This unit will go over culture including diffusion, religion, language, race, and ethnicity. Peru is situated in Western South America, South of Ecuador and Colombia, and North of Chile. Some of the major land areas of Peru are its habitats that range from arid plains in the Pacific coastal region, the peaks of the Andes Mountains extending from the Southeastern part of the country to the Northern part, and the Tropical Amazon Basin Rainforest in the East along with the Amazon River. Important sites in Peru are the City Of Machu Picchu and the Capital City, Lima.
Chapter 4: Folk And Popular Culture
Way Of Life
Folk Culture is culture that is usually in rural communities or isolated and clustered areas. The unique areas that folk culture is present in helps tie the interesting characteristics of the culture to the environment better. Folk culture is not as widespread and popular as popular culture is. Folk Culture spreads very slowly through relocation diffusion from people migrating to different areas. In Peru, you can see folk culture everywhere. You can see it when looking at the bowler hats Peruvians wear, large religious festivals, wine festivals, over 3,000 folk culture based celebrations, floating boats on Lake Titicaca, and the unique dances in parades. Popular Culture, as opposed to folk culture, grows swiftly due to rapid dissemination with contemporary communication and transportation. On a worldwide scale, popular culture is always changing and evolving. Popular culture has expanded around the world through hierarchical diffusion and rapid diffusion, mostly in metropolitan areas. Peru is not only a country of folk culture, as popular culture is seen throughout as well. The influence of North Americans gave popular taste and fashion to the Peruvians, and musical outlets like rock and punk music are present in Peru from the global spread of popular culture. Popular culture sports like soccer and volleyball have also been brought into Peru, often being the entertainment on holidays when enjoying alcoholic beverages and food.
Folk and Popular Culture
Folk Culture
Folk Culture is traditionally practiced by groups in homogeneous, rural, isolated areas. Folk Culture usually spreads through Relocation Diffusion when people migrate.
Folk culture is typically found in rural villages or isolated and concentrated locations. The various regions where folk culture may be found assist to better connect the culture's intriguing qualities to the environment. Folk culture is not as prevalent or well-known as popular culture. Folk culture spreads extremely slowly as a result of individuals migrating to other locations. Folk culture may be found all around Peru. It may be seen in the bowler hats worn by Peruvians, enormous religious festivals, wine festivals, over 3,000 folk culture-based events, floating boats on Lake Titicaca, and parades with distinctive dances. The Quechua and Aymara are Peru's two primary indigenous civilizations. Some of the different cultures in Peru are Indians, Spaniards, and other Europeans.
Popular Culture
Popular Culture is found in large, heterogeneous societies that share certain habits even if there is much diversity. Popular Culture usually spreads through hierarchical Diffusion and Contagious Diffusion.
Popular Culture, as opposed to folk culture, grows swiftly due to rapid dissemination with contemporary communication and transportation. On a worldwide scale, popular culture is always changing and evolving. Popular culture has expanded around the world through hierarchical diffusion and rapid diffusion, mostly in metropolitan areas. Peru is not only a country of folk culture, as popular culture is seen throughout as well. The influence of North Americans gave popular taste and fashion to the Peruvians, and musical outlets like rock and punk music are present in Peru from the global spread of popular culture. Popular culture sports like soccer and volleyball have also been brought into Peru, often being the entertainment on holidays when enjoying alcoholic beverages and food.
Cultural Landscape
Peru’s cultural landscape is very different compared to other countries in South America. There are four geographical areas of Peru that make it unique: the Sierra and Andean highlands region, the desert coastal region, the rain forest area, and the “ceja de montana,” which is the mountain’s eyebrow, or an area of mountainous jungle. The traditional seasons are opposite to that of the Northern Hemisphere, so winter goes from May to November, and Summer goes from December to April. Some common natural disaster threats come from floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic activity. As far as natural resources go, 2.8% of land is arable, 0.7% is used for crops, and the other 96.5% is used for other affairs.
