ICEBREAKER: A crop is grown in the fields, where it is harvested and put into 100- pound bags. These bags are sold by the farmer for anywhere between $70-$100. The product is then brought into another country, often using middlemen, where it is processed, refined, and sometimes mixed with other substances before being sold on the street. The final market value of the original bag can now be as high as seven to ten thousand dollars Question: What crop is being discussed in the above paragraph? Answer: COFFEE!!!! Discussion #1: Why did the majority of you not even consider coffee as an answer? Discussion #2: Why do we consider coffee (a drug in some cultures) normal?
Chapter 4: Folk and Popular Culture
Chapter 4: Key Issues 1.) Where do folk and popular cultures originate and diffuse? 2.) Why is folk culture clustered? 3.) Why is popular culture widely distributed? 4.) Why does globalization of popular culture cause problems?
What is Culture????? Combines 3 Things: Values Material/Leisure Artifacts Political Institutions Ch. 4 looks at Material Artifacts of Culture (food, clothing, shelter, arts, and recreation) Habit repetitive act that a particular individual performs Custom repetitive act of a group, performed to the extent that is becomes a characteristic of a society Material Culture According to Scale Folk Culture (small, isolated, rural, homogeneous regions) Popular Culture (large, populated, heterogeneous regions)
KEY ISSUE #1: Where do Folk and Popular Cultures Originate and Diffuse?
Folk vs. Popular Culture POPULAR CULTURE: - More widely distributed - Globalization causing diffusion - Product of MDCs - Industrial technology increases production of objects and increases leisure time FOLK CULTURE: - Limited contact with outsiders = limited diffusion - Unknown hearths - Culture focused on environment - Product of LDCs
QUESTIONS: HEARTH a.) How would you describe the concentration of Amish settlements in the U.S.? b.) How did Amish culture diffuse into the U.S.? c.) Does popular culture diffuse the same way as folk culture? d.) Explanations for the difference.? Amish settlements distributed throughout U.S.
QUESTIONS: a.) How did the game of futbol (aka. soccer) diffuse around the globe? b.) Can folk culture diffuse the same way as popular culture? Why or why not. c.) Can popular culture diffuse the same way as folk culture? Why or why not. d.) Why would folk culture feel threatened by popular culture? Futbol fans at the 2006 World Cup
KEY ISSUE #2: Why is Folk Culture Clustered?
Clustering of Folk Culture Isolation Promotes Cultural Diversity Himalayan Art Example Influences of Physical Environment Distinctive Folk Food Preferences Distinctive Folk Housing Preferences
Environmental isolation can limit interaction amongst groups thus producing distinctive customs What geographical feature is limiting interaction in the map above? Groups artistic customs reveal religious and individual views of the environment and world obuddhist Divine figures in bizarre or terrifying scenes oislamic Beautiful nature scenes in artwork ohindu Art focused on everyday life, showing violent/extreme climate conditions oanimist Focus purely on religion
Influence of Physical Environment on Folk Culture Folk societies responsive to environment due to low levels of technology Necessities (food & shelter) demonstrate influence of environment on folk culture Isolation leads inhabitants to adapt food preferences to their environment how does this differ from us? EXAMPLES: Scandinavia; stew; abundant wood supply Asia; rice; mild and moist climates However, physical environment is not only factor in determining folk culture.especially food
TABOOS Taboo a restriction on behavior imposed by social customs (strong in folk culture) Food Examples: - Some remote Japanese inhabitants refuse to eat otters, believing they cause memory loss (health) - Hindus refuse to eat cows, since they are responsible for plowing field during limited timeframe (environmental) - Jews do not eat pork, due to historical/religious tradition (religious) - Americans avoid eating insects, despite enormous nutritional benefits (cultural) Sex/Pregnancy Examples: - Mbum Kpau clan (Chad) does not allow pregnant women to eat meat, believing it prevents complications during childbirth - Some Papua New Guinea inhabitants allow premarital sex, but forbid couples to eat together before marriage Cows roam free in India, who are viewed as a work animal, not a source of food
Annual hog production influenced heavily by religious taboos against consuming pork. For example, Muslims avoid pork because they compete against humans for food and water in dry climates, plus they do not pull a plow, provide milk and wool, or provide any other benefits.
Folk Housing Building materials influenced by resources available in environment However, beliefs, religious values, and local traditions can also influence folk housing Above Left Lao people consider feet low and vulgar, thus people sleep so their heads will be opposite their neighbors head. Yet, child of household sleep with head opposite parents feet, to show cultural hierarchy Above Right Yuan and Shan of Thailand sleep with heads facing east (holy Buddhist direction)
18 th -19 th American Folk Housing