Post by 14flash on Sept 21, 2017 2:15:26 GMT
It's pretty obvious that climate has an effect on culture. Climate affects which plants and animals are readily available which affects cuisine which is unmistakably part of culture. But I wonder if this applies on a more fundamental level, that is, climate is a part of culture as much as music, food, or literature.
I grew up in the American Midwest and one thing which was said frequently, especially by news stations advertising their weather program, was how the weather is "unpredictable." To be fair, it isn't uncommon to have a week in November where it may start out at 20oF, be 50oF the next day, and get back into the 30s for the rest of the week. For the most part this was something we complained about with each other. But the tone always seemed to shift when this was mentioned to people from outside the region. It felt like it was talked about with some subtle pride, as if having experienced this climate somehow made it ours.
Now I live in California and I can't help but feel the locals here feel the same away about their weather. Of course, their weather is a lot nicer--it rarely gets below freezing, it's never humid when it's hot, and the temperature changes evenly throughout a week. But I still detect that same pride when they talk about it.
In this way, climate acts as part of culture because it creates a sense of community. It's something which everyone in a region can experience and use to distinguish themselves from others. It may not feel like culture in the typical sense because it's something tangible which isn't created by people, but it certainly creates a sense of community as much as food or music do. I think this applies to other tangibles as well such as geography or even which starts can be seen at night.
I also wonder, if climate is part of culture, does that make the fight against global warming a kind of cultural preservation?
I grew up in the American Midwest and one thing which was said frequently, especially by news stations advertising their weather program, was how the weather is "unpredictable." To be fair, it isn't uncommon to have a week in November where it may start out at 20oF, be 50oF the next day, and get back into the 30s for the rest of the week. For the most part this was something we complained about with each other. But the tone always seemed to shift when this was mentioned to people from outside the region. It felt like it was talked about with some subtle pride, as if having experienced this climate somehow made it ours.
Now I live in California and I can't help but feel the locals here feel the same away about their weather. Of course, their weather is a lot nicer--it rarely gets below freezing, it's never humid when it's hot, and the temperature changes evenly throughout a week. But I still detect that same pride when they talk about it.
In this way, climate acts as part of culture because it creates a sense of community. It's something which everyone in a region can experience and use to distinguish themselves from others. It may not feel like culture in the typical sense because it's something tangible which isn't created by people, but it certainly creates a sense of community as much as food or music do. I think this applies to other tangibles as well such as geography or even which starts can be seen at night.
I also wonder, if climate is part of culture, does that make the fight against global warming a kind of cultural preservation?
