UNIT 3: CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY

Diff

usion of Culture

Session

2

LEARNIN

G TARG

ETS• Define Cultural

Convergence• Compare Acculturation

and Assimilation• Define Transculturation• Compare diffusion of Pop

and Folk Culture• Define Cultural Syncretism• Define Cultural

Imperialism• Define Cultural

Homogeneity• Discuss the threat of Pop

Culture on Folk Culture SESSION 2

Diffusion of Culture

Activity: How Assimilated Are You?

• Think about your cultural background…• Do you still partake in any forms of folk culture?• What customs and artifacts do you still adhere to?• Do you think you will continue the tradition?• Is the tradition strong enough to continue in future

generations?

Acculturation & Assim

ilation

Session

2

• Cultural Convergence: When two or more cultures come into contact with one another and share traits becoming more alike…opposite is Cultural Divergence.• Acculturation: cultural change that results when one group

adopts traits of dominant society…• Language and Slang• “Anglicize” name…Juan to John, Pierre to Peter• Dress, customs (holidays), entertainment, education and career• Intermarriage

• Assimilation: process where minority population decreases or loses all together its identifying culture and blends into society• Must be 2 way street – majority of population recognizes them as members• Often measured by intermarriage and employment opportunity

• Transculturation: occurs when two cultures of just about equal power or influence meet and exchange ideas or traits without the domination found in either acculturation or assimilation

Acculturation & Assim

ilation

Session

2

POPULAR CULTURE- Mass, uniform, and blended cultural traits easily

diffused through technology by a dominant culture

Popular Culture

Session

2

Acculturation & Assim

ilation

Session

2

• Folk Culture transmitted from one location to another slowly, often by relocation diffusion and without technology (based on traditions)• Once folk culture has relocated its adherents begin to acculturate

and assimilate based on the strength of the surrounding culture• In the U.S. in the 19th century there were more German

immigrants than Dutch immigrants, so the Germans were slower to assimilate than the Dutch.

• Pop Culture is mass culture that diffuses both expansively and hierarchically – starts in large cities and spreads rapidly around globe …driven by technology and the growing interconnectedness of the globe.• Example: McDonalds, KFC, and Subway all have over 10,000

international franchises

• Popular Culture can sometimes lead to maladaptive diffusion or the adoption of a diffusing trait that is impractical for a region or culture• McDonalds should not exist in India, Levis should not be worn in

tropical areas, etc.

Diff

usion Patterns of Culture

Session

2

Diff

usion Patterns of Culture

Session

2

Check for Understanding: Student Discussion

What is cultural convergence? What is cultural divergence?

What is the difference between acculturation and assimilation? What is transculturation?

How do folk and pop culture differ in the way they diffuse? What is maladaptive diffusion?

• Popular culture also has the capability of altering, replacing and even destroying folk culture…

• Cultural Syncretism/Synthesis: New cultural traits emerge as a hybrid blend of two distinct parent traits (i.e. the exchange is never 100% one way…always a mixture)• Example: The Christmas Tree…Pagan and Christian elements

combined

• Cultural Imperialism: One culture is dominant over another (i.e. imperialism/colonialism)• Mother country usually dominated indigenous people; taught their

language, their religion, their customs• Cultural nationalism is the term for resistance against cultural

imperialism.

• Cultural Homogeneity: Cultural sameness that is caused by increased access to popular culture through the internet, transportation and communication capabilities. Sessi

on

2

Power of Popular Culture

• Is Pop Culture a threat to Folk Culture? • Leads to uniformity…all looks the same

• Does Pop Culture lead to dominance of Western values and make people reject traditional values?• Western dress, food, music, media values can be seen and heard

throughout the globe• Western view of gender equality threatens some culture’s view of

women’s subservience to men (ex: Taliban – women behaving like westerners were shot or beaten – walked alone, wore makeup, being educated, etc.)

• Western glorification of sex has led to sex tours, sex slavery, internal prostitution (men from MDCs go to Philippines, Thailand, S. Korea)

• American TV presents our values – freedom of women, violence, sex, glorification of youth, upward social mobility…not all societies agree w/ this• News media dominated by Associated Press and Reuters out of U.S. and

GB

• Does Pop Culture promote a wasteful life style that is bad for the environment?• Pop Culture generates higher volumes of waste/pollution

Threat of Popular Culture

Session

2

Discussion: Can Pop Culture be Beneficial?

• Can cultural homogeneity and the further expansion of pop culture be beneficial? In what ways?

• Discuss with the people around you and then we will reconvene and discuss as a class

Benefits of Pop Culture

Session

2

NEXT CLASS

SESSION 3Language & Dialects