1. Session 12: Cultural diffusion, contact and transfer
October 15, 2013
1) Critical review marking rubric;
1) Cultural diffusion – approaches;
2) Cultural contact and transfer;
3) Start watching: Dadaab, the documentary
4) Key concepts test handed back;
Readings: Chapter 5 of Norton – Cultural Diffusion; Cultural Contact
and Transfer
Norton, W. (2005). Cultural Geography: Environments, Landscapes, Identities, and
Inequalities. Oxford University Press, Don Mills.
Sushi

2. Critical Review Rubric
•
5 points: Explanation of the paper: i) what is the author aiming to
communicate – what is the thesis statement?; ii) what are the
main arguments?; i) how does this paper relate to the key
concepts in the geography of culture and environment?; etc...
•
7 points: Critical component: i) is there a clear rationale to the
paper - why or why not; ii) does the author give enough evidence
to support the thesis – why or why not?; iii) does the argument(s)
agree with one or more theories in geography – explain.
•
3 points: Formatting: i) appropriate title including author name(s)
and title of the article that you are reviewing; ii) writing
style/presentation/flow; iii) references
•
Total 15 points (15% of your grade)

3. Hearth: a “heartland” where culture originates
Sourse: http://go.hrw.com/ndNSAPI.nd/gohrw_rls1/pKeywordResults?ST9%20Buddhism

4. 7 main hearts for all of humanity
1) The Nile River Valley
2) The Indus River Valley
3) The Wei-Huang Valley
4) The Ganges River Valley
5) Mesopotamia
6) Mesoamerica
7) West Africa

5. 3 Approaches to Understanding Cultural Diffusion
 Looks mostly at the diffusion of innovations
1) Spread of Cultural Traits: ‘traditional approach’

6. e.g. spread of innovation from one neighborhood to
another based on proximity
e.g. spread of innovation from one larger [urban] centers
to smaller [rural] areas
e.g. gain in popularity of an innovation throughout time
Figure 5.3, Source: Norton 2005, pg. 162

7. 3 Approaches to Understanding Cultural Diffusion
2) Spatial Analytic Approach: ‘uncovers empirical regularities in
diffusion process’
3) Political Economy Approach: concerned with links between
diffusion, culture and power
*a reaction to the dehumanization in the spatial
analytic approach
 Cultural contact and transfer (e.g. processes of colonization)
*temporal: happens over time

8. Figure 5.6: Human-and-Nature Relationship Through Time
Source: Norton 2005, pg. 168

9. Figure 5.7: Haida Seasonal Cycle, 1774 and 1915
Source: Henderson 1978 in Norton 2005, pg. 171

10. Figure 5.8: Changes in the Aboriginal Economy of Northern Manitoba
Source: Tough, 1996 in Norton 2005, pg. 173

11. Video: Dadaab, the documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVoaiQfOheY

12. Key concepts test – Example Ch.1
A ‘social construct’ refers to the fact that individuals are born into a society that
already exists, and that the society impacts/shapes the individual’s perception and
worldview. It has social, historical, and political aspects. The idea of ‘social
constructs’ is critical in the geography of culture and environment because it
recognizes that there are factors that shape how people view the world,
acknowledging that there are many “truths”. An example of a social construct is the
idea of identity, and that our identities area a reflection of our interactions with
others and with society and are therefore fluid and ever-changing. ‘Culture’ is a
term that has multiple interpretations from various disciplines. It can be described
as: the values and abstract ideals held by a group, the norms they follow, and the
outcomes/materials they create. Culture is a key component in this area of study, as
it seeks to represent different cultures and their interactions with
environment/nature. An example of culture is the perception of the healing powers
of the buffalo sundance in the video viewed in class. The ‘social construct’ idea is
very relevant to how we understand culture as a concept relating to place because
it explores that culture is something that is ‘created’ by humans and societies (i.e.
socially constructed), that it can therefore change and be expressed at different
levels, and that cultures are different (not better or worse).

13. Key concepts test – Example Ch.2
Landscape school, as explained in the textbook, describes how landscapes are the
result of human activities and change over time as human activities change.
Environmental determinism however is essentially the opposite and is a concept
that emphasizes the effect the environment has on human behaviour. Both
concepts acknowledge a change in landscape but differ on the cause of the change.
Landscape school ex) A landscape in the prairies, such as an urban space may have
been used for many diverse practices before becoming an urban space. Use of
agricultural land may have stopped to become a place where farmers can sell
produced goods at a market and continual societal advancement led to a drastic
change in landscape.
Environmental determinism ex) Habitants of northern areas have adapted their
survival skills over time to reflect the lived environment. Communities depend on
nature to survive so as nature changes, societies must also make changes in order
to survive.
These concepts relate to the geography of culture and environment by providing
explanations on how societies and their environments interact.

14. Key concepts test – Example Ch.3
Spatial analysis really deals with observing the conditions around you without room
for creativity and takes an economic approach to geography. In relation to
Humanism, it deals a lot more with the ontology and epistemology of humans. The
lived and experiential and symbolic experiences humans have while respecting the
freedom and dignity of other people. A clear example of a humanistic approach in
geography can be seen through the Black Hills project where the focus was clearly
from the perspective of the Lakota on Pine Ridge. The Black Hills project took a
phenomenological approach to geography where the descriptions of the Black Hills
was from the people who lived there. From this perspective the author takes a
humanistic approach of concern with the Lakota people so they can explain their
culture from their point of view. In relation to spatial analysis this would be focused
on statistics of the Black Hills area. For example, if we looked at the spatial area of
the black hills we could see that 90% of the population are in poverty, but this
would not be an accurate reflection of the people, their culture, or how they have
come to be one of the highest poverty areas in the US. We can see that a lot of the
times the outcomes of spatial analysis don’t describe the process of how they got
to the conclusion and can create an unhumanistic bias in certain circumstance. This
relates because these certain approaches in geography can cause misconceptions in
a population and really not cover the whole truth of areas.

15. Session 13: Landscapes in transition
October 17, 2013
Finish watching video: Dadaab, the documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVoaiQfOheY
Guest: Muuxi Adam or Abdi Ahmed – Refugees, conflict and
cultural displacement
Reading: Chapter 5 of Norton – Shaping landscapes