Human Geography

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Human Geography

• Chapter 2

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setting the stage

• Reviewing the meaning, components, structure of
  culture
• Processes of cultural change, diffusion,
  divergence
• Dynamic processes

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culture (social science definition)

• Specialized behavioral patterns, understandings,
  adaptations, and social systems that summarize a
  group of peoples learned way of life

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culture is..

• Learned, not biological
• Transmitted within a society to next generations
  by imitation, tradition, instruction

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culture provides.

• a general framework
• each individual learns adheres to general rules
• also to specific sub-groups
• age, sex, status, occupation, nationality

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• Subcultures co-exist
• Masculine / feminine
• Rural / rural
• Different ethnicities
• Joined by common traditions, behaviors,
  loyalties, beliefs
• Christmas
• Church attendance on Sunday

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culture is dynamic.

• External influences
• Cultural exchange
• Generational
• Technology
• Environmental
• HIV/AIDS
• Global warming

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cultural variables.. micro-macro

• 1. Cultural traits most elementary
• Expression of culture, the smallest distinctions
• Behavior
• Object
• Beliefs
• Attitudes
• these building blocks a culture complex

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culture complex

• Individual cultural traits that are functionally
  interrelated
• Masai of Kenya cultural
  traits centered on cattle
• American football sports
  culture

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culture region

• Portion of the Earths surface occupied by
  populations sharing recognizable distinctive
  cultural characteristics
• Political organizations/boundaries
• Religions
• Economy type

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cultural realm

• A set of cultural regions showing related
  cultural complexes and landscapes
• Large region that has assumed fundamental
  uniformity in its cultural characteristics and
  showing significant differences from surrounding
  realms

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culture realms
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globalization

• Interconnection of all parts of world
• International scale of social, cultural,
  political, economic processes
• Homogenization of cultures
• Integrated economies
• Standardization
• Persistent regional descriptions
• Adaptations to accommodate cultural preferences

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interaction of people and environment..

• Cultural ecology study of the relationship
  between a culture group and the natural
  environment it occupies
• Arid regions versus humid regions
• Indian acorn culture

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environmental determinism??

• The belief that the physical environment alone
  determines how humans are, their actions, their
  thoughts
• Environment alone cannot account for cultural
  variations
• Environment places certain limitations on human
  use of land
• Not absolute due to technology, ideologies
• Indian acorn culture versus Inca civilization

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possibilism

• Viewpoint that people, not environments are the
  dynamic forces that cause cultural development
• Noting worlds population location
• Evidence of nature of limits of environment
• Majority of people located in regions with
  certain characteristics
• Mild climates, supply of fresh water, fertile
  soil, mineral resources

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ecumene Major areas of permanent inhabitation

• Continental margins (coastal regions)
• 2/3s of total human population live within 300
  miles of the ocean
• Low-lying fertile delta lands (along rivers)

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where DONT humans live (without supporting
technology) ???

• Rocky coasts
• Cold regions
• Areas with infertile soils
• Mountains / deserts
• Tropical lowlands, swampy land, forested
  disease-infected river valleys

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nonecumene Major regions in the world

• The hollow continent - South America
• The empty quarter Arabian Peninsula
• The Amazon Basin
• The Sahara Desert
• Antarctica / Arctic / Siberia

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population distribution

• 90 of all people live north of the Equator
• 2/3 of this total are in the mid-latitudes of 20
  60 degrees north (most temperate)
• More than ½ the world population lives on only 5
  of the earths land
• 2/3 live on 10
• 9/10 on less than 20

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6.2 billion humans The largest concentrations
(Four major regions)

• East Asia Japan, China, Taiwan, South Korea
• Largest both in area and numbers
• 25 of world population

• South Asia India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri
  Lanka
• Second largest
• 21 of world population

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human concentrations

• Europe southern, western, eastern through the
  Ukraine
• 13 of the world population

• Northeastern United States and Southeastern
  Canada
• Smallest concentration

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human impact on the environment

• Geography examines
• human reactions to environment
• human impacts on environment
• Cultural landscape
• the earths surface as modified by human action
• physical record of a culture
• House types
• Transportation networks
• Size distribution of settlement

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human actions deliberate accidental
Moa New Zealand 17th century

• Vegetation
• Altered, replaced, denuded
• Animal species
• Extinctions, marginalized
• Fertile regions transformed
• unproductive, polluted, degraded landscapes

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fire - perhaps the first great tool

