Semester One Final Review Packet - Chapter 4 FOLK AND POPULAR CULTURE

Do each of the following descriptions or examples refer to folk or pop culture?

______________ typically found in large, diverse societies______________ spreads through relocation diffusion______________ the hearth is usually anonymous or unknown______________ more likely to be mass produced and have a more widespread distribution______________ spreads through hierarchical or contagious diffusion______________ usually originates in MDCs, such as the U.S., Japan, or countries in Western Europe______________ typically found in rural, isolated societies

Based on the lyrics, which of these songs do you think was intended to appeal to a wide audience so that it could be sold to a large number of people, and which seems like it was intended to reflect daily activities and appeal to a small, homogenous group of people?

!

Intended for: ___________________________! ! Intended for: ___________________________

Use these two sets of song lyrics to explain the differences between the origins and purposes of folk and pop music (Use text if you need help)

Song #2:While seedlings for the summer crop are not old when they are three months of ageSeedlings for the winter crop are certainly not young when they are one-and-a-half months old.

Song #1:I gotta feeling that tonight’s gonna be a good nightThat tonight’s gonna be a good nightThat tonight’s gonna be a good good night (x2)Tonight’s the nightLet’s live it up

Using the language of geography, describe the spatial distribution of the Amish in the U.S.:

Where did the Amish come from? How did their culture get to the U.S.? (through which type of diffusion?)

Explain three ways that the Amish is a good example of folk culture: (see p. 109 - 110)

The diffusion of the Jack O’ LanternWord Bank:Stimulus diffusionRelocation diffusionCustomcommodification

Chain migrationEmigrateEthnic neighborhoodFolk culture

Material cultureImmigrantsHearth

“Stingy Jack” as the legend tells, is said to have been denied by both Heaven and Hell, so the Devil spat out a coal from the fires of Hell to guide his way through the darkness of night. Unable to hold such a hot coal, Jack placed it inside of a hollowed out turnip he had been carrying, and continued on his eternal journey through the shadows; thus creating the original Jack O’ Lantern.  Jack O’ Lanterns have spread to a good deal of countries globally from their Irish ______________________,  changing along the way. The rather young _________________________, rooted  in old Irish superstitions,  has now become a household Halloween commodity and a great example of American __________________________.

Jack O’ Lanterns were first created in mid 19th century Ireland; used by superstitious townsfolk to scare away the evil spirits like those of Stingy Jack. As the Irish __________________________ to countries across the globe, they brought along this tradition with them through  a process called ________________________. By 1840, the Irish accounted for around half of all immigrants in the United States, which is why the tradition is so profound in America today. They often moved to cities and neighborhoods where they had family or friends. Through this process of _____________________________, cities such as Chicago, Boston, and New York developed large Irish _____________________________ in which most of the residents were Irish, thereby allowing this custom to strengthen in its practice. The rest of the world did not receive such a large number of Irish _____________________________, however, which is why the holiday in its entirety, and more specifically Jack O’ Lanterns have not been able to take hold in many countries. Only as a result of their popularity in the United States, are Jack O’ Lanterns gaining reputation in other countries today. Many African and Asian nations do not practice this carving because they do not lie along the general diffusion routes with which the custom spread.

Originally carved into turnips, beets, or even potatoes, Jack O’ Lanterns did not  take on their current incarnation until they arrived in the Americas. Pumpkins were widely and cheaply available in the new land, and their shape lent perfectly to carving. Because of this, the custom is said to have changed before it could truly spread through a process called ________________________________, as we now use pumpkins instead of the traditional turnips.

Jack O’ Lanterns are no longer created solely as a way to frighten away evil spirits. Now, Jack O’ Lanterns can be bought as baskets with which to carry trick or treating candy. Pumpkins and their respective carving kits can now also be purchased to decorate one’s house. There are even competitions to decide who can carve the best design into pumpkins. Through _____________________________, they have lost nearly all of their original purpose and have evolved into merely a material representation of a ______________________________ tradition.

Originating as a response to a superstitious legend, Jack O’ Lanterns have become just another seasonal tradition with no substantial significance. They  diffused throughout the world by means of the relocation of Irish emigrants in the 1800’s; this diffusion was perpetuated by the spread of American culture to the rest of the world. As they reached new locations, their characteristics were  altered, and stimulated by new cultures and environments. So each Halloween, as you stroll past the dozens of illuminated fruits, consider the complexity of their origin and how they have become the tradition that they are today.

Can folk culture become pop culture? How does soccer (or football) demonstrate qualities of both folk and popular culture? Use the maps and images below to discuss how its origins resemble folk culture, while its method of diffusion and current distribution resemble pop culture.

Fado, Urban Popular Song of Portugal

Fado is a performance genre incorporating music and poetry widely practiced by various communities in Lisbon. It represents a Portuguese multicultural synthesis of Afro-Brazilian sung dances, local traditional genres of song and dance, musical traditions from rural areas of the country brought by successive waves of internal immigration, and the cosmopolitan urban song patterns of the early nineteenth century. Fado songs are usually performed by a solo singer, male or female, traditionally accompanied by a wire-strung acoustic guitar and the Portuguese guitarra – a pear-shaped cittern with twelve wire strings, unique to Portugal, which also has an extensive solo repertoire. The past few decades have witnessed this instrumental accompaniment expanded to two Portuguese guitars, a guitar and a bass guitar. Fado is performed professionally on the concert circuit and in small ‘Fado houses’, and by amateurs in numerous grass-root associations located throughout older neighborhoods of Lisbon. Informal tuition by older, respected exponents takes place in traditional performance spaces and often over successive generations within the same families. The dissemination of Fado through emigration and the world music circuit has reinforced its image as a symbol of Portuguese identity, leading to a process of cross-cultural exchange involving other musical traditions.

How does Fado reflect aspects of folk music - what about it is unique to Portugal?

How does this also reflect aspects of pop culture?

What is syncretism? Write a quote from the above passage that provides an example of what it is.

What is the connection between migration and how this tradition has diffused and evolved?

Explain how isolation from other cultures promotes the preservation of and diversity among cultures:

How does the processes of cultural imperialism and globalization threaten the existence of folk culture?

Match each of the following terms with the image below:

Cultural imperialismCultural appropriation

AssimilationUniform landscape

HearthTaboo

__________________________(hint: can you tell where this is?)

__________________________(hint: is this this guy’s real culture?)

__________________________(hint: what change/process is

__________________________(hint: what starts here?)

__________________________(hint: this would be the case for

__________________________(hint: not taking over militarily, but...)