001 - Global spectrum of cultural traits

Activity One - Watch

There has been a lot of discussion surrounding race, ethnicity, and culture in the last couple of years but what does it really mean? And what are the different indicators of a specific culture? Watch the clip below and mind map what race, ethnicity, culture are, along with the specific indicators of culture that are discussed.

Activity Two - Describe

We all come with preconceived ideas concerning what different cultural groups are like. Whether we consider their dress, language, accent, music they listen to, or even food they eat. Below are four different images of what an English person is like.

• • • What is happening in each of the images?

    • Are these images a typical representation of someone who is English?

Activity Three - Draw

We are now going to look at how we view our own culture.

• • 1. Using A4 plain paper draw someone from either the place you were born or the place you hold a passport from. 

    2. Label or add to your diagram symbols for the following features:

       1. 1. • language

             • religion

             • music

             • television

             • sport

             • food

             • dress

             • customs

    3. Using the 'Global Interactions' textbook by Guinness make notes on the different aspects of culture pages 144 to 150.

Activity Four - Comprehension

Using your course textbook 'Geography Global Interactions Study and Revision Guide' by Simon Oakes pages 54 - 56 answer the following questions.

• • 1. What does the world's population have in common?

    2. How has the cultural commonality increased in different places?

    3. Why is  'westernization' an over simplified idea?

    4. Why do western cultures continue to have a disproportionate global influence?

    5. What is 'soft power'?

    6. How does the diffusion of culture occur on the global scale?

    7. Record a number of figures to show the dominant languages today.

    8. What is the Globish micro language? Who adopts it? Why?

    9. Which global citizens are involved in global interactions?

Activity Five - Opinion

Now you know about cultural traits and how they have dispersed across the globe we are going to discuss which has the greatest influence over its spread. Watch the YouTube clips below and suggest which has the largest influence on our own cultures.