If we were to compare our definitions, I'm sure we'd see some very different answers. Even the geography textbooks you read will have different definitions. The reason for this is that culture is such a huge and unwieldy thing. One of the simplest definitions I've seen is from Dr. Al Larson of the University of Illinois at Chicago. He defines culture as the "Attitudes, objectives, and technical skills of a people." In other words, culture refers to the accumulated knowledge of a people.

Because this is still too broad, Dr. Larson then breaks it down into the following five categories:

1. Material Culture: the tools, technical skills, and economic systems of a people

2. Social Organizations: Includes the government and social institutions of a people

3. Attitudes Toward the Unknown: includes religion, science, and magic

4. Art: includes graphic art, folklore, and music

5. Language: the most important because it is the cement of culture

All of these combine to shape the environments in which people live. Often, this is visible right on the land itself. This "cultural landscape" can take many forms and is reflected in both rural and urban settings. It can be as large and impressive as the Chicago skyline or simple as the miles of cornfields through the Illinois prairie. In both places, what people think, believe and value has had a profound influence on the landscape surrounding them.

In the introduction to this unit, we saw that culture is a very difficult thing to narrow down and define. This week, we will begin to do just that. Culture can be broken into two broad categories: Folk Culture and Popular Culture. These are fundamentally different. You can think of Folk Culture as the knowledge and traditions that grew out of a people's unique history and experiences. Popular Culture, on the other hand, is the consumerist, media driven culture that pervades our daily life. For most urban Americans, there is no difference between folk culture and popular culture. Popular culture is their folk culture. To better understand the difference between the two let's view a presentation on folk culture by Dr. Raymond Sanders of the University of Texas at Austin.

In places where the folk culture is still strong, what a person wears reveals a great deal about their cultural background. Take a look at this slideshow of folk dress from Professor Dale Lightfoot at Oklahoma State University. As you look at the slides and read the captions, keep in mind that these styles of dress developed for both practical and traditional reasons. 

The term cultural landscape refers to the effect culture has had on the land itself. Read explanation of the relationship between culture, geography, and the landscape by Dr. Ingolf Vogeler. The cultural landscape of a region is the convergence of its human and physical features. Let's visit **Places** and **Regions** from my Urban Challenge and Promise site to see how these two factors interact within the City of Chicago. The 100% American

Education is also a major part of culture. Listen to this clip comparing the education system in Poland, South Korea, Finland and the US. Which system would you want to learn in?

Culture Unit Project  Due Date: Nov. 3 - Don't wait until the last minute to do this!