Folk and popular culture

Folk and popular cultureCHAPTER 4 Unit IVCultural differencesWhy do cultural differences exist across the world?

How are social customs related to our landscape?

How is the world becoming more familiar w/ our customs?cultureCulture involves 3 things:ValuesArtifactsPolitical institutions Our focus, look at material culture that has survived:Food, clothing, types of shelter Leisure activities, arts and recreation Habit: repetitive act that an ind. performs Custom: repetitive act a group performs

cultureMaterial culture, the collection of social customs:Folk culture: traditionally practiced by small, homogeneous groups living in isolated rural areas Popular culture: large, heterogeneous societies that share certain habits despite differences in other personal characteristicsWhere folk/pop culture are locatedHow material culture and is related to physical enviroWhere do folk and pop. Culture originate? Originate at the hearth (center for innovation) Unknown source, date, or originators Possibly multiple hearths, originating independentlyPop culture usually develops in MDCsWhy? Origins of folk & pop musicFOLK MUSICPossibly multiple hearths Songs about daily life; farming, life cycle, physical events

POP MUSICWritten for specific ppl and saleStarted w/ Vaudeville (1900) Made in NYCTin Pan AlleyWWII/Armed Forces Radio

Diffusion of folk & pop culturePop culture: rapidly, hierarchical diffusion via modern comm.Folk culture: small scale, through migration AMISH: RELOCATION DIFFUSION OF FOLK CULTUREOriginally from Bern, Switzerland Religious freedom & cheap land (U.S.)Slow diffusion through interregional migration

Diffusion of folk & pop cultureSPORTS: HIERARCHICAL DIFFUSION OF POP CULTURE Folk Culture Origin of Soccer England 11th Cent. Kicking a Danes headinflated cow bladder Village vs. village Mob scene Banned late 12th Cent, legal again 17th Cent

Diffusion of folk & pop cultureSPORTS: HIERARCHICAL DIFFUSION OF POP CULTURE Globalization of SoccerBegins in 1800s when British clubs formed organizations Organize leagues and establish standard rulesFootball Association assoc soccer Diffused through contact with BritsDutch students, Spanish miners, Moscow Dynamo Why is folk culture clustered?Folk customs develop through cent. of isolation HIMALAYAN ARTLooking at 4 religious groups in the Himalayas Tibetan Buddhists: N region, painted divine figures Monks/Sts, harsh conditionsHindus: S region, every day life, regions extreme climate Muslims: W region, plants/flowers, didnt paint harsh cond.Animist: SE region, symbols/designs deriving from religion

Physical enviro influencesEnviro. Determinism rejectedSimilar enviro, adopt diff. social customsDiff. enviro, similar social customsProvision of food, clothing and shelter, heavily influencedFolk societies are responsive to environmentwhy?Low level of tech.Food & Shelter influence cultural values & enviro on develop of unique folk cultureDistinctive food preferencesENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCEWe consider climate, soil, vegetation b4 producing foodPpl adapt food preferences to enviro conditionsSoy BeansQuick-frying foods in S EuropeStewing/Roasting in N Europe Terroir: contribution of a locations distinctive physical features to the way food tastes (grounded)Distinctive food preferencesFOOD DIVERSITY IN TRANSYLVANIA Dif. groups migrate to Transylvania, & its all about the soupSoup is poor peoples food but shows traditionRomanians: cracked wheat, corn, brown bread, sour branSaxons: simmered fatty pork, sauerkraut/vinegar, fruitsJews: beets and sorrel (no meat)Armenians: churut and ground vegetables Hungarians: smoked bacon, thickened w/ flour and onionSzeklers: similar to Jews, used poultry for pork substitute Distinctive food preferencesFOOD ATTRACTIONS & TABOOS We consume food based on perceived benefits Strength, fierceness, lovemaking ability Abipone Indians of Paraguay & Mandrake plant Taboo: restriction on behavior imposed by social customsMbum Kpau: no chicken/goat, twisted horned antelopeJews: no pig, fish lacking scales/fins

Hog Production & Food CulturesFolk housingThe house is a good reflection of cultural heritage, current fashion, functional needs, and the impact of the environmentUsually build with what is readily available; wood, brick, sodSacred doors, walls, furniture arrangement (Laos and Thai)

Some ppl share similar materials and climates but ignore practicality (Windows for heat)

