Cultural Contributions from Africa: Banjos, Coffee, and More
WHAT IS CULTURE If you were to travel around the world visiting lots of countries on the way you would probably notice that certain things around you would not be the same as they are at home The countries and places you visit and the people you meet would have different languages customs and ways of doing things The food might be different the way people dress might be different and even the laws and rules might be different to what you know at home All of these things when put together make up what we call the culture of a place A HOUSE IN CHINA MIGHT LOOK VERY DIFFERENT Than ONE IN THE UK WHAT MAKES UP A CULTURE Shared ideas and traditions that make up a culture can include LAWS FOOD LEADERS SYMBOLS BELIEFS CEREMONIES holiDAYS FAMILIES SCHOOLS SPECIAL BUILDINGS HOSPITALS ENTERTAINMENT 4
A culture can also be shared by a group of people who might not live near each other but who share a way of life People who like the same music or hobbies can share a culture People who all belong to the same religion can be said to share a culture no matter where they live Beautiful henna tattoos are part of Indian culture Many Indian brides around the world practice this cultural tradition Our culture is a big part of our identity Having a distinctive culture is what makes places or people unique Knowing you belong to a particular culture is a good feeling It’s nice to share our culture with other people If we are in a culture we recognize we understand what to do or how to act Different cultures greet each other in different ways a HANDSHAKE a bow or even a kiss 5
GLOBAL CULTURE Even though every culture is different and unique many cultures also have lots of things in common We can learn a lot from other cultures and share the things we know and like In the past when people started traveling to other cultures they swapped and shared their food They shared traditions and knowledge and people started to adopt things from other cultures into their own For example British people see drinking tea as part of their cultural identity but tea is originally from China and is also an important part of Japanese culture In Japan the tea ceremony is an important cultural ritual Afternoon teA with cakes and sandwiches is a traditional part of English culture It is also really interesting to explore other cultures and discover new and exciting ways of doing things We can share our ideas and learn new things when cultures meet Tea was originally from China and originated during the Shang dynasty 6
TRADITIONAL ITALIAN PIZZA My Culture Your Culture Our Culture Adopting ideas from other cultures can lead to really interesting results Many cultures take inspiration from others and adapt and change their traditions and customs to make them their own Putting two ideas from two different cultures together can produce new and exciting things Did you know that a pizza in Italy will look very different from a pizza in the US Italians introduced pizza a traditional Italian dish to the Americans living in the US A traditional Italian pizza has a thin crispy crust lots of tomato but only a small amount of mozzarella cheese An American pizza has a thick fluffy base is smothered in cheese and can have lots of different toppings meats fish even pineapple Both cultures share a love for pizza but each culture has their own way of doing things Which pizza do you prefer Italian American or maybe a slice of each traditional AMERICAN PIZZA 7
