Folk and Popular Culture

from Contemporary human geography 2nd edition rubenstein solutions manua download

Learning Outcomes

How are folk and popular culture distributed?

4.1.1: Identify the two aspects of the location of material traits that geographers focus on.

4.1.2: Identify and describe the two facets of material culture that relate to the geographical examination of folk and popular culture.

4.1.3: Compare and contrast the characteristics of folk and popular culture.

4.2.1: Contrast the differences between folk music and popular music.

4.2.2: Describe how the differences between folk and popular music reflect the differences between folk and popular culture.

4.3.1: Describe how soccer became a good example of popular culture despite originating as folk culture.

4.3.2: Identify examples of sports that are preferred by specific cultural groups and explain why some sports diffuse widely while others do not.

How are needs of daily life met in folk and popular culture?

4.4.1: Illustrate the key difference between how folk and popular culture vary using housing styles as an example.

4.4.2: Identify and describe the three hearths of folk housing in the eastern United States and describe how they differ in style and distribution.

4.4.3: Identify the major types of modern-style houses popular in the U.S. after World War II and illustrate how modern housing styles display popular culture influences.

4.5.1: Explain how food preferences and restrictions are related to cultural preferences and environmental influences.

4.5.2: Describe how, in some cultures but not in others, some plants and animals may be thought to embody negative forces in the environment.

4.5.3: Describe the French concept of “terroir” and explain how it relates to the geographic understanding of “place.”

4.6.1: Compare and contrast how clothing preferences in folk and popular culture reflect differences in those cultures.

4.6.2: Explain what causes certain clothing styles to become widely adopted.

How is the landscape altered by folk and popular leisure?

4.7.1: Identify and explain two reasons why the viewing of media is an especially significant element of popular culture.

4.7.2 : Describe how diffusion of the internet and Facebook follows the pattern of the diffusion of television.

4.8.1: Describe how folk and popular culture incorporate environmental features differently in leisure and recreational activities by comparing and contrasting golf courses and Himalayan art. 4.9.1 Identify two principal ways that the survival of folk culture is threatened.

4.9.2: Hypothesize as to why popular culture may threaten folk culture more so than vice versa.

4.9.3: Describe, citing examples, how popular culture spreads uniformity as well as diversity across the landscape.

Chapter Overview

Chapter 4 takes a comparative look at folk and popular culture. It begins by discussing the main characteristics of folk and popular culture and notes that geographers are interested in the distribution of both material and nonmaterial cultural elements and the relationship with the environment. The chapter goes on to compare and contrast folk and popular music. This comparison flows throughout the chapter examining other elements of culture such as housing styles, clothing, food preferences, and taboos. The chapter also examines how folk and popular culture influences the landscape. An important part of human geography highlights the impact that folk and popular culture has on the environment. The chapter discusses how folk and popular culture alters the environment. According to this textbook, the traditional values of folk culture are threatened by the diffusion of popular culture

4.1 Elements of Folk and Popular Culture

Section 4.1 begins with a discussion of the elements of folk and popular culture and defines culture as “the body of material traits, customary beliefs, and social forms that together constitute the distinct tradition of a group of people.” It focuses particularly on the characteristics of both popular and folk cultures, noting that folk cultures are usually found in small homogeneous groupings in rural settings. On the other hand, popular culture is usually found in large diverse societies. Unlike popular culture, the origin of folk culture is usually unknown and becomes distinctive due to a lack of communication with outside areas. According to the chapter, popular culture tends to spread rapidly globally especially due to

© 2013 Pearson Education, a wide variety of new communication technology. To teach the section, it is important that students can define culture and distinguish between what is material and nonmaterial culture. Have them define culture in their own words and segue into a discussion of material and nonmaterial cultures. Using Figure 4.1.4, discuss with students the elements of both folk and popular culture and have your students identify examples of each.

4.2 Origin and Diffusion of Music

Section 4.2 compares and contrasts the origin, diffusion, and distribution of folk and popular culture, specifically music. According to this section, the origin of folk music is usually unknown but it is transmitted orally over time. It is often related to an event, tells a story, or passes down information. Conversely, popular music is often written to be sold and its origin is usually well known. The spread of popular music is often aided by technological advancement and moves more rapidly than folk music. Most students are familiar with one genre of music or the other. You can begin your discussion by asking students about the origin and diffusion of hip-hop or country music. Focus your students’ attention on the folk song found in their textbook on page 82. Let them compare it to a piece of popular music. They should note the subject matter of the music and its origin. Go on to discuss the spread of American music styles across the world.

