CHAPTER 4

KEY ISSUE TWO: WHY IS

FOLK CULTURE

CLUSTERED?

CLUSTERING OF FOLK CULTURES

• ISOLATION PROMOTES CULTURAL DIVERSITY

• HIMALAYAN ART

• INFLUENCE OF THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

• DISTINCTIVE FOOD PREFERENCES

• FOLK HOUSING

• U.S. FOLK HOUSE FORMS

WHY IS FOLK CULTURE CLUSTERED?

• REMEMBER:

• FOLK CULTURE DIFFUSES SLOWLY TO OTHER LOCATIONS THROUGH THE

PROCESS OF MIGRATION

ISOLATION PROMOTES CULTURAL DIVERSITY

FOLK CUSTOMS OBSERVED AT A POINT IN TIME VARY

WIDELY.

HIMALAYAN FOLK CULTURAL REGIONS

Cultural geographers have identified four distinct culture regions based on

predominant religions in the Himalaya Mountains. Tibetan Buddhists- north,

Hindus in south, Muslims in the West and animists in the East.

HIMALAYAN ART

• NORTHERN REGION – TIBETAN

BUDDHISTS – PAINT IDEALIZED DIVINE

FIGURES; SOME DEPICTED AS BIZARRE

OR TERRIFYING (PERHAPS REFLECTIVE

OF THE INHOSPITABLE ENVIRONMENT)

HIMALAYAN ART

• SOUTHERN REGION – HINDUS –

CREATE SCENES FROM EVERYDAY LIFE

AND LOCAL SCENES; SOME PORTRAY A

DEITY TO PORTRAY THE AREA’S

VIOLENT AND EXTREME CONDITIONS

HIMALAYAN ART

• WESTERN REGION – MUSLIMS – PAINT

THE REGION’S PLANTS AND FLOWERS AND

DO NOT DEPICT THE HARSH CLIMATE

• OTHER GROUPS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

PAINT SYMBOLS AND DESIGNS THAT

RELATE TO THEIR RELIGION AND NOT TO

THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

INFLUENCE OF THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

• DETERMINISM? WHAT WAS THAT?

• PEOPLE RESPOND TO ENVIRONMENT – BUT ENVIRONMENT ONLY ONE OF SEVERAL

CONTROLS OVER SOCIAL CUSTOMS.

• HOW– TYPES OF CLOTHES, FOOD, HOUSE.

• EXAMPLES?

• FOLK SOCIETIES MORE IN-TUNE WITH ENVIRONMENT.

• SEE DIFFERENCES IN FOOD AND SHELTER.

SENEGAL FAMILY LUNCH •Distinctive-food preferences.

•Diet very much linked to culture and

environment.

•Food closely related to environment.

•Example: soybean in Asia a source of

protein

•Cooked in different areas: steamed,

curd, sprouts.

•Europe plenty of wood: Boil and

stews popular.

•French word terrior – food that is tied

to the local surroundings

How do you eat your meal? What is going

on here?

TRADITIONAL VEGETABLE GARDEN, ISTANBUL

Folk cultures pay attention to the

environment and bring their

ideas with them.

The bostan, or traditional vegetable

garden, provides fresh

vegetables in a large city such

as Istanbul

Old food habits are the last vestige

of traditional folk cultures.

What foods does your family eat

that link you to your family’s

past?

FOOD ATTRACTIONS AND TABOOS

• THERE ARE CERTAIN FOOD THAT CULTURES ARE ATTRACTED TO? WHY?

• IMPROVE QUALITIES SUCH AS STRENGTH, INTELLIGENCE, FIGHTING ABILITY, SEXUAL

POWER.

• THERE ARE FOODS PEOPLE DON’T EAT: (TABOO’S)

• PORK FOR JEWS, MUSLIMS DON’T EAT PORK TOO? WHY? ENVIRONMENTAL REASONS

• COW INDIA

• DOG AND HORSE IN NORTH AMERICA.

• INSECTS

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/but-not-simpler/2013/06/05/i-hate-to-break-it-to-

you-but-you-already-eat-bugs/

HOG PRODUCTION & FOOD CULTURES

Annual hog production is influenced by religious taboos against pork consumption in Islam

and other religions. The highest production is in China, which is largely Buddhist.

