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Northern America

Part III

American and European Culture

Lecturer: Mr. Piseth Yin 1

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CHAPTERV

CULTUREANDSOCIETY

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CHAPTEROUTLINE

I. INTRODUCTION

II. FLAGSASSYMBOLSOFUNITY

III. LANGUAGE: TIETHATBINDSORWEDGESTHATSEPARATES?

IV. FREEDOMTOWORSHIP

V. FOODANDDIETVI. THEEXPORTOFPOPULARCULTURE

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I. INTRODUCTION

Geographers have found that a peoplesway oflife, or culture, is perhaps the most meaningful

way to divide the world into regions.

Also important is its society:

how people interact with one another

individually and as groups

whether a society is cohesive and cooperativeor divided and divisive is extremely important

to cultural and social stability

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II. FLAGSASSYMBOLSOFUNITY

Symbols are images that represent: an object,

an idea, or even

a country

In terms of Canadas European history, the

British and French were the most importantplayers.

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Canadian flag, with its red rectangular ends on

either side of the single red maple leaf

standing proudly in a white center rectangle.

The flagsdesign shows no allegianceto either

country, despite the role each has played.

Because of the treesimportance as a source of

sugar, the maple leaf began to serve as anunofficial symbol of Canada as early as the

1700s.

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As a result, much political action is strongly

linked to the representative symbols:

Americans and Canadians display their

flags as symbols of national pride Individuals who strongly disagree with

national policy also may vent their anger

using the nationsflag

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III. LANGUAGE: TIETHATBINDSORWEDGES

THATSEPARATES? Language is perhaps the single most

important gluethat bonds any culture.

Throughout the world, most countries with a

common tongue are unified and harmonious.

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Europeans came to Northern America from

many countries; thus, they spoke a babel of

tongues.

In the United States, despite the fact thatmost immigrants came from German-

speaking roots, English ultimately became the

dominant language.

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The two countries within Northern America

share many common experiences:

European exploration and settlement,

waves of immigration, westward expansion, and

a tradition of democracy and individual

freedom

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A. French Quebec

Does language isolate or unify its speakers?

French and English are both officiallanguages in Canada, but French is spokenalmost exclusively in Quebec.

Quebecois (French speakers who live in

Quebec) strongly believe that language unifiesthem and allows them to preserve theirculture.

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The ten provinces are Alberta, British Columbia,

Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland andLabrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward

Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. The three

territories are Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and

Yukon. 18

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Nearly 80 percent of the provinces residentsspeak Frenchas their first language.

This language dominance is represented withpride in Quebecs media,

heroes, and Arts

Some French Canadians who live in Quebec feelthat seceding (separating from the rest ofCanada) is the best way to preserve theircultural heritage.

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B. The Inuit and Nunavut

Culture-based separatism is alive and wellelsewhere in Canada.

In 1999, the countrys Inuktitut-speaking Inuit

(Eskimo) people were granted Canadasthirdand newest territoryNunavut.

Its population is largely Inuit, the indigenouspeoples who have lived there for severalthousand years.

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In this endless, windswept region of the far

north, 28,000 residents occupy an area that

of about 1,900,000 square kilometers,

roughly one-fifth of Canadasentire landmass.

Inuit cultural values and beliefs are recognized

by the Canadian government as Nunavut

strives to make this governing process

succeed.

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Cultural, social, and political challenges are beingaddressed with the determination to maintain

and hopefully increase the population scatteredacross this territory.

Nunavut faces many critical challenges:

unemployment is widespread, levels of education are low, and

suicide rates are alarmingly high

substance abuse is rampant,

the cost of goods is astronomical and

public services are poor

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Many people in Canada and elsewherewonder whether Nunavut will become a

successful model for other indigenous groupsthat wish to become self-governing.

Some fear that the experiment will ultimatelyspotlight the folly of culture-based politicsthat lead to self-government.

Nunavut has been in place only since 1999,and its outcome remains in doubt.

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C. Language, Diversity, and Stability in the

United States

Becoming American has always been the

key to achieving individual success in the

United States.

