Cultural Ecology: Determinism vs. Possibilism

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Questions and Answers

What is the difference between environmental determinism and possibilism?

Environmental determinism is the belief that the physical environment exclusively shapes humans, their actions, and their thoughts. Possibilism is the viewpoint that people, not environments, are the dynamic forces of cultural development.

Which of the above concepts do geographers buy into the most?

Possibilism.

What types of things are you likely to see on the cultural landscape compared with a physical landscape?

A cultural landscape shows human impact, including religious structures, agriculture, houses, roads, etc., while a physical landscape is unaltered by humans.

Name three cultural hearth regions of the world.

Meso-America, Andean, West Africa, Crete, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Indus Valley, North China, Southeast Asia. Signup and view all the answers

How is innovation different from diffusion?

Innovation implies new ideas were created within the culture itself; diffusion implies that an innovation was adopted from an outside source region. Signup and view all the answers

What is an independent innovation?

An independent innovation means that a similar innovation was developed at similar times, but in different locations with no evidence of diffusion occurring. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the difference between Relocation Diffusion and Expansion Diffusion.

Relocation Diffusion occurs when culture moves from one place to another through the relocation of people; Expansion Diffusion spreads out like a snowball from its hearth, impacting all areas in contact. Signup and view all the answers

What are the three types of Expansion Diffusion?

Contagious Diffusion, Hierarchical Diffusion, and Stimulus Diffusion. Signup and view all the answers

What is syncretism and how could McDonald's be used as an example?

Syncretism is when two items of culture combine to create something new. McDonald's alters its menu and structure to reflect local cultures for success worldwide. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a diffusion barrier?

The fact that a culture may not adopt goods or ideas from another culture because of religious restrictions. Signup and view all the answers

What is cultural lag?

When a social group is inappropriately unresponsive to changing circumstances and innovation. Signup and view all the answers

What is globalization?

Globalization refers to the increasing interconnection of all parts of the world. Signup and view all the answers

What type of diffusion is the sharing of medical discoveries first to the medical community through scholarly journals?

Hierarchical diffusion. Signup and view all the answers

What do we call the phenomenon where the further away from the hearth region, the longer it will take for an item of culture to diffuse?

Distance decay. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of space-time compression?

The fact that I can travel from one coast of the United States to another after hours of travel instead of months. Signup and view all the answers

Consider the cultural subsystems (Ideological, Technological, and Sociological). Explain artifacts, mentifacts, and sociofacts, and to which cultural subsystem each belongs.

Mentifacts = Belief systems, part of Ideological Subsystem Artifacts = Material objects for basic needs, part of Technological Subsystem Sociofacts = Social organization of culture, part of Sociological Subsystem Signup and view all the answers

Is a firefighter's uniform an example of a sociofact, artifact, or mentifact? Explain.

A firefighter's uniform is an artifact. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Environmental Determinism vs. Possibilism

Environmental determinism posits that the physical environment shapes human behavior and culture.
Possibilism argues that humans are the main agents of cultural change, with environments serving as potential influences.
Both concepts are part of Cultural Ecology.

Geographers' Preference

Geographers predominantly support possibilism over environmental determinism, viewing the latter as overly restrictive.

Cultural vs. Physical Landscape

A cultural landscape reflects human impact and can include structures such as religious buildings, roads, and farms.
A physical landscape is characterized as unaltered by human activity.

Cultural Hearth Regions

Key cultural hearth regions include Meso-America, Andean region, West Africa, Crete, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Indus Valley, North China, and Southeast Asia.

Innovation vs. Diffusion

Innovation refers to the creation of new ideas within a culture.
Diffusion involves the adoption of innovations from an external source.

Independent Innovation

Independent innovation occurs when similar new ideas develop simultaneously in different locations without diffusion.
Examples include the pyramids of Egypt and the Mayans, as well as the invention of the telephone.

Relocation vs. Expansion Diffusion

Relocation diffusion involves the movement of culture due to relocation of individuals or groups, with geographic areas in between remaining unaffected.
Expansion diffusion spreads cultural items progressively from the hearth, affecting all adjacent regions.

Types of Expansion Diffusion

The three types of expansion diffusion are:
- Contagious Diffusion
- Hierarchical Diffusion
- Stimulus Diffusion

Syncretism and McDonald's

Syncretism occurs when two cultural elements combine to form new practices.
McDonald's adapts its menu and structure to align with local cultures, exemplifying syncretism.

Diffusion Barriers

Cultural practices may resist adopting goods or ideas due to religious restrictions, creating diffusion barriers.

Cultural Lag

Cultural lag refers to a social group's inability to adapt to changing circumstances or innovations.

Globalization

Globalization describes the growing interconnectivity among the world's regions and cultures.

Hierarchical Diffusion

Medical discoveries disseminated first to specialized communities, such as via scholarly journals, exemplify hierarchical diffusion.

Distance Decay

The concept that cultural items take longer to diffuse as the distance from the hearth increases is known as distance decay.

Space-Time Compression

Advances in travel allow rapid movement across distances, reducing travel time significantly.

Cultural Subsystems

Mentifacts encompass belief systems, values, and ethics, belonging to the Ideological Subsystem.
Artifacts are tangible materials fulfilling basic needs and belong to the Technological Subsystem.
Sociofacts represent social organization and relationships within a culture, part of the Sociological Subsystem.

Firefighter's Uniform Classification

A firefighter's uniform serves a practical purpose and is thus classified as an artifact.

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Description

This quiz explores the concepts of environmental determinism and possibilism within cultural ecology. It examines how each perspective influences human behavior and cultural change, as well as the impact of human activity on both cultural and physical landscapes. Test your understanding of cultural hearth regions and the processes of innovation and diffusion.