october 1, 2015s. mathews1 human geography by james rubenstein chapter 4 key issue 2 why is folk...

April 19, 2023 S. Mathews 1

Human Geography

By James Rubenstein

Chapter 4Key Issue 2

Why is Folk Culture Clustered?


Isolation Promotes Cultural

DiversityFolk customs observed at a

point in time vary widely from one place to another, even among nearby places.


Examples of Distinctive Folk Art in

the Himalaya Tibetan Buddhists Hindus in the south Muslims in the west Southeast Asian animists in the east


Cultural Regions in the Himalaya


Tibetan Buddhists in northern region

Idealized divine figures, such as monks and saints.

Some of the figures are depicted as bizarre or

terrifying, perhaps reflecting in the inhospitable

environment.


Hindus in the southern region

Scenes from everyday life and familiar local scenes.

Paintings sometimes portray a deity in a domestic scene

and frequently represent the region’s violent and extreme

climatic conditions.


Snakes have long

been popular subjects of Hindu

art.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Indischer_Maler_um_1640_001.jpg


Alam Shah

closing the dam

at Shishan

Pass


Muslims in the WestShow the region’s beautiful plants and flowers, because

Muslim faith prohibits displaying animate objects in

art.In contrast to the Buddhist and

Hindu, Muslims do not depict harsh climatic conditions.


Abstract, geometric forms that translated

into the architectur

e of mosques.


Geometric forms in the ceiling of a

Mosque


Sistine Chapelin the

Vatican City

(Christian Art)


Animist from Myanmar and

Southeast Asia.Create symbols and

designs that derive from their religion rather than from local environment.


The distribution of artistic subjects in the Himalayas shows how

folk customs are influenced by cultural

institutions like religion and by environmental

processes such as climate, landforms, and

vegetation.


Influence of the Physical Environment Examples exist of peoples

who live in similar environments but adopt different social customs.

Examples exist of peoples who live under different environmental conditions but adopt similar social customs.


Examples of Environment Influence

on Clothing Residents of arctic climates wear fur lined boots to protect from the cold.

People in the tropics may wear no shoes, because heavy rainfall discourages their use.

Dutch farmers wear wooden shoes because they are waterproof.


Two necessities of daily life

food and shelterdemonstrate the influence of

cultural values and the environment

on development of unique folk culture.


Distinctive Food Preferences

Geographer Vidal de la Blache regards clothing

and weapons more subject to modification

than the dietary regime.


Soybeans as Examples of Food Preference

Adaptation Excellent source of protein. Widely grown in Asia. Toxic and indigestible in the

raw state. Edible if cooked thoroughly. Fuel for cooking is scarce.


Bean Sprouts (germinated seeds).

Soy Sauce (fermented soybeans)

Bean Curd (steamed soybeans).

Soybeans as a Food Source


Preference for quick-frying foods in Italy resulted in part from fuel shortages.

Abundant wood supply in Northern Europe encouraged the slow stewing and roasting of foods over fires, which also provided heat for homes.

In Europe


Food Diversity


Although food customs are

inevitably affected by the availability of

products, food consumed in

neighboring cultural groups often reflect

distinctive traditions.


Ethnicity of Transylvania Before

WWII 4 million Hungarians 4 million Romanians 500,000-600,000 Saxons 50,000-75,000 Jews 20,000-25,000 Armenians Thousands of Szeklers


Soups Consumed by the Poor In Transylvania

Romanians ate sour bran soups from cracked wheat, corn, brown bread, and cherry tree twigs.

Saxons simmered fatty pork in water, added sauerkraut or vinegar, and used fruits.

Jews preferred soups of beets and sorrel.


Soups Consumed by the Poor In Transylvania

continuedArmenians made soup out of

curdled milk and ground vegetables. Hungarians added smoked bacon

and thickened the soup with flour and onion fried in lard.

Szeklers substituted smoked goose, or other poultry for the bacon of the Hungarian recipes.


