Human Mosaic: CULTURE

I. Culture – total knowledge, attitude and behaviors shared by and passed on by members of a group (a groups way of life)A. Culture Includes:

1. food and shelter2. religion3. family4. language

5. education6. security / protection7. government

8. art

B. Society - Group that shares a place, identity, and culture.

C. Ethnic Group - Group that has a separate identity from the rest of the society.

Culture

Society

Ethnic Group

II. Cultural Change

A. Innovation - creating something new to meet a need.

B. Cultural HearthThe place of origin of a major culture from which new ideas and technologies spread.

Examples: River Valley Civilizations

TODAY – United States and World Megacities Cities (London, Tokyo)

C. Diffusion - The spread of ideas, inventions, or behaviors. (religion, technology, language)

Diffusion of Religion

D. Acculturation - When a culture changes because of its introduction to another culture. (Native Americans, Native Mexicans)

III. Language

A. World Languages - There are about 6900 world languages today.

1. dialect - different versions of a language.(Ex. English has British, Irish,

American, etc.)

IV. ReligionA. monotheism - The belief in one god.B. polytheism - The belief in many gods.

Mono = onePoly = many

Theism = belief in god (or gods)

C. animistic - native religion often nature based (sometimes called traditional religion)

D. Major World Religions1. Christianity 33%2. Islam 21%3. Hinduism 14%4. Buddhism 6%5. Sikhism .36% 6. Judaism .22%

NOTES: As of 2005. This list includes only organized religions and excludes more loosely defined groups such as Chinese or African traditional religions.Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, www.adherents.com.

3 Largest Monotheistic Religions:

•Judaism

•Christianity

•Islam

• Judaism–a. oldest of Southwest Asian religions –

3200 years old

–b. monotheistic

–c. followers called Jews

–d. basic laws and teachings come from a book called the Torah (first five books of Christian Bible)

–e. religious center is in city of Jerusalem in Israel

• Christianity

–a. evolved 2,000 years ago from the teachings of Judaism in Southwest Asia

–b. monotheistic

–c. largest religion with 2 billion followers

• d. based on teachings of Jesus Christ

–(1) Christians believe he is the Son of God–(2) Teachings are recorded in the New Testament of the Bible

• e. three major groups are Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox

• Islam–a. originated in Southwest Asia in 613 A.D.–b. monotheistic–c. based on the teachings of Muhammad

–d. followers are called Muslims and worship God, who is called Allah in Arabic

–e. Holy book is called Qur’an

–f. two major divisions of Islam are Sunni and Shiite

•Hinduisma. one of World’s oldest

religionsb. mostly ethnic religion

concentrated in Indiac. polytheistic

• D. followers called Hindus may believe in one god or many gods, each of whom originate from an aspect of the divine spirit, Brahman

• E. the caste system – levels of defined social classes with specific rites and rituals - it shapes many aspects of Hindu’s lives and beliefs

• Buddhism

–a. offshoot of Hinduism, developed about 263 B.C. in India

–b. polytheistic

–c. founded by Siddhartha Guatama (aka the Buddha)

•d. rejects Hindu caste system

•e. promotes the correct way of living in order to reach an enlightened spiritual state called nirvana

•Sikhism• founded by Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji,

(1469-1538)

• Preach the way to enlightenment and God.

• Strict monotheism

• the brotherhood of humanity

• reject idol worship, and the oppressive Hindu concept of caste.

                                                            

The Khanda -- the Sikh symbol

• Sikhism rejects all distinctions of caste, creed, race or sex

• There is only one God, he is the Creator, Sustainer and Destroyer

• The devotee must live in the world yet keep his mind pure. He must be a soldier, a scholar, a saint

• Rejection of all forms of blind rituals such as fasting, religious vegetarianism, pilgrimages, superstions, yoga, as well as any form of idol worship

Geographical distribution of prevailing organized religions throughout the world:

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http://www.religioustolerance.org/worldrel.htm