But, what about culture?
Respected scholars have demonstrated the persistent influence of folk traditions on localities, even centuries after the founding generations have passed away--and, even after their descendants have moved away, died-out, or become outnumbered by other groups.
In his wonderful book Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America, author David Hackett Fischer lists twenty-four metrics that define a folk tradition.
Over the next few days, I plan to apply these metrics to define the folk traditions of historic Pine Castle, a broad region south of Orlando, Florida.
The 24 folkways are:
- Speech - pronunciation, vocabulary, syntax, grammar, etc.
- Building - architectural forms (high and low)
- Family - household structures (ideal and actual)
- Marriage - including courtship and divorce
- Gender - how men and women interact in social situations
- Sex - attitudes toward sexuality and treatment of deviants
- Child-rearing - ideas on nature vs. nurture
- Naming - popularity and patterns
- Age - treatment of the elderly and interactions among generations
- Death - rituals/customs associated with dying and mortuary/mourning practices
- Religion - patterns of worship and theology
- Magic - supernatural and superstitious beliefs
- Learning - literacy and education
- Food - diet, nutrition, cooking, eating, and fasting
- Dress - clothing, hair, and adornments
- Sport - recreational/leisure activities and games
- Work - ethics and type
- Time - use, measure, and rhythm
- Wealth - distribution and interaction between the rich/poor
- Rank - how status was conferred and interaction between high/low
- Society - patterns of migration, settlement, association/affiliation
- Order - establishment of institutions and how disorder was treated
- Power - political authority/participation
- Freedom - balance between liberty and restraint
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