Food Attractions and Taboos

People may desire or avoid certain foods in response to perceived beneficial or

harmful natural traits.


Taboo

A restriction on behavior imposed by

social custom.


Examples of Food Taboos Abipone Indians of Paraguay eat

jaguars and bulls to make themselves strong.

The mandrake was thought to enhance lovemaking in Mediterranean climates.

The Ainus in Japan thought that otters would make one forgetful.

Europeans first thought potatoes caused typhoid and tuberculosis.


Environmental factors to the Prohibition against

HogsTo the Hebrew, pigs were unsuited to pastoral

nomadism, and the meat spoiled quickly in hot climates.To Muslims in Arabia, pigs competed with humans for

food and water, without offering compensating

benefits like wool, or milk.


Annual Hog Production


Environmental Reasons for the Hindu’s

prohibition against BeefA large supply of oxen are

needed to pull plows.Religious sanctions have

insured an increasing population of cattle.


Insects as Food Americans avoid eating insects, despite their nutritional value.

In Thailand, giant water bugs are deep fried as snack foods.

Americans consume insects in canned mushrooms and tomato paste.


Trays of tasty insects at the night

market, Hat Yai, Thailand


Folk HousingThe house is a product of both cultural tradition and

natural conditions.A reflection of cultural

heritage, current fashion, functional needs, and the

impact of the environment.


Distinctive Building Materials

Wood when forest are available.

Bricks of dried wet mud, when trees are in limited supply.

Also used are resources such as stone, grass, sod, and skins.

Drywall for interior wall is used to save money.


Distinctive House FormForm often reflect religious

values.- East wall is sacred in Fiji- Northwest wall in China is

sacred - Walls and corners are also

noted in parts of the Middle East, India,

and Africa


Houses in Madagascar The main door is in the west (the

most important direction). Northeast corner is most sacred. North wall for honoring ancestors. Important guest enter room from

the north and sit against the north wall.

The bed is placed against the east wall, with the head facing north.


In the south-central part of Java, the front

door always faces south, in the

direction of the South Sea Goddess, who holds the key to

Earth.


Houses in Laos Beds are arranged perpendicular to the center ridgepole of the house.

People sleep with their heads opposite their neighbors.

A child, living next door, sleeps with his or her head toward the parent’s feet.


Housing in Laos


Houses of the Yuan and Shan of Thailand All sleep with their heads toward the east.

Staircases must not face west (the direction of death and evil sprits).


Housing in

Thailand


Housing and Environment

Pitched roofs in wet and snowy climates to facilitate runoff.

Windows face south in temperate climates to take advantage of the Sun’s heat and light.

In hot climates, window opening may be small to protect the interior from the heat of the sun.


Housing In China Kashgar have second floor open-air patios.

Small open courts in Turpan.

Large private courtyards in Yinchuan.

Sloped roofs in Dunhuang.


House types of Western China


U.S. Folk House Forms

Pioneer homes reflected the style in the place from which they migrated.

Homes built in the past half century display popular culture influences.


Major hearths of folk house forms in U.S.

New England Middle Atlantic Lower Chesapeake


Source areas of U.S. house types


Major house types in New England

Saltbox Two-Chimney Cape Cod Front Gable & Wing


Diffusion of New England house types


Major house types in Middle Atlantic

The “I” house resembled the letter

“I”, because it was one room deep, two rooms wide, two stories high.


Lower Chesapeake or Tidewater

One story, with steep roof, chimneys at either end, and

typically one room deep.In wet areas house was raised on piers or brick

foundations.


Distinctions are relatively difficult to observe.

Most houses are mass produced by

construction company.

Today’s Houses in U.S.

october 1, 2015s. mathews1 human geography by james rubenstein chapter 4 key issue 2 why is folk...

Documents

physical environment

cultural diversityfolk

similar social customs

local environment

different social customs

food source bean sprouts

inhospitable environment

folk culture clustered