Global Spectrum of Culture & Diversity (DP IB Geography): Revision Note

Culture describes a system of shared meaning

The culture of a place or a person is made up of lots of different parts, including traditions, language, foods, symbols, values, religion and leisure activities

Some cultures can be similar, while others can be very different

Culture is important to all human populations; it is what makes people who they are

Cultural traits are distinctive features shared within specific groups and include:

Cultural activities such as

• Festivals: celebrations mark significant events or beliefs in a community

• Rituals: births, marriages and deaths have particular customs linked with them across different cultures

• Behaviours such as greeting other people, dining etiquette, etc.

• Symbols and objects such as totem poles for Indigenous communities

• Patterns and designs: Arabic calligraphy in Islamic art or Māori moko tattoos in New Zealand

Ethnicity involves cultural practices, views and distinctions

• Major groups, such as African, Asian or European, have sub-groups

• These sub-groups are further separated by language, regional practices, or even a shared history

Identity is complex and can include:

• National identity involves shared symbols such as flags, anthems and history

• Religious identity is a shared belief system that can shape lifestyles, moral values and worldviews

• Ethnic identity reflects pride in being connected with a particular ethnic group

• Subcultural identity has roots in larger cultures, based on shared interests or lifestyles such as hip-hop culture or the vegan community, etc.

The world is changing faster than ever before

Technologies such as the internet and satellite communications make the world more global and more interconnected

This has increased interactions between economies and cultures, changing everyday lives through cultural diversity or the hybridisation of cultures

This can occur through adoption

• The host culture fully adopts the ‘foreign’ culture without modifying it

Or through adaptation

• The host culture borrows parts of the 'foreign' culture and modifies it to fit the host society

Adoption and adaptation of cultures have led to the development of a 'global culture'

• Apple products have become part of people's lives around the world

• This cultural product is designed in the US, manufactured in China and sold across the globe

• This globalising of American products is termed Americanisation

• Westernisation, on the other hand, is the adoption of British, European and Canadian culture, etc.

Western culture still plays a significant role in shaping the global cultural landscape

However, other non-western cultures are also impacting the cultural landscape

• For example, China's flagship phone, Huawei, and South Korea's Samsung are influencing the technological landscape

• Japan's car manufacturer, Toyota, can be found in almost every country in the world

The world is becoming more of a single or global culture

Examples of Global Culture