What is Culture?What is Culture?

Clifford Geertz (anthropologist) in “The Interpretation of Cultures” states:

“We are, in sum, incomplete or unfinishedanimals who complete or finish ourselves through culture—and not through culture in general but through highly particular forms of it: Dobuan & Javanese, Hopi & Italian, upper-class & lower-class, academic & commercial.”

anthropology: the systematic understanding of

cultural aspects of human behavior

- tries to account for cultural differences/similarities- how do cultures “operate”?- language & religion

*Culture assumed to be a “learned behavior”

Cultural Geography is concerned Cultural Geography is concerned

withwith……

…how place affects culture

…how culture affects place

…the distributions of culture

A. Culture is….A. Culture is….

The ways of life of people…• learned behavior• mental thoughts & feelings• group beliefs, attitudes, rules, or

traditions• human adaptations

Why is “culture” so varied?How do we explain the differences & similarities between people?

* If a shaman (witchdoctor) claims he can fly, can he?

* Is the mental thought itself unreal?* What about the case of the sacred cow in

India?

culture traits: units of learned behavior (the “building blocks” of culture) An object A technique (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QItAyepAnI) A belief

culture region: populations sharing similar cultural traits

cultural ecology: the study of the relationship between a culture group & the environment

B. Cultural Boundaries:B. Cultural Boundaries:geographic areas defined by a shared

culturea cultural border is a social

construct that is developed from a political situation

conflict may occur at such borders known as shatter belts

Examples:

•Language•Religion