Unit 3: Human Geography - Culture

Unit 3:
Human Geography

Lesson 1 - Culture

Key Terms and Places

culture: set of beliefs, values, and practices a group of people have in common culture trait: activity or behavior in which people often take part
culture region: area in which people have many shared culture traits
ethnic group: group of people who share a common culture and ancestry multicultural society: society that includes a variety of cultures in the same area
cultural diffusion: spread of culture traits from one region to another

What is Culture?

Culture is the set of beliefs, values, and practices a group of people have in common. Everything in day-to-day life is part of culture, including language, religion, clothes, music, and foods.

People everywhere share certain basic cultural features, such as forming a government, educating children, and creating art or music. However, people practice these things in different ways, making each culture unique.

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What is an example of culture?

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Culture traits are activities or behaviors in which people often take part, such as language and popular sports. People share some culture traits but not others. For example, people eat using forks, chopsticks, or their fingers in different areas.

Cultures are often passed from one generation to the next. They may be based on family traditions, like holiday customs, or laws and moral codes passed down within a society. Other factors that influence how cultures develop include immigrants moving to a new country, historical events, and the environment where people live and work.

Multiple Select

What are three factors that influence how a culture develops?

• immigrants moving to a new country

• historical events

• the environment where people work and live

• watching how other people do things

Cultural Groups

There are thousands of different cultures in the world. People who share a culture are part of a culture group that may be based on things like age or religion.

A culture region is an area in which people have many shared culture traits such as language, religion, or lifestyle. A cultural region can extend over many countries. For example, most people in North Africa and Southeast Asia share the Arabic language and Muslim religion. Some countries, like Japan, may be a single culture region. Other countries may have several different culture regions.

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Which country is also a single cultural region?

Cultural Groups

Often, cultural regions within a country are based on ethnic groups. An ethnic group is a group of people who often share cultural traits like language, foods, or religion. Sometimes, though, people who have the same religion are still in different ethnic groups, and different ethnic groups can have different religious beliefs.

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Changes in

Changes in Culture:

Cultures change constantly, sometimes quickly and sometimes over years. Two main causes of change are new ideas or contact with other societies. New technology like motion pictures and the Internet have changed how people spend their time and how they communicate.

Contact with another culture may cause both to change. For example, both Spanish and Native American cultures changed when the Spanish arrived in the Americas.

Multiple Select

Choose two ways that cultures might change?

• new ideas

• contact with other societies

• moving to a new city

• learning a new language

Changes in Culture

Cultural diffusion is the spread of culture traits from one part of the world to another. It occurs when people bring their culture to another country. This happens when people immigrate or when people trade goods in different regions. People also move to other countries to escape conflicts and wars.

Multiple Select

What are three ways cultural diffusion occurs?

• people bring their culture to a new country

• watching television or listening to music

• people immigrating

• people trade goods in different regions

What do all cultures have in common?

All people have the same basic needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter. Geographers believe that all societies have developed cultural universals—specific features that meet basic needs. Three important cultural universals are social institutions, creative expressions, and technology.

Basic Social Institutions

Social institutions are organized patterns of belief and behavior that focus on meeting the needs of the society’s members. The most basic social institutions are family, education, religion, government, and economy. These institutions are shaped by a group’s cultural values and principles, which vary from culture to culture.
Family is the most basic social institution. The family cares for the children and provides support. They also teach the culture’s values and traditions, often through elders. Family members may live together under one roof or be part of a whole village. Societies also pass on values and knowledge through education. For example, U.S. schools teach students how to be good citizens.

Multiple Choice

What is the most basic social institution?

• religion

• food

• family

• art

Basic Social Institutions

Although there are many religions, they all help explain the meanings of life and death and the difference between good and bad behavior. Religions’ practices and traditions make them the source of many cultures’ beliefs and attitudes. In all world regions, religion has inspired great works of devotion, including art and architecture.
Government is a system of leaders and laws that help people live together in their community or country. It defines standards, protects property and people’s rights, and helps settle conflicts. A society’s economy is its system of using resources to meet needs. Economic principles guide the way a nation does business.

Multiple Select

Choose two. What do all religions have in common?

• help explain the meaning of life and death

• commandments

• what you are allowed to wear

• the difference between good and bad behavior

Creative Expressions

Societies, like individuals, express themselves creatively. There are three main types of creative expression. Performing arts include music, theater, and dance. Visual arts include painting, sculpture, and architecture. Literary arts are related in words and language such as literature and folklore.

Multiple Select

Choose 3. What are three main types of creative expressions?

• Pottery Art

• Performing Arts

• Visual Arts

• Literary Arts

Creative Expressions

Creative expressions reflect a specific heritage, or wealth of cultural elements that have been passed down through generations. Creative expressions also express individual choices, as well as universal themes. A universal theme is a message about life that is true throughout time and in all places. This is true of art masterpieces that continue to speak to people everywhere.

Science and Technology

Technology is the use of knowledge, tools, and skills to solve problems. Science is a way of understanding the world through observation and the testing of ideas. Technology is often developed to solve problems posed by the environment we live in. Its use is influenced by factors such as politics, economics, and belief systems. For example, some countries restrict Internet use. Advances in science and technology have made life easier and have changed society. Vaccines have prevented diseases. Electricity and computers have transformed daily life and work for most of the world’s people.

Open Ended

What is one example of technology that has changed lives?

Poll

How much have you learned about Culture today?

• Nothing

• A little

• I understand culture better

• I am a culture expert