3.1 Introduction to Culture

What is culture?

Culture is the shared beliefs, practices, technologies, and material objects that people learn and pass down as members of a society. Geographers study culture through culture traits (individual features like a food or language), culture complexes (groups of related traits), and culture regions (areas sharing common traits).

Material vs. nonmaterial culture

Material culture includes tangible, physical objects people create and use — clothing, tools, architecture, food. Nonmaterial culture consists of intangible elements — beliefs, values, language, and norms. Both shape and reflect cultural identity, and geographers examine how they vary and diffuse across space.

Culture and place

Cultural landscapes are the visible imprint of human activity on the land, shaped by a society's culture over time. Geographers analyze how culture traits cluster into culture complexes and spread across regions, creating distinctive landscapes like farming patterns, religious architecture, or urban design that reveal a group's values.

Key terms

Culture

Shared beliefs, practices, technologies, and objects learned and passed down within a society.

Culture trait

A single distinct feature of a culture, such as a specific food, language, or clothing style.

Culture complex

A group of related culture traits associated with one another, such as ranching practices and gear.

Material culture

Tangible, physical objects a group creates and uses, like tools, clothing, and architecture.

Cultural landscape

The visible imprint of human culture on the physical environment, shaped over time.

Try an AP-style question

Which is an example of material culture?

1. Traditional clothing
2. Religious beliefs
3. Social values
4. A shared language