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Human Geography 4
Human Geography (Gt-Ss2) (GEO 106)
Colorado Mountain College
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Migration within a region of a country
In LDC’s, the migration trend recently has been ruralurban. In MDC’s, the migration trend has been urbansuburban
Counterurbanization- net migration from urban to rural areas. This has been a trend in MDC’s, as improved technologies enable people to live farther from their places of employment and still enjoy all the amenities the city offers. However, in the U., counterurbanization has stopped because of poor economic conditions in the rural. Once again, the trend is from non- metropolitan to metropolitan areas, only now it is characterized by a move into the suburbs rather than the inner city.
Ch. 4 Folk and Pop Culture
Key Issue 1: Where do folk and pop cultures originate and diffuse?
Habit- a repetitive act that a particular individual performs. Custom- a repetitive act that a particular group performs. Folk culture- the culture traditionally practiced primarily by small, homogenous groups living in isolated rural areas. Popular culture- the culture found in large, heterogeneous societies that share certain habits despite differences in other personal characteristics.
A social custom originates at a hearth, a center of innovation. Folk customs tend to have anonymous sources, from unknown dates, through multiple hearths, whereas pop culture generally has a known originator, normally from MDC’s, and results from more leisure time and more capital. EX: Folk music tells stories or conveys information about daily activities. Pop music is written by specific individuals for the purpose of being sold to a large number of people.
Diffusion of folk and pop culture differs: Folk customs tend to diffuse slowly and then, primarily through physical relocation of individuals. Pop customs tend to diffuse rapidly and primarily through hierarchical diffusion from the nodes. (Certain fads can diffuse contagiously)
Key Issue 2: Why is folk culture clustered?
ISOLATION promotes cultural diversity as a group’s unique customs develop over several centuries. Therefore, folk culture varies widely from place to place at one time. Since most folk culture deals in some way with the lives and habits of its people, the physical environment in which the people act has a tremendous impact on the culture.
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People living in folk culture are likely to be farmers growing their own food, using hand tools and/or animal power. Local food preferences are a large part of the folk customs of that region. Religious, social, or economic factors often determine the type and amount of food consumed in a given region.
Taboo- a restriction on behavior imposed by social custom. Ex: little to no pork is consumed in predominantly Muslim countries.
Housing preference is another major contributor to folk culture. Local traditions, as well as environmental factors determine the type of house that is built in a region.
Key Issue 3: Why is popular culture widely distributed?
Pop culture, compared to folk, varies widely from time to time in a given place. This is due to its widespread and rapid diffusion, and the relative wealth of the people to acquire the materials associated with pop culture. Pop culture flourishes where people have sufficient income to acquire the tangible elements of the culture and the leisure time to make use of them.
Housing in the US, from the 1940’s on, has been less dependent on what type of house is appropriate for what site or region, but more on what the dominant trend is in the architectural field at the time of construction.
The most prominent example of pop culture in the realm of clothing is the mighty blue jeans. They have become a symbol of youth and “westernization” throughout the world. Many people in foreign countries are willing to depart with a week’s earnings just for a pair of Levi jeans.
Food preferences in pop culture depend on high income and national advertising. The spatial distribution of many food or beverage trends are difficult to explain. However, the dist. of wine shows the environmental impact. Wine is generally consumed in areas where the vineyards grow best, and where people can afford to drink it. Religious taboos often are responsible for certain areas’ preference or dislike of specific foods, much as in folk custom. Ex: Wine is rarely consumed outside Christian dominate countries.
TELEVISION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MECHANISM FOR THE RAPID DIFFUSION OF POP CULTURE. It is also the most popular leisure activity in MDC’s throughout the world. There are four levels of television service:
- Near universal ownership. US, Japan, Europe, etc.
- Ownership common, but not universal. Latin American countries, etc.
- Ownership exists, but is not widely diffused. Some African and Asian countries,
- Very few televisions. Sub-Saharan Africa, some regions of Mid East.
Diffusion of the Internet is following roughly the same pattern as TV did at the start, which is the U. has a disproportionately large share of the Internet hosts
Human Geography 4
Course: Human Geography (Gt-Ss2) (GEO 106)
University: Colorado Mountain College
