Why study culture in geography?

So, after finally getting my head around the definition of what cultural geography entails I thought it was time to consider its place in the curriculum and ask myself the question –why study culture in geography?

Well firstly research tells me that cultural geography is the most basic component that is needed to understand human geography, which focuses on where and why human activities exist. This is distinctly different from what I have been used to studying throughout my physical geography degree, whereby the main concern is what controls natural forces such as climate and what effect these phenomena have on the environment. However, aside from considering what research told me was the benefit of cultural geography; I decided to consider its potential role in the classroom for myself and came up with the following:

Ø  The study of varying cultures helps demonstrate how diverse planet earth really is. Empathy and understanding of different cultures to our own should therefore prepare students for existence in what is becoming an increasingly global society.

Ø  Awareness of cultures can also help give students perspective. For instance the comparison of our culture to one less fortunate can help ground a person, whilst looking at privileged cultures and beliefs can help aspire and motivate individuals.

Ø  Cultural knowledge helps develop two distinct areas of geographical knowledge. Firstly, how culture controls practises and ways of life. A clear example of this would be exploration of why societies inhabit the flanks of active volcanoes including reasons such as the need for fertile land, and spiritual beliefs that the volcanoes are controlled by gods. Secondly, by analysing how geography itself controls cultural shifts e.g. the rise of the Fertile Crescent.

Ø  Finally, the study of cultural geography will provide a great learning platform to expose students to a range of resources that will develop both their geographical and literacy skills. For instance, paintings, diary entries, and artefacts etc can help students interpret past and present geographical phenomena. This does not only have to be human topics such as collapsing societies, but also natural events such as historical volcanic eruptions and glacier extents.

...I think it’s fair to say the list is fairly endless as to how culture is an integral part of teaching geography! On that note I found this YouTube clip of inspirational quotes surrounding culture which is a great resource to get students thinking that bit deeper...

Defining ‘cultural geography’

Although cultural geography is arguably one of the most vibrant and contested subfields within human geography, it’s definition is certainly not proving as easy to identify... 

Conventional themes of cultural geography have included plant and animal domestication, technological and material practises, ecologies of water and fire engineering, modes of agriculture and human conduct in various geographical landscapes (Johnson et al., 2000).

 However, since the 1990’s it appears there has been a shift in cultural studies from simply looking at how different communities of people operate, to why they might practise certain activities, such as farming methodology and hazard mitigation, in a particular way.

 In order to achieve this perspective it is now encouraged that as geographers we take on a more ‘holistic approach’ and look analytically at communities cultural beliefs in terms of religious views, language, architecture, music, dance, gender roles, work ethics etc (Heatwole, 2006). 

Overall, I think that despite the definition above being a bit "wordy" it is still a good base to begin a new topic with. I also feel that there would be several achievable activities that could be used to encourage students to begin thinking in the more holistic way that the definition demonstrates. One activity I have in mind for the classroom would be to produce two laminated fact cards for students to have on the table in front of them. The first card would introduce a family and their basic "way of life" and cultural beliefs, alongside what particular methods of farming they use – links could then be highlighted between cultural beliefs of say gender roles and how they farm e.g. females are thought as of the 'homemakers' and so the farming process is male-dominated in this particular case study.  The second card would only have a description of a certain community’s cultural views and the task would be for the students to use this background information to suggest what farming methods they might then practise. A similar task could be set up looking at why certain societies inhabit the flanks of volcanoes and look at their cultural beliefs regarding volcanic eruptions. By doing this type of activity I think it would really illustrate to students how understanding a particular communities culture and beliefs can help us to appreciate why they choose to operate in the way they do.

Heatwole. C.A., (2006) Culture:Ageographical Perspective. Found at: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/socst/grade3/geograph.html#geo and cult

Johnston. R.J et al., (2000) The Dictionary of Human Geography, 4th edition, Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.