What is Culture?

By:Ms.

Costa

A Way of Life:

• Culture is the set of beliefs, values, and practices that a group of people has in common.

• Religion• Language • Lifestyle • Government• Education • Child-rearing • Art & music

Cultural Traits: • Activity or behavior

that people take part in of the same culture

• Ex: People worldwide play soccer

• China- chopsticks • US & Europe fork,

spoon• Ethiopia- bread/ fingers

Development of Culture:

• Cultural traits can be passed down from one generation to the next

• Traditions, foods, holiday customs

• Develop as people learn new cultural traits • Ex. Immigrants learn language, eat new food “assimilate”

• History & Environment Shape Culture: • Spanish conquistadors of the 1500s brought language, religion,

and disease to Americas • In African Sahara- people are herders not farmers

Cultural Groups & Regions

Cultural Groups

• People who have similar cultural traits

• Based on age, language, or religion

• Ex. The American teenager

Cultural Regions

• Refers to an area where people have shared cultural traits

• The Arab world – people write and speak Arabic, share foods, music, style & architecture

• Japan: 1 primary culture dominates entire country – everyone speaks same language and follows same practices

What does the image on the left represent? What does it

signify?

What is noticeable absent on the religious site to the right when compared with

Christian churches or cathedrals? What is this deliberate style an example of?

Cultural Diversity • Ethnic groups: a group

of people who share a common culture and ancestry. Also share same cultural traits like religion, language, and food.

• Cultural Diversity: state of having a variety of cultures in the same area (can lead to conflict)

• 1990s Rwanda

• Arab World: Region• Arabs: Ethnicity • Muslim: Religious follower• Islam: Religion

Changes in Culture

• Innovation / Contact with other people (inventions, movies, Internet)– Ex. Spanish conquest of Americas- introduced firearms,

horses and disease- changing native lifestyle- Spanish learn about chocolate and potatoes)

• Cultural Diffusion: Spread of culture traits from 1 region to another – occurs with movement

• European colonization of Americas- French, Spanish, Portuguese and English all spoken

ETHNOCENTRISM & MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES

Definition: Ethnocentrism: a belief in superiority of the social or cultural group that a person belongs to. (Encarta)

Enduring Understandings & Essential Questions

Enduring Understandings:

• How does an ethnocentric view impact cultural perspective?

• How can having an ethnocentric view either help or hinder someone’s view of culture?

• What are some common cultural misinterpretations (of ones own culture and others’ culture?)

• Do these exist in today's global society? If so, what cultures are most heavily misinterpreted?

Essential Questions:

• As an observer of culture, what approach might you take when examining a region’s culture?

• How can we as learners avoid an ethnocentric view when examining other cultures?

• How can we use mutlitple perspectives when studying regional civilization and culture?

My Kabul, Afghanistan -BBC

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeEHOcC0Ruw

• What are your ideas/ preconceived notions on Afghanistan?