and traditions shift from culture to culture. U.S. current problems:
1) little shared culture2) no one is teaching culture
For example: sex education - Home? School?
Note: experiencing another culture is useful for gaining perspective on your own.
Candidate for harshest punishment in history? Banishment in so-called “primitive” cultures.
Geographic Importance of Culture
Geographers study culture because it leaves dramatic imprints on the earth, both physical and cultural. Language: a crystal ball into culture. Religion: strongest determinant of ethics. Nationalism and Borders Material Culture: tools, clothes, toys, etc. Architecture: Suburban garages vs.
earlier porches
Spatial DistributionDefinition: the location and arrangement
of a
phenomenon across space. Includes:Density: the frequency with which
something occurs in a given area.Concentration: the extent to which it is
focused in clusters or, alternately, evenly dispersed across space.
Pattern: a geometric or regular arrangement of the phenomenon across space.
Key Concepts REGION - an area that shares common
characteristics1. Formal - whole area shares essential uniformity across the
space (i.e., City of Glendale)2. Functional – the region is defined by some activity or
function or process (i.e. cell phone coverage, English speaking countries, etc.)
3. Vernacular – common perception of cultural identity (i.e.,“Deep South”)
Functional Regions- defined by a node of activity and distance decay from
center (i.e. cell phone coverage)
Functional Region
What is the function in this example? What acts as the node of functionality?
- defined by a node of activity and distance decay from center (i.e. cell phone coverage)
Spatial Analysis
Geographers search for patterns in the distribution and movement of human activities and environmental processes.
Where do we find hunger?Where did crime occur this week?Where is petroleum produced?
Tobler’s 1st Law of Geography
All things are related. However, all other things being equal, those things that are closest together are more related.
Related Concepts: Distance Decay Friction of Distance
SpaceLatitude and Longitude - a reference
system designed to provide “absolute” location (as opposed to relative locations).
Parallels of Latitude Meridians of Longitude
Glendale College is located at 34 10 03 N 118 13 41 W
Place and Sense of PlaceEvery place is unique. Imagine where
you lived as a child. What made that special? Sensory Architecture Symbolic
Humanistic Geography - values the individual perspective.
Place and Placelessness (Relph, 1978)
The Cultural Landscape
The result of the natural environment and all of the changes to it as a result of a particular culture. (Carl Sauer) Environmental Determinism:
environment is primary determinant of culture.
Possibilism: humans are primary determinant of culture.
Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey
Timber House, Switzerland
Yurt on Mongolian Steppe Suburban Home, Chicago
Geography and Politics
Historically tied to Military Functions: Role in ColonizationRole in ImperialismRole in Cold War
Historically EthnocentricHistorically Patriarchal
Foreign - 4) Situated in an abnormal or improper place. 5) Not natural: alien.
The American Heritage Dictionary
Key Concepts:Core-Periphery
Core (Devoloped Countries )
U.S., Europe, Japan, Australia
Wealthy Powerful Control Media and
Finance Technologically
advanced
Periphery (Less Developed Countries)
Poor Dependent upon Core
countries for: Education Technology Media Military Equipment Financing
All of the possessions of a statistically avearge U.S. family. Photograph by Peter Menzel.
1994 U.S. StatsPopulation: 292 millionPopulation density: 29 people per sq. km.Total fertility rate: 2.0 children per womanPopulation doubling time: 116 yearsPercentage urban/rural: 78% urban, 22% ruralPer capita energy use: 8,148 kg. oil equivalentInfant mortality: 6.7 deaths per 1,000 birthsLife expectancy: 74 (male), 80 (female)Adult illiteracy: 3% (male), 3% (female)Internet users: 165 million
All of the possessions of a statistically average Indian family. Photograph by Peter Menzel.
1994 India StatsPopulation: 1.0 billionPopulation density: 318 people per sq. km.Total fertility rate: 3.0 children per womanPopulation doubling time: 36 yearsPercentage urban/rural: 28% urban, 72% ruralPer capita energy use: 494 kg. oil equivalentInfant mortality: 66 deaths per 1,000 birthsLife expectancy: 62 (male), 64 (female)Adult illiteracy: 32% (male), 55% (female)Internet users: 7 million
All of the possessions of a statistically average Japanese family. Photograph by Peter Menzel.
1994 Japan StatsPopulation: 128 millionPopulation density: 336 people per sq. km.Total fertility rate: 1.3 children per womanPopulation doubling time: 289 yearsPercentage urban/rural: 79% urban, 21% ruralPer capita energy use: 4,316 kg. oil equivalentInfant mortality: 3 deaths per 1,000 birthsLife expectancy: 78 (male), 85 (female)Adult illiteracy: 1% (male), 1% (female)Internet users: 56 million
All of the possessions of a statistically average Malian family. Photograph by Peter Menzel.
1994 Mali StatsPopulation: 12 millionPopulation density: 9.1 people per sq. km.Total fertility rate: 7.0 children per womanPopulation doubling time: 23 yearsPercentage urban/rural: 26% urban, 64% ruralPer capita energy use: 22 kg. oil equivalentInfant mortality: 118.7 deaths per 1,000 birthsLife expectancy: 48 (male), 49 (female)Adult illiteracy: 64% (male), 84% (female)Internet users: 30,000
GlobalizationThe increasing
interconnectedness of different parts of the world through common processes of economic, political, and cultural change. The economic, cultural, and environmental effects of globalization are highly contested.
Panama, 1997