Culture

What is culture?

• The system of government in a country

• A way of life shared by a group of people

• Only the religion of a specific community

• Only the art and music a group produces

Which of the following could be a part of American culture?

• Singing the national anthem at events

• Voting in presidential elections

• Celebrating the 4th of July

• All of the above

Which of these is the best example of culture influencing a person's diet?

• Alicia is allergic to dairy, so she doesn't drink milk.

• Jimmy likes hot dogs, but Andres prefers hamburgers.

• Smitty loves New Orleans jambalaya, with shrimp, sausage and okra.

• Carolina has invented a new recipe for chocolate cake that uses sweet potatoes.

Which of these people most likely share a culture?

• Two people with brown hair

• Two members of the same church

• Two people who love the color orange

• Two people who don't have any siblings

Which of these best describes an economic element of culture?

• In Colorado, many people hike in the beautiful Rocky Mountains.

• In medieval England, only a few people had money and power, and most other people did not.

• In Canada, one-dollar coins are called "loonies" because they have a picture of a loon on them.

• In Ancient China, Confucianism was a philosophy that taught that you should value family over material things.

How is culture spread?

• Only through cultural diffusion

• Only through books and movies

• Through the arts, migration and from one generation to the next

• Only by older generations passing on traditions to younger generations

Cultural diffusion refers to a group

• Forcing others to conform to their culture

• Not letting other cultures influence theirs

• Spreading its culture to other groups

• Migrating to a new place

Which of these is an example of cultural diffusion?

• In New Zealand, explorers in the 19th century brought their system of money to the indigenous Maori tribes.

• Zimbabweans have been playing small handheld instruments called mbiras or thumb pianos for over 1000 years.

• Some tribes of indigenous people live in the Amazon rainforest and have never met anyone from another culture.

• A tea called mate is very popular in Argentina, and there are special rules about how you should drink mate with a group of people.

Barbecue is an important part of the cuisine of the American South, and people from the Carolinas to Texas debate the best recipe for barbecue sauce. This is an example of

• Family culture

• National culture

• Religious culture

• Regional culture

Which element of culture is best seen through the politics and laws of a community?

• Government

• Language

• Religion

• Arts