FOLK HOUSING • THE TWO MOST COMMON BUILDING MATERIALS: BRICK OR WOOD

• STONE, GRASS, SOD, AND SKINS

• DISTINCTIVE HOUSE FORM AND ORIENTATION A RESULT OF CUSTOMARY

BELIEFS OR ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

• HOUSING ORIENTATION

• RELIGION

• SACRED WALLS OR CORNERS

• WHICH WAY THE DOOR FACES

• CUSTOMARY HIERARCHY , HEADS TO FEET

• STAIRCASES MUST NOT FACE WEST

• HOUSING AND THE ENVIRONMENT: QUEBEC PITCHED ROOFS

SOUTH FACING WINDOWS, IN HOT CLIMATES SMALLER WINDOWS, JAPAN BUILT FOR SUMMER

HEAT NOT MILD WINTERS (KOTATSU)

HOME LOCATIONS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Houses and sleeping positions are oriented according to local customs among the Lao in

northern Laos (left) (Heads high, sleep with heads towards one other) and the Yuan and

Shan in northern Thailand (right). (Heads all face the East (noble direction for Buddhist))

HOUSE TYPES IN WESTERN CHINA

Four communities in western China all have distinctive house types. Even though

close together Folk housing can differ because of minor differences in environment.

KASHGAR HOUSE, WESTERN CHINA

Kashgar houses have second floor open-air patios: Catch that evening breeze

TURPAN HOUSE, WESTERN CHINA

Turpan is located in a deep valley with little open land. Second stories

are avoided because of strong winds

DUNHUANG HOUSE, WESTERN CHINA

Dunhuang houses have walled central courtyards, covered with an open air grape arbor.

Provide shade. Roofs are slanted as a result of eastern influences.

YINCHUAN HOUSE, CHINA

Yinchuan houses are built around large open courtyards which provide seclusion from

outsiders.

DIFFUSION OF HOUSE TYPES IN U.S. (FOLK)

Distinct house types originated in three main source areas in the U.S. and then

diffused into the interior as migrants moved west.

US Folk houses– not past 60

years.

Come from three regions:

New England

Mid Atlantic

Lower Cheaspeake

DIFFUSION OF NEW ENGLAND HOUSE TYPES (FOLK)

Fig. 4-10: Four main New England house types of the 18th & 19th centuries diffused

westward as settlers migrated.

WIDE DISPERSION OF POPULAR CULTURE

• DIFFUSION OF POPULAR HOUSING, CLOTHING, & FOOD

• POPULAR HOUSING STYLES

• RAPID DIFFUSION OF CLOTHING STYLES

• POPULAR FOOD CUSTOMS

• TELEVISION AND DIFFUSION OF POPULAR CULTURE

• DIFFUSION OF TELEVISION

• DIFFUSION OF THE INTERNET

• GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF TELEVISION

WHY IS POPULAR CULTURE WIDELY DISTRIBUTED?

• DIFFUSION OF POP. CULTURE: HOUSING, CLOTHING AND FOOD

SOME DIFFERENCES EXIST– BUT MUCH LESS THAN THE PAST IN MDC’S? WHY. NATIONAL DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS RESULT IN SIMILAR HOUSES, JEANS AND PIZZA.

POPULAR CULTURE AND HOUSING: HOUSING REFLECTS CHANGING FOCUS: NO MORE FRONT PORCH, LIVING ROOM, 2 CAR GARAGE, GREAT ROOM, LARGER “WALK IN CLOSETS” ETC.

HOUSING STYLES: 1945-60: MINIMAL TRADITIONAL, RANCH, CONTEMPORARY,

SINCE 1960S– NEO-ECLECTIC STYLE: MANSARD, NEO-TUDOR, NEO-FRENCH, NEO-COLONIAL

Style of House Look Features Dates Popular

Minimal Traditional

Ranch

Split Level

Contemporary

Neo-Eclectic

Mansard

Neo-Tudor

Neo-French

Neo-Colonial

U.S. HOUSE TYPES, 1945-1990

Several variations of the “modern style” were dominant from the 1940s into the

1970s. Since then, “neo-eclectic” styles have become the dominant type of house

construction in the U.S.

U.S. HOUSE TYPES BY REGION

Small towns in different regions of the eastern

U.S. have different combinations of five main

house types.