LATIN AMERICA: CULTUREUnit 5 Lesson 3

Components of Culture

• On a piece of paper write down as many components of culture as you can remember.

• You have 60 seconds.• GO!

Components of Culture• Art – What art forms are typical of this culture? (crafts, paintings, drama, music, dance) • Buildings – Which building, monuments, structures, and types of homes symbolize this culture? • Communication – How do people communicate with each other? How is information spread? • Dress–What clothing is typical of this culture? • Economy – Who owns the farms and factories? Are they high tech, low tech, or no tech? • Family – What does the typical family look like? What is the role of women? Children? • Government – Who has the power? How is the average citizen connected to the government? • History – What experiences have shaped this culture? (colonialism, war, revolution, famine, etc.) • Icon – What images (religious or not) cause an immediate response in every person? • Jobs – How does the average person (or family) make a living? • Knowledge – How is knowledge passed from one generation to the next? (schools, government, oral history) • Language – What words and expressions have a special meaning? What are the most popular forms of literature? • Movement/Migration – How does the average person get around? To where are the people moving? • National pride – What people, places, and things spark feelings of loyalty and patriotism? • Organizations – What are the most important organizations (formal and informal) in this society? • Population – What are the largest groups – age, race, religion, language, ethnic group? Who is in the minority? • Quality of Life – Rate the average person’s health and happiness. (medical care, life expectancy, opportunity.) • Religion – What beliefs and values do people hold? What are the traditional holidays, festivals, ceremonies?) • Status – What classes, castes, professions, and groups (racial, ethnic, religious, cultural) have high or low status? • Taboos – What behaviors are considered to be totally unacceptable? • Urban or Rural – Do most people live in the city or the countryside? What does the typical community • look like? • Vacation/Recreation- How do the people in this culture have fun? • Ways of everyday life – How do people take care of everyday things (cooking, washing clothes, shopping)? • X marks the spot – How does geography shape this culture? • Yum – What foods were invented here? What do people normally eat? Special foods? • Ztuff – What is typical “stuff” of this culture? (like chopsticks in China, or maracas in Mexico)

Think about…• How has your culture been influenced by a larger culture

group from a different time period?

• Hint: Look at your list of culture components and think about how they relate to your own culture.

Today’s Big Idea• To identify the elements of culture through research of

Latin American cultures. The influences of culture and cultural beliefs on the environment, policy (government), and diffusion.

• How do the following affect culture?• History• Human-Environment Interaction (HEI)• Physical Process• Sustainable Development• Public Policy• Economics

History• Latin America was home to

many indigenous civilizations. Aztecs, Mayans and Incas were the largest.

• Spanish and Portuguese explorers traveled to Latin America for God, Gold, and Glory. • Conquered native civilizations

forcing their own language and religion on natives.

Human-Environment Interaction• Latin America contains many

natural resources, probably the biggest is the Amazon rainforest.• Use of the rainforest is contested

amongst different groups.• Slash and burn agriculture is used

amongst farmers

• Natives in mountainous regions adapted to their geography by cutting into hills and mountains to plant crops• Terrace Farming

Physical Processes• Latin America is on the

eastern edge of the Ring of Fire

• Earthquakes and volcanoes are common along the region.

• How has adaptation to these natural phenomena affected culture?

Sustainable Development• Ecotourism

• Tourism in exotic, often threatened, natural environments to support conservation efforts and observe wildlife

• Biodiversity in region attracts tourism

• Has ecotourism affected the ways cultures interact with their environment?

• Use of Bio-Fuels• One of Brazil’s main crops is

sugar cane and has been used as a bio-fuel substitute to gasoline

Public Policy• Latin American countries

began winning their independence from their colonizers in the 19th century.• Mexico 1822• Brazil 1822

• Transition from Imperial rule to democratic-style governments. • Some survive, others shift to

socialist or military dictatorships.• Ex. Chile, Argentina, Venezuela,

Brazil

Discuss…• Why did dictatorships take control?• Why did some countries choose socialism? • How are these two different?

Economics• Columbian Exchange

• Trading of goods between the “New” and “Old” World• Slave trade brings new population and culture to continent

• Panama Canal was constructed with the help of outside influences.• Connects Atlantic and Pacific Ocean transforming the isthmus into

an international port

• NAFTA – North American Free Trade Agreement• International agreement between Mexico, USA, and Canada to

remove restrictive tariffs and encourage trade

•What is the effect of outside influences on culture?

Your Task…• In pairs research 1 Latin American country and create a

presentation on the culture of that country.• Your presentation should answer the following questions:

• How has culture developed over time? (How has history affected culture?)

• Does the country’s culture affect its economic system or government system?

• Include at least 10 different components of culture with pictures

• ABC CLIO should be your only online resource

Rubric• Components of culture w/ pictures (minimum 10) 50 points• 3 questions asked and answered 20 points  • Presentation 20 points• Miscellaneous 10 points  • Total 100 pts