Home Locations in Southeast Asiau.s. folk house forms 3 major hearths for U.S. homes: New England, Mid Atlantic, and Lower ChesapeakeNE: North, North West (Great Lakes) Mid Atlantic: Ohio Valley and Appalachia Chesapeake: Southward-Atlantic coast

u.s. folk house forms Housing styles from NE migrated w/ ppl westward New England, Mid Atlantic, and Lower Chesapeake

Diffusion of pop housing HOUSING STYLESHousing since the 40s shows pop customs in time than placeAfter WWII two housing types came about:Modern House Styles (1945-1960)Minimal traditional, ranch, split level Neo-Eclectic House Styles (since 1960)Neo-Tudor, neo-French, neo-Colonial, mansard

U.S. House Types, 1945-1990Fig. 4-11: Several variations of the modern style were dominant from the 1940s into the 1970s. Since then, neo-eclectic styles have become the dominant type of house construction in the U.S.

U.S. House Types by RegionFig. 4-1.1: Small towns in different regions of the eastern U.S. have different combinations of five main house types.

25Rapid diffusion of clothesDesigner clothes spread more rapidly in MDCsJeansSymbol of youth, starts in western world Low status manual laborers designer jeans Button fly vs zipper fly Denim destroys communism Popular food customs ALCOHOL AND FRESH PRODUCEBoth ^ depend on the region of the U.S.Based on what is produced, grown or imported locally Bourbon, Whiskey, and Rum?Pork rinds, Potato Chips, and Popcorn?Also based on cultural background Baptists and Mormons dont consume barrels of alcohol Therefore those regions consumption rate falls Cant expl. all regional variations in food preferences Alcohol Preferences in the U.S.Fig. 4-12: Per capita consumption of Canadian whiskey (left) and tequila (right) show different source areas and histories of diffusion.

Per Capita Consumption of Canadian Whiskey

Per Capita Consumption of Tequila

Popular food customs WINE PRODUCTIONEnviro plays a role in the dist. of pop as well as folk food cust.Cold, rainy winters & long, hot summers Hillsides and to be near lakes or rivers are desirable Different soil composition creates dif. tasting wines Bordeaux: sandy/gravelly, Champagne: chalky Also grown based on cultural valuesWine Production per yearFig. 4-13: The distribution of wine production shows the joint impact of the physical environment and social customs.

Diffusion of TV1954 - 2003

Most pop. Leisure activity in MDCsTV diffuses knowledge of pop culture the most rapidly across EGovt control of TVDif. In US TV and RoW TV Distribution, 1954

TV Distribution, 1970

TV Distribution, 2003

Distribution of Internet Users, 1995 - 2003Fig. 4-15: Internet users per 1000 population. Diffusion of internet service is following the pattern of TV diffusion in the 20th century, but at a much faster rate.

Internet Users, 1995 per 1000 population

Internet Users, 2000 per 1000 population

Internet Users, 2004 per 1000 population

Threat to folk culture Rising income can lead to consuming more pop. CultureWestern perspectives dominate Loss of traditional valuesAfrican & Asian cultures: clothingChanging role for womenPositives: working towards equality Negatives: prostitution Threat of Foreign Media Imperialism LDCs consider pop customs of MDCs a threatU.S., U.K., and Japan dominate the TV market U.S. TV: upward mobility, =women, glorification of youth, and violenceLDCs want family values and avoid political, economic and culture controversy Associated Press (AP) and Reuters domination of newsCriticized for non-accurate and unbalanced news reportsEnviro impact of pop cultureMODIFYING NATUREImposed on enivro rather than springing from itDist. of pop culture produces a uniform landscapeNature modified to enhance sales or leisure act. Diffusion of GolfFast food: product recognition

Golf Courses in Metropolitan AreasFig. 4-16: The 50 best-served and worst-served metropolitan areas in terms of golf holes per capita, and areas that are above and below average.

McDonalds in Beijing, China

Negative environmental impactDiffusion of pop customs has 2 negative enviro impacts:Depletion of scarce natural resourcesPollution of the landscapeProduct demand strains the environments resourcesAnimal consumption HIGH levels of waste: solids, liquids, gases Throw away societyAsk yourselfWhere do folk and popular cultures originate and diffuse?

Why is folk culture clustered?

Why is popular culture widely distributed?

Why does globalization of popular culture cause problems?