4.3 Origin and Diffusion of Sports

Most sports that we now consider as part of popular culture have their beginnings in folk culture. Section 4.3 highlights the origin and spread of soccer (known as football in most parts of the world). According to this section, soccer originated as a folk custom in England and diffused through migration and colonialism to other parts of the world. Soccer became part of popular culture when it was first played as organized sport in the late 1800s. The section also discusses other sports such as baseball and explains how they became part of popular culture. These sports include cricket, baseball, and American style football. Draw students’ attentions to Figure 4.3.1 and have them identify the activity taking place in the pictures. Point them to the map in Figure 4.3.2 and let them identify the regions of the world where soccer is played. It is important that students understand that soccer began in England and that it diffused throughout the entire world. Students should also understand that many sports that began as a folk culture eventually became part of popular culture. Have your students give you all other examples of sports that began as folk culture. See discussion topics and classroom activities or go to all homework assignments in MasteringGeography.

4.4 Folk and Popular House Styles

Housing styles in the United States reflect the changing nature of folk and popular culture over time. Styles have change significantly in the United States since the early 1800s. Section 4.4 is a comparative examination of folk and popular housing styles in the United States. According to this section, early immigrants to the United States would use whatever materials were found in the environment to build their houses. They were often made of wood or logs but were varied across space because of the variability of materials. Unlike folk housing of the 1800s, however, there was little variability and houses were built according to themes that were popular at the time. Engage students in a discussion about the housing types they live in currently. Show them pictures of both folk and popular housing types found in Figure 4.4.1 and Figure 4.4.2. Have your students compare them and lead them into a discussion of geographical factors that cause each type to differ. See Web Links in MasteringGeographyor additional reading.

4.5 Folk and Popular Food Preferences

Section 4.5 discusses food preferences in folk and popular culture. Cultures often impose restrictions on certain behaviors or practices and this includes certain foods. These restrictions are called taboos. The text notes that many cultures practice avoidance of several foods and these refrainments are often due to environmental factors. The text also introduces the concept of terroir, the notion that a location’s distinctive physical features contribute to the way food tastes, as in wines. Physical features such as climate, soil, or aspect (direction of slope) and certain landforms create distinctive flavors in wine in particular, thus the use of the term terroir. You can introduce students to folk food preferences by surveying your class to find out what food preferences if any their families have. Find out from your students what factors determine these preferences. Guide your students into a discussion of food taboos, emphasizing the role of environment in folk food preferences. The map in Figure 4.5.2 is an excellent way of reinforcing the idea of food preferences and the environment. You may also assign students tasks from Encounter Human Geography exploration 6.2 multiple choice and essay questions.

4.6 Folk and Popular Clothing Preferences

Like food preferences, clothing choices are largely determined by environment. This is particularly true for folk culture. Conditions within the environment, such as climate, create the need to wear certain clothing that protects or adapts to the conditions. According to the text, in popular culture, clothing choices are often determined by occupational choices rather than environment. Diffusion of popular clothing choices such as jeans creates uniform clothing styles around the world. To engage students in a discussion of folk and popular clothing styles, introduce students to photos in Figure 4.6.1. Ask them to deduce what environmental factors may have caused them to dress in that manner. Guide them to the understanding that environmental factors such as climate determine the mode of dress in many folk cultures. Students should also understand that diffusion could transform folk dress preferences to popular culture. As an example, use the same Figure 4.6.1.

Discuss with students how diffusion has caused the popularity of certain social clothing styles such as jeans to reach a vast majority of people all over the world. Again, you may use the photographs in Figure 4.6.3 for students to guess where the people are located. You may also discuss with them the engine of diffusion such as the internet or migration. See Web Links in MasteringGeography for additional reading.

For assignments, see the Item Library in MasteringGeography or Thinking Geographically questions from the textbook.

4.7 Diffusion of Popular Media

Section 4.7 compares the diffusion of popular media such as the Internet, Facebook, and television. The text recognizes that media plays an important role in the transmission of culture, its traits, and practices. Students should note that the patterns of diffusion of the Internet and Facebook are similar to that of the diffusion of television, which occurred years earlier. To teach the section, introduce the students to the maps showing the diffusion of television from 1954 to 2005 in Figure 4.7.1. Have them compare the distribution of televisions; you can have students identify the areas with the highest and lowest concentrations of television sets worldwide. After that, you may show them the current distribution of the Internet and Facebook. For further reinforcement, you can have your students go to Figure 4.7.3 to complete the activity there. You may also ask students to complete the multiple-choice questions in MasteringGeography. Additional exercises are also available in Encounter Human Geography in exploration 6.3.

4.8 Landscapes of Folk and Popular Art and Leisure

Section 4.8 compares and contrasts how folk and popular culture utilizes environmental features in arts and leisure activities. According to the text, folk culture is likely to use the environment without any form of modification or adaptation, while popular culture will transform it especially for leisure activities, especially in golf courses. Engage students into a discussion of how folk cultures utilize the environment in art. Introduce Figure 4.8.1 to students and emphasize how cultures in the similar environment might interpret them in different ways artistically. Students should understand that cultural factors such as religion are as important as environment in creating diverse forms of art. For assignments, see the Item Library in MasteringGeography or Thinking Geographically questions.

