GEG 100 ONLINE! Cultural Geography ANSWERS - Review Exercises - Chapter 2

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Question 1

What is wrong with using the "geometric" map to define the region of the American Southwest? (see map below.)

Answer:

THIS GEOMETRIC MAP USES ARTIFICIAL BOUNDARIES THAT ARE NOT BASED ON ANY CULTURAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABLES. REGIONAL BOUNDARIES SHOULD REPRESENT DIFFERENCES SEEN IN THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE.

ALSO, THIS GEOMETRIC MAP SHOWING THE SOUTHWEST QUARTER OF THE UNITED STATES INCLUDES A MUCH LARGER AREA THAN WHAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD CALL "THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST". FOR EXAMPLE, THE WESTERN HALF OF KANSAS AND THE SOUTHERN HALF OF COLORADO AND UTAH, AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA GENERALLY ARE NOT CONSIDERED PARTS OF THE "SOUTHWEST".

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Question 2

Use the map below to define and differentiate between a culture regions CORE, DOMAIN, and SPHERE.	Where is the CORE, DOMAIN and the SPHERE of the American Southwest culture region on the map below?
	ANSWER: We may define the CORE as that area in southern new Mexico and Arizona where all three variables (Three Peoples, Norteno, and Sunshine) overlap - i.e. the darkest area. The DOMAIN would then be the area where only two of the variables overlap which would be the circular area of medium shaded circular area of the two states and western Arizona. The SPHERE would be further away from the core where only one variable can be seen. For more see pages 39-40 of the textbook.

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Question 3

 Which of the following regions are FORMAL regions and which are FUNCTIONAL?

1. the dairy belt - FORMAL
2. "Chicagoland" - FUNCTIONAL
3. areas of northern Minnesota where over 30% of the children have blond or light brown hair color. - FORMAL
4. Harper college and the locations of the homes of its students and faculty - FUNCTIONAL
5. the reception area of a radio station - FUNCTIONAL
6. the Islamic world defined as countries where over 50% of of the population are Muslims - FORMAL
7. the Dean's Dairy company and the location of the dairy farmers who supply it with milk - FUNCTIONAL
8. Latin America - FORMAL
9. Sub-Saharan Africa - FORMAL
10. the distribution area of the Chicago Tribune - FUNCTIONAL

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Question 4

 Define Syncretism and give several examples. (Briefly discuss why each is an example of syncretism.)

ANSWER: Syncretism - The fusion of two distinctive cultural traits into a unique new hybrid trait. Or, it is a cultural trait from one area that is modified after it is adopted in another area. FROM THE TEXTBOOK: "Syncretism occurs in many aspects of culture, such as the fusion of African religion with Catholicism in Brazil, or the change in food such as the Mexican taco or Chinese chow mein into the variety we are familiar with in the United States and Canada. Another example is Japanese-style capitalism, which fuses the free-market ideas of the capitalist West with the group-oriented social relations of the Confucian East. The result is a form of capitalism much different from that in North America, in which corporations offer lifelong jobs to their employees and government decides which industries should be phased out."

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Question 5

Every location is in not one but many formal and functional regions of different types at various geographic scales ranging from small scale elementary school districts to the developed or developing regions at the international scale. Name some other formal and functional regions we are in, at our exact location here on campus.

ANSWER:

Formal regions: 1. Harper college campus, 2. the "midwest", 3.

Functional regions: 1. Chicagoland, 2. distribution area of the Chicago tribune,

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E-Mail instructor: mhealy@harper.cc.il.us
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