• Fire control by hunter-gather groups
• Grasslands herds of grazing animals
• Chase out game
• Protect themselves at night from animals
• Fire control today
• Some land reverting to forest
• Also natural fires (lightening strikes) allowed
  to burn
• Provides opportunity for more diversity

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looking at roots of culture

• Earlier humans were more impacted by physical
  environment

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11,000 years ago retreat of massive glaciers

(end of Paleolithic period)

• Ice melted released moisture
• Expanding
• Vegetation animals
• Spreading populations

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3 waves of development following retreat of
glaciers

• Basic hunter gather groups
• Development of agriculture/animal husbandry
• Urbanization/industrialization

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Paleolithic period to 11,000 BC

• Hunter gather groups
• Retreating glaciers
• Spreading isolation cultural divergence

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hunter gather groups

• Small, scattered groups, pre-agricultural
• Dependent on natural food sources
• Primitive stone tools weapons
• Population estimate 5 to 10 million
• Spread to all continents except Antarctica

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human migration
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carrying capacity

• Hunter gather groups large territories for
  small numbers
• Relative isolation cultural divergence
• Some contact trading, socializing, spouse
  selection
• Groups of about 20 to 40 individuals

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expansion spread

• New innovations
• Encountering new environmental problems,
  materials, resources
• Accelerated differentiation
• Spreading increased cultural contrasts
• New environments cultural change
• New tools, words, lifestyles

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hunter gather lifestyle

• Hunting foraging process
• Not so demanding of time and energy
• Estimates for Bushmen survival requires a 2½ day
  workweek
• Time available
• Development of tools, art, language, religion,
  trade, permanent settlements, social
  stratifications

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impacts on environment

• Increasing populations
• Depleted the large herds
• Herds were migrating northward
• Need for new food bases
• Plant animal domestication

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Mesolithic period 11,000 to 5,000 BC

• Moving into the Agricultural Revolution
• Transition from food collecting to food
  production
• Transition to sedentary lifestyle
• Plant animal domestication
• Profound changes in tools, tasks, social
  complexities
• Foods remained regional

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agricultural origins.

• Spanning 1,000s of years
• Nile floodplain 18,500 years ago
• Americas (Mexico) 5,000 years ago
• Helter-skelter fashion
• Females considered primary players
• Development of crop production
• Innovators of technology
• Perhaps evolved out of plant gathering
  nurturing

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domestication 40 N to 40 S
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migration of first farmers

• 10,000 years ago
• Out of the Middle East
• Spread rate 5/8ths mile per year

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Neolithic period 8,000 to 5,000 BC

• Agricultural Revolution into full swing
• Cultural hearths/civilizations
• Technological social innovations
• Plow
• Irrigation
• Draft animals

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civilizations economies based on agriculture

• Surplus of food
• Expanding populations
• Innovations
• Spinning, weaving
• Potter wheel, brick making, construction
• Mining, smelting, casing metals

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cultural hearths
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development of civilizations
beginning around 5,000 BC

• 1. Agriculture
• 2. Government
• 3. Religion
• 4. Specialization

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beginnings of urbanization

• Cultural hearths varied
• Rural, urban, sea-faring, commerce based
• Development of stratified societies
• Artisans, warriors/armies, merchants, scholars,
  priests, administrators
• Astronomy, mathematics, calendar

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cultural change.

• In constant state of change
• Can be dramatic, or less pronounced periods
• Can be large or small
• No phones to cell phones.. less than one century
• Subsistence agriculture to agro-business industry
• 3 ways of change

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1. innovation

• Introduction of new ideas, practices, or objects
  usually, an alteration of custom or culture that
  originates within the social group itself
• For example an invention
• Material bow arrow, gun, steam engine
• Non-material Christianity, capitalism

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how does innovation happen???

• Characteristically pre-modern, traditional
  societies are not innovative
• Equilibrium, so no motivation
• Always resistance to change
• Usually innovation occurs under pressure, stress
• Today gas is 3.00
• Food pressures

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2. diffusion

• Process by which an idea/innovation is
  transmitted from one individual/group to another
  across space
• 2 processes
• Relocation - migration
• Expansion - spread of information/innovation

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diffusion processes

• Relocation diffusion
• The innovation or idea is physically carried to
  new areas by migrating individuals or populations
• Expansion diffusion
• Contagious
• Hierarchical
• Stimulus

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3. acculturation

• Adoption of cultural traits, borrowing
• Religion, technology
• Through force
• War, subjugation
• Absorption
• Most extreme
• Extinction of culture can occur