Folk and Popular Culture

Evaluate the reasons why people in folk and popular cultures embrace or reject certain foods. Which example best supports the hypothesis that cultural factors explain food preferences?

• wine production is discouraged in regions of the world dominated by religions other than Christianity

• food taboos against eating pork in the Arabian Peninsula and Eastern Mediterranean or beef in India

• southerners in the United States often prefer pork rinds whereas northerners often prefer popcorn and potato chips

• high rates of wine production in the Mediterranean

• traditional preferences for quick fried foods in Italy and slow stewing in Northern Europe

Which of the following statements about the origin of folk and popular culture is correct?

• Folk culture and popular culture originate the same way, that is, at a known date and location and by known people.

• Folk culture often has anonymous hearths, originating from anonymous sources, at unknown dates, through unidentified originators.

• Popular music originated in an unknown hearth and at an unknown time period.

• Elements of folk culture, such as music, food, and clothing, arise from a combination of advances in industrial technology and increased leisure time.

• Folk culture is most often a product of developed countries.

Choose the statement which best represents how folk culture diffuses in comparison to popular culture.

• Folk music diffused to Europe and Asia from the western hemisphere in the 1980s. Popular music diffused shortly thereafter.

• In contrast to folk culture, popular culture typically follows the process of hierarchical diffusion.

• Folk culture typically diffuses on a larger scale than popular culture.

• The spread of popular culture, such as popular music, typically follows the process of relocation diffusion.

• Folk culture is transmitted from one location to another more quickly than popular culture.

How did soccer (football) transform into an element of global popular culture from its origin as a folk custom?

• Spanish miners invented the sport to play during breaks, and it subsequently diffused throughout Latin America

• Danish students originally played a game called “Kick the Dane’s Head” and brought it to England in the late 1870s, where it became popular

• it was legalized in 1603 by King James I

• the industrial revolution provided workers with leisure time for organized recreation as well as rising incomes to devote to sports and other activities

• beginning in the twentieth century, the British exported soccer around the world as a result of colonization

In contrast to folk culture, clothing in popular culture is differentiated by __________.

• income and the environment

• the desire to attract tourists

• climatic conditions

• income and occupation

• cultural factors such as religious beliefs

Which of the following examples illustrates the impact of the environment on housing preferences?

• having sacred walls or corners within a house

• avoiding building staircases that face west, the direction of death and evil spirits

• sleeping with your head toward your parents’ feet as a sign of respect

• positioning the door of a house to the northwest, which is considered to be the most important direction

• constructing a pitched roof to facilitate the runoff of snow

Which of the following statements most accurately reflects the electronic diffusion of popular culture?

• As the Internet diffused between 1995 and 2011, the percentage share of the United States increased rapidly.

• The diffusion of the Internet mirrors the diffusion of television, only at a faster pace.

• As Facebook has diffused around the world, the share of users in the United States has increased.

• The United States is the hearth of television.

• Whereas Twitter has diffused widely around the world, the majority of Facebook users in 2011 were in China.

Which of the following is a reason why electronic media poses an external threat to folk culture?

• three developed countries dominate the television industry in developing countries: Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States

• governments are unable or unwilling to limit access to social, political, or security content, as well as tools such as email or search engines

• it is easy to block individual social media—even more so than with satellite and internet communications

• African and Asian governments see American news organizations as presenting a more balanced, accurate view of their countries than they would care for their citizens to see

• satellite dishes force people to choose only from programs produced by the local government-controlled station

Which of the following statements is an example where popular culture can cause environmental damage by depleting natural resources?

• Golf courses are designed to recreate environments in Scotland.

• Structures such as gas stations, supermarkets, and motels impose uniformity on the landscape.

• Popular music often replaces folk music when it diffuses to a new area.

• Traditional farming practices lead to soil erosion.

• Fast-food chain restaurants replace locally-owned eateries.

If one Amish town started a new clothing trend that required women to wear a logo on their aprons, how might that trend diffuse to other Amish towns

• Hierarchal Diffusion

• Contagious Diffusion

• Relocation Diffusion

• Stimulus Diffusion

• Expansion Diffusion