Introduction to Cultural Geography

Also known as Human Geography

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Physical v. Cultural Geography

Physical Geography Cultural Geography

Rocks/Minerals Population/Settlements/Urbanization

Landforms Economic and Political Systems

Animal and Plant Life Transportation

Soils Human Migration

Atmosphere/Climate/Weather Social Systems

Environment Recreation

Rivers/Oceans/Other bodies of Water Religion/Belief System

Cultural Geography is the study of the Earth’s human landscape.

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• Definition: Shared patterns of learned behavior that are passed on from generation to generation.

• Components:

• Beliefs, Values, Customs• Languages, Ethnicity, Religion• Institutions (Economic, Political, Educational)• Art, Music, and Technology

CULTURE

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• A field that studies spatial aspects of human cultures.

• Major components focus on:

Cultural Landscapes

Culture Hearths

Cultural Diffusion

Culture Regions

CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY

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Cultural Landscape

• The composite of human imprints on the earth’s surface.

• Carl Sauer’s definition: “the forms superimposed on the physical landscape by the activities of man” “ from Recent Developments in Cultural Geography, 1927

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Culture Hearth

• The source areas from which radiated ideas, innovations, and ideologies that change the world beyond.

• What are some examples?

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Cultural Diffusion• The spreading of a culture element (ex:

technological innovation)

• Can you think of any examples of cultural diffusion, past or present?

Culture Region• Distinct, culturally discrete spatial unit; a region where certain cultural norms prevail.

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Ethnicity

What is ethnicity?

Common racial, national, tribal, religious, linguistic, or cultural origin or background

An Example of Ethnic and Religious Conflict:

The Balkans: Ethnic war between the Croatian Catholics, the Bosnian Muslims, and the Serbian Orthodox.

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Conclusion• Think about your own culture: your belief system,

institutions that you are part of, technology you use everyday.

• Cultures change over time, but the historical aspects are very important for understanding today’s cultures. Culture must be examined from different perspectives.

• Know the terms cultural landscape, cultural hearth, cultural diffusion, and culture region- these terms describe the ways in which cultural geographers view the world.

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Review Components of Culture

Culture

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Political, Economic & Social Factors affect Cultures

• Political: a system of government (dictatorship, communist, etc. may forbid religious practices, prohibit language spoken by indigenous people, forbid type of clothing, impose a specific religion, etc.)

• Economic: (the diffusion of economic practices might go against a people’s value system, or customs and traditions.

• Social Factors: (a region’s value system might contradict a religion’s ideals, a region’s education system may prohibit cultural practices.

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