The most important step in this process has

always been learning English.

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Nearly all socially, economically, and politicallysuccessful Americans were and continue to

be English speakers.

According to recent census data, however, the

number of families that do not speak Englishas their first language is increasing rapidly.

Many, however, question whether non-Englishspeakers will be able to compete successfullyin the dominant English-speaking society.

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IV. FREEDOMTOWORSHIP

Many early European settlers of NorthernAmerica came because they suffered religious

persecution in their homelands.

The New World offered freedom of worship;

it was a place where groups such as the

Puritans and Pilgrims could practice their faith

without fear of reprisal.

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The majority of Northern Americans75to

80 percentclaim a form of Christianity as

their faith:

In the United States, Protestants

outnumber Roman Catholics by a margin

of about two to one.

In Canada, Catholics slightly outnumber

Protestants.

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A statistic shows that nearly 3,000 differentreligious faiths are practiced in Northern

America.

This amazing figure certainly spotlights the

belief in an individuals fundamental right tofreedom of worship.

Generally speaking, Northern America hasbeen the worlds most tolerant region in itsacceptance of diverse religious beliefs.

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In addition to Christianity, some faiths, such as

Judaism, have been here since the countries were

founded.

Others religions with million followers:

Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism,

and several smaller religious sects

The religious composition of Northern Americawill continue to mirror the growing diversity of

beliefs within this culturally expansive region.

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V. FOODANDDIET

Throughout much of the world, diets areunchanging:

People eat the same foods prepared in the

same way day after day throughout their

lifetime.

Readers who enjoy a varied diet may

consider themselves very fortunate.

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No place else in the world offers a greater

variety of food and beverage options than

Northern America.

Greek, French, Middle Eastern, Thai,

Japanese, and other ethnic restaurants can

be found in most middle-sized

communities.

Large cities, of course, offer a wonderful

smorgasbord of food options.

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VI. CULTURALREALITYANDCHANGES

Culture is a very relative thing in NorthernAmerica; they are highly ranked as measured

by diverse:

technology,

strong economy,

huge vocabulary, and

other measurable traits

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Cultures, like all organisms, grow and change

through time, in one of two ways:

1. through local development(discovery,

invention, or innovation) or

2. by way of diffusion(the acceptance of

traits that originated elsewhere)

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Generally speaking, cities have been thecenters of culture change.

In Northern America, most urban residentsare formally educated and many hold

advanced degrees or well-honed skillsbecause of the growing of :

Universities,

research centers,

great libraries, and

industries

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The second way in which culture changes is

through diffusion, the movement of traits

from elsewhere.

Some culture traits originated in the Old

World and diffused in Northern America:

religion,

language,

market economy,

ideas about democracy and

individual freedoms (and responsibilities)

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Cultures also change through time:

Values change, Technology changes,

Society changes

With change, however, progress often comes.

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VII. THEEXPORTOFPOPULARCULTURE

The imprint of Northern American culture

is in even the most remote areas of theworld:

The American hamburger can be found

almost everywhere Blue jeans, American cigarettes, and motion

pictures are almost everywhere

Fads that began in California, New York, orAspen, Colorado, are rapidly adopted byyoungsters worldwide

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Some cultures resent the widespread

diffusion of Northern Americas popularculture:

consumption of alcohol,

Scantily clad women, the flood of American manufactured

products, and

the spread of many emerging socialpatterns

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Cultural concerns exist even within Northern

America. French Canadians proudly resist

many Anglo culture traits, as do manyindigenous peoples.

In the United States, there are growing

concerns over how best to accommodatethe growing Hispanic population.

In Canada, people are often extremely

critical of many aspects of U.S. culture thatseep northward across the border.

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Canadians are constantly bombarded by

American popular culture:

American-made products and chain

retailers

American current events,

magazines,

television programming,

movies, and

sports

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With few exceptions, Canadian current

events, media, and political developments

rarely reach south of the border into the

United States.

With some exceptions, Canadian happenings

tend not to have much effect on the daily

lives of people who live in the United States.

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ENDOFTHECHAPTER!