Chapter 5: Language
Language
Peru has 72 indigenous languages and dialects, however Spanish is the official national language spoken by 84 percent of Peruvians. The remaining 26% of Peruvians speak a language other than Spanish. The second most common language is called Quechua, and it is spoken in Peru by around 13% of Peruvians. The third most common language is called Aymara, and around 2% of Peruvians speak it. The remaining 11% of languages spoken in Peru belong to the other 72 indigenous languages and dialects throughout the country.
Different Aspects of Language
Language FamilyA collection of languages related to each other through a common ancestor long before recorded history.Language BranchA large and fundamental division within a religion.Language GroupA collection of languages within a branch that share a common origin in the relatively recent past and display relatively few differences in grammar and vocabulary.
Dialect Vs. Accent
DialectA regional variation of a language that can be distinguished by its distinctive pronunciation, vocabulary, and spelling.AccentThe manner in which people speak and the way words are pronounced in different parts of the world.
Diffusion
The spread of people, things, ideas, cultural practices, disease, technology, weather, and. more from place to place; thus, it's called spatial diffusion (spreads across space).
Different Aspects of Language In Spanish
Language Family
The language family of Spanish is in Romance Languages.
Language Branch
The language branch of Spanish is the Latin Branch.
Language Group
The language group of Spanish is the Ibero-Romance group.
Spanish Diffused to Peru through Contagious Diffusion. Contagious Diffusion is the rapid, widespread diffusion of a characteristic throughout the population.
The language branch of Quechua is the Latin Branch.
Language Group
The language group of Quechua is the Ibero-Romance group.
Regional Dialects
Quechua I (Central) and Quechua II (Peripheral).
Diffusion of Quechua To Peru
Quechua Diffused to Peru through Contagious Diffusion. Contagious Diffusion is the rapid, widespread diffusion of a characteristic throughout the population.
The language family of Aymara is in the Aymaran Language Family.
Language Branch
The language branch of Aymara is the Latin Branch.
Language Group
The language group of Aymara is the Ibero-Romance group.
Regional Dialects
Jaqaru (Central) and Kawki (Southern)
Diffusion of Aymara To Peru
Aymara Diffused to Peru through Contagious Diffusion. Contagious Diffusion is the rapid, widespread diffusion of a characteristic throughout the population.
Pidgin LanguageA pidgin language often emerges when two or more languages coexist in a small geographic area. It involves the natural combination of two or more languages into one fluid and changeable dialect.CreolizationThe process in which two or more languages converge and form a new language (used to describe languages in the Caribbean when slavery and colonization merged cultures.Lingua FrancaA lingua franca is a language that combines simple words from multiple languages so that people who need to understand one another, in order to conduct trade and facilitate business, are able to communicate with one another.
Pidgin Language, Creolization, and Lingua Francas In Peru
Aymara and Quechua are two languages in Peru that came from a common ancestor language, but they are not considered Pidgin Languages or Creolization because of their emergence from only one ancestral language. Quechua is not considered a pidgin language or Creolization, but Quechua is recognized as a common Lingua Franca for Peru. English is another Lingua Franca that is found in many countries, but English is not commonly spoken in Peru as a lingua franca. The only presence of English in Peru is through tourists. A creol that can be found in Peru is Huancaíno Patois, which is an English-based creole spoken in Huancayo.
Chapter 6: Religion
Religion In Peru
Christianity is the most practiced religion In Peru. In a survey taken in late 2020, around 70% of the respondents stated that they were catholic faith. Christians are Monotheastic meaning that they believe in one god. After Christianity, Evangelism is the second most practiced religion in Peru with around 17% of respondents practicing it. In Christianity, evangelism (or witnessing) is the act of proclaiming the gospel with the purpose of spreading Jesus Christ's message and teachings. These two religions are the most commonly practiced religions in Peru, but other religion branches from Christianity such as Adventist and Jehovah's Witness are practiced by around 1.5% Peruvians. Adventisism aand Evangalism are from the protestant Christianity branch whereas Jehovah's Witness is a religion that uses a form of Christianity that rejects the mainstream Christian doctrine of the Trinity (Nontrinitarian Beliefs). The remaining 10% of Peruvians practice much smaller religions like Pentecostal Evangelist or Baptist Evangelist. There are around 7% of Peruvians that don’t practice any religion, or their religion is undefined.