4.9 Challenges to Landscapes of Folk and Popular Culture

Folk and popular cultures both experience challenges that threaten their existence in some ways. The final section of this chapter discusses these challenges. According to the text, folk culture is threatened by the imposition of popular culture that causes people to disdain their own traditional culture. Popular cultures, on the other hand, are challenged by the desire of some groups to maintain diversity in ever increasing uniform landscapes. To teach the section, engage the students in a discussion of the challenges to folk culture. Show them the picture in Figure 4.9.1 of traditional folk

clothing in Japan

Discuss with the students how this has changed in Japan where western clothing is now the norm. Have your students lists other examples of folk cultures that are disappearing because of the imposition of popular culture. You should also discuss with your students how popular culture influences the environment. They should know that the popular culture promotes uniformity in landscape, architecture, and business styles. Engage your students in a discussion of McDonald’s, especially how this franchise has promoted uniformity in food choices. Those choices are now becoming more diverse because of local preferences. You can emphasize what you mean by uniform landscapes with the picture in Figure 4.9.4.

For assignments, see discussion topics and classroom activities. See Web Links in MasteringGeography for additional reading.

Answers to Thinking Geographically Questions

1. The Amish are able to maintain their folk culture in the midst of popular culture. Can you give other examples of groups, or isolated individuals, who continue to practice folk culture in a country dominated by popular culture, such as the United States?

Given the profusion of television and the Internet, many folk cultures are threatening to disappear. However many manage to persist amidst all these changes. One such group is the Hasidic Jews who dominate such areas as Crown Heights, Borough Hall, and Williamsburg in New York. Though they are located in the middle of the city, they still manage to maintain their practices. Like most folk cultures, they are socially isolated and relatively unchanging. Their mode of dress is determined by cultural requirements, and religion influences their clothing choices as much as environment does. Food choices among the Hasidic are overwhelmingly traditional and they manage to maintain this by preparing and selling their own kosher foods. Many supermarkets in New York City maintain kosher sections for this population.

Another group that has maintained their cultural traditions despite the intrusion of popular culture is the Gullah islanders of Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina. Gullah, the name given to the language or the islanders themselves, are former enslaved people from West African ricegrowing regions. Because of their isolation, they have managed to maintain many of the cultural norms and values from West Africa and passed them down to their children. They dress in the same traditional garb and eat the same foods as their ancestors. There are many other groups in other regions such as South and Central America where popular culture has infringed on their survival but most of the folk cultural practices remain intact.

2. Reality TV shows are often set in specific places (4.CR.1).What sorts of folk and popular customs are depicted in reality shows? Are these cultural depictions accurate reflections of the place?

Reality TV is a relatively new television genre that makes use of exotic locations and unscripted speech. They attempt to utilize the folk and popular culture found in these locales. Contestants often have to eat and dress like the native cultures in the areas they visit. Despite the term reality, the shows are highly scripted and controlled to produce predetermined results. Sometimes, the food and clothing are overstated for effective television ratings and are not a true depiction of the culture of the area.

3. Tourist information is designed to encourage people to visit a particular place. What images of folk and popular culture do countries depict in campaigns to promote tourism? To what extent do these images accurately reflect the countries’ culture?

Many areas rely on tourism for economic development. Advertising campaigns portray areas as exotic and different to promote tourism. Countries often use images of their exotic cultural and physical landscapes including beaches, vegetation, food preferences, and music styles to encourage tourists to visit. Often they display an interesting array of foods, both native and popular food choices. People dress in folk clothing and play folk music or clubs with popular music vie for tourist attention. You can find these images on the internet, television, newspapers, and billboards. Images are sometimes stylized and airbrushed to convince more people. For certain places, the images may be accurate but for the vast majority of tourist destinations they are an inaccurate portrayal of a place that only exists in the minds of the tourist.

Discussion Topics and Classroom Activities

1. Assign students comparative research on type of folk and popular music. Part of this research should include the origin, spread, and distribution of each type of music. Students should include a map with their discussion.

2. Place your students in several groups and provide them with the additional resources regarding folk and popular music types, housing types, sports, and food and clothing preferences. Each group should compare and contrast each of the named cultural elements for folk and popular culture. They can make their presentation in another class session.

3. Have students discuss the influence of the television, the internet, and Facebook on the creation of cultural landscapes.

4. Have students summarize the article about McDonald’s below, then write a reaction to the article. They should also evaluate the extent to which the article is a good example of the effect of franchises such as McDonald’s on culture and geographic space.

5. Discuss the differences in characteristics between folk and popular culture.

You can also use the test generator to create multiple choice or essay examinations to assess your students’ learning. The test generator is blackboard friendly. You may also prepare tests from the instructor resource section in MasteringGeography or pearsonhighered.com/irc. Students can also review questions at MasteringGeography.