Cultural Patterns
Introduced| English |
|---|
| popular culture/ˈpɒpjʊlə ˈkʌltʃə/ |
| folk culture/fəʊk ˈkʌltʃə/ |
| taboo/tæˈbuː/ |
| customs/ˈkʌstəmz/ |
| indigenous culture/ɪnˈdɪdʒənəs ˈkʌltʃə/ |
Folk and popular culture
- Folk culture 民俗文化 is traditional, local, and slow to change (a village craft or dance).
- Popular culture 流行文化 is widespread, fast-changing, and spread by media.
- Folk culture ties to place; popular culture spreads everywhere.
Folk or popular culture?
Sort each example as folk culture or popular culture.
A traditional dance performed only in one region and passed down for generations is...
Local, traditional, slow-changing = folk culture.
Widespread, fast-changing culture spread by media is ____ culture.
Popular culture spreads globally through media.
Select all features of folk culture.
Folk culture is local, traditional, slow; mass media spreads popular culture.
Rules and taboos
- A taboo 禁忌 is something a culture forbids or considers shameful.
- Customs 习俗 are the usual, accepted ways of doing things.
- Both vary hugely between cultures — what is normal in one may be taboo in another.
What is taboo in one culture may be perfectly normal in another.
Taboos vary widely between cultures.
Local and indigenous
- Indigenous culture 本土文化 belongs to the original people of a region.
- Popular global culture can threaten folk and indigenous traditions.
- Some communities work hard to preserve their language and customs.
Match each term to its meaning.
Taboo = forbidden; custom = accepted; indigenous = original people.
"Folk" does not mean primitive, and "popular" does not mean better. Folk culture is deeply tied to place and identity; popular culture spreads fast but can flatten local difference. Describe them neutrally, not as a ranking.
A hand-woven regional costume worn only at a village festival is folk culture. A global pop song streamed by millions the same week is popular culture. Eating certain foods may be a custom in one place and a taboo in another.
Folk culture is local, traditional, slow-changing; popular culture is widespread, fast, media-spread. A taboo is a forbidden act; customs are accepted ways. Indigenous culture belongs to a region's original people and can be threatened by global popular culture.