Why is Folk Culture Clustered?

C4K2

Objectives

• Influence of the physical environment• Isolation promotes cultural diversity

Influence of the Physical Environment

• Folk culture is much more dependent and tied to the land than popular culture. Why?

• Usually agricultural & limited technology (live more intimately with land)

• i.e. Wooden shoes in Holland, seal skin boots in Arctic, bare foot in tropics.

• Can you think of other examples where peoples fashion or a result of environment?

• And result of values?• Istanbul, Turkey: Limited farmland

created “BOSTANS” or urban gardens.

Food Preferences and the Environment

• Food habits are adapted to the environment.

• Example: In Asia, rice is grown in milder, wetter environments whereas wheat is grown in colder, drier environments

• Terroir = (sense of place) the sum effects of the local environment on a particular food item

• South Florida native foods?

South Florida native foods?

• Oranges• Papaya • Passion fruit• Avacado• Starfruit • Spiny lobster• Coconut• Stone crabs• Key lime• Kumquat• Hearts of palm• Mango• Alligator• racoon

When did the squirrel, possum,

wild dog, and raccoon become unfashionable?

• Food Taboos: avoid certain foods because of negative associations with that food

Why do Jews, Muslims, see PIGS negatively?

• They are “Couch Potatoes”, meat spoils easily, competes with human food without compensation

Hindus and Holy Cows: • Social benefits to an

agricultural society.• Agricultural society/

monsoon

Folk Housing and the Environment• Housing = a reflection of cultural

heritage, current fashion, function, and the physical environment

• Two most common building materials = wood and brick

• Minor differences in the environment can produce very different house styles

Isolation Promotes Cultural Diversity

• Himalayan Art: (2500 km region) four distinct religions = produced four distinct art

• Buddhists focus on divine figures

• Hindus focus on scenes from every day life

• Muslims focus on floral• Animists focus on religious

symbols

Beliefs and Folk House Forms• Sacred spaces: influenced by culture

and environment

US FOLK HOUSING

• Three models 1) Chesapeake 2) Middle Atlantic 3) New England

• Westward relocation diffusion of popular styled houses

New England

• Saltbox (slanted roof) and Cape Cod: low, broad frame building, generally a story and a half high, with a steep, a large central chimney

• North and westward along the Great Lakes region.

Lower Chesapeake

• Tidewater style: steep roof and chimneys on either end

• Spread south of VA along Atlantic coast

Middle Atlantic

• I House: typically two full stories with gables to the side

• Ohio Valley and Appalachian

Today’s American Home

• Distinctions in American homes due to geographic region are hard to find today. Why?

• rapid communication and transportation systems have popularized and made many styles accessible.

• Modern neo-eclectic

K2: Why is Folk Culture Clustered?

• Unique regions of folk culture arise because of lack of interaction among groups, even those living nearby. Folk culture is more likely to be influenced by the local environment.

K1 Where do Folk and Popular Cultures Originate and Diffuse?

• Because of distinctive processes of origin and diffusion, folk culture has different distribution patterns than does popular culture. Folk culture is more likely to have an anonymous origin and to diffuse slowly through migration, whereas popular culture is more likely to be invented and diffuse rapidly with the use of modern communications