A religion with a relatively concentrated spatial distribution whose principles are likely to be based on the physical characteristics of the particular location in which its adherents are concentrated.
Universalizing Religions
Universalizing religions offer belief systems that are attractive to the universal population. They look for new members and welcome anyone and everyone who wishes to adopt their belief system.
This Pie Chart is showing the major Ethnic and Universalizing Religions in the World.The three most common religions practiced in Peru are Christianity, Evangelism, and Adventist. Of these three religions, Christianity is the only religion that is a universalizing religion. Evangelism and Adventist are two examples of Ethnic religions as well as the remaining of the religions practiced in Peru.
Types of Religions
Hierarchical ReligionA religion in which a central authority exercises a high degree of control.Christianity is divided among denominations, and the religion as a whole is neither hierarchical nor independent. Evangalism and Adventism are both Christian denominations, implying that they are the same as Christianity in terms of whether it is autonomous or hierarchical. These religions are not autonomous or hierarchial because Christianity is composed of a wide variety of branches.Autonomous ReligionA religion with no central authority that exchanges ideas and collaborates informally.Christianity is divided among denominations, and the religion as a whole is neither hierarchical nor independent. Evangalism and Adventism are both Christian denominations, implying that they are the same as Christianity in terms of whether it is autonomous or hierarchical. These religions are not autonomous or hierarchial because Christianity is composed of a wide variety of branches.
Religious Influence On the Landscape
The religious influence on the landscape of Peru can easily be seen through the unique buildings and structures located throughout the state. The religious influence on the landscape of Peru can also be seen when looking at the different ways people throughout the country have adapted depending on their environment. For example, people living in Lima live in nice apartments, whereas others living in other areas usually don’t have access to this or money. The religious influence on the landscape of Peru can also be seen in Machu Picchu or other popular tourist areas. There are many people who believe that the city of Machu Picchu was actually a religion area and not a city.
Religious Conflicts in Peru
In Peru, Christians are persecuted. This is similar to Ancient Rome, but Christians conflicts do not come from the government, but rather from a group called the Shining Path. The Shining Path is a brutal, fanatical movement that feeds on the nations numbing poverty. In other places, persecution often comes from the government however. In Peru there are not many religious conflicts in the past or the present. The Christians being persecuted is the most recent religious conflict in Peru.
Chapter 7: Ethnicity
Ethnicities In Peru
AmerindianAround 45% of people in Peru are Amerindian.The Ameridians are divided into two primary ethnic groups: the Quechuas and the Aymaras, who live mostly in the far southern Andes. The majority of the indigenous people live in the Andean highlands, speak Quechua or Aymara, and have lively cultural traditions. Unfortunately, these traditions are being lost due to urbanization in the region.MestizoAround 37% of people in Peru are Mestizo.Mestizos became the largest group during the colonial period, and the name mestizo was part of the caste categorization used throughout the colonial period, accounting for 37 percent of the general population, or around 11.5 million people. The majority of them live in cities, although others exhibit a greater European ancestry in areas like La Libertad.White EuropeansAround 15% of people in Peru are white Europeans.White Europeans, sometimes known as white Peruvians, dwell mostly on the Peruvian coast in towns such as Lima. Their ancestors are Spanish, Italian, German, French, British, Croatian, and Irish. It also houses over 42,000 Jews with roots from many countries, including Germany. The immigration to Peru began in 1492, with the Spanish colonization of Peru.
Ethnic Cleansing and Genocide
The recently elected Quechua President Alejandro Toledo, acknowledged forcibly sterilizing over 200,000 Indian women between 1996 and 2000 under former President Alberto Fujimori's rule. According to all evidence, the advertisement was aimed at Indian women from traditional Andean Mountain communities. It has resulted in a significant population decrease. During this time, Peru was severely looted due to the administration of Alberto Fujimori, a Japanese-Peruvian who dominated the nation through military brutality in the 1990s. During his rule, Peruvians were subjected to dozens of massacres and thousands of individual deaths with the US government's unwavering support. Much of it took place under the leadership of Fujimori's secret police and military units. After everything that he has done, Fujimori is currently living in exile in Japan.
