Bricks 2 CH1

• Aardrijkskunde
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 2

Chapter 1 Culture

Culture

A collection of customs and (unwritten) social laws of a group of people.

What does not belong to culture?

1. religion
2. language
3. skin colour
4. values

What is characteristic for the
Dutch culture?

Cultural elements

The most important characteristics of a culture, like religion, language and also values and standards.

Cultural regions

Cultural region

An area in which you find people with about the same cultural elements.

Do you agree with the statement that there is no such thing as the Dutch culture?

1.2 Cultural diffusion

A McDonald's restaurant in Japan, an example of cultural diffusion.

Cultural diffusion

The spread of cultural elements is called cultural diffusion. 

• Examples: Food (Italian pizza), music from other countries and language (TTO!)
• Cultures can influence each other and change.

What city is this?

Cultural diffusion in the past: This picture was not taken in Rome, but in El Djem, Tunisia.

Causes cultural diffusion

- trade relations

- migration

- tourism

- media

Cultural homogenisation

Since World War II, North American culture has become more and more dominant around the world. This is called Americanisation. 

Our world is now more interconnected than ever. We call this globalisation.

When cultures adopt more cultural elements from each other, they become more and more similar. This process is called cultural homogenisation.

Cultural heterogenisation

Globalisation can also lead to a revaluation of a culture:

• People could get more aware of their own culture
• They appreciate more of what they have and so express certain cultural elements more. 
• Cultures would become less similar > cultural heterogenisation.