Chapter 5: Abstract Cultural Geographis

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Knox, Paul L., and Sallie A. Marston. Places and Regions in Global Context: Human Geography. New York: Prentice Hall, 2010. Print A study of human geography generally looks individually at the components of culture as systems. These systems, such as interaction with the environment, religion, agriculture, politics, social interactions, economics, music, language, architecture, and all that is culture, are then assessed collectively to define a culture (174). Culture, as a collective character of human beings is learned and propagated through these systems. This chapter focuses on defining what a culture is and what forces influence the establishment of culture. Chapter 5 considers globalization as a force which has attempted to produce a unified culture. Mechanisms such as the international media, music, and business quickly spread a materialist culture. Cultures are influenced by outside forces and sometimes can assimilate these characteristic changes to produce further diversity (174-175). The cultural landscape, as Carl Sauer described it, was defined by the impact of humans on the Earth. These impacts produce defined cultural regions, systems, and complexes. The chapter introduces contemporary approaches in cultural geography and subdivides the character of culture into a folk and popular genre (178-179). Geographers consider these characteristics within the context of their interaction of the physical landscape. The text points out that it does not categorize culture but rather treats it as an overarching process that shapes, and is shaped itself by society, politics, and the economy (179). Culture is seen as something that continues on through long periods of time, yet can also emerge as something new. It represents the complex interaction of people with the material aspects of their lives. Finally, the chapter engages the ideas that surround globalization
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