Should geographers regard culture and social customs as generalizations about a group of people, or should they say it comes from people's interaction with the physical environment?
It seems to me that culture and social customs are more generalizations about a group of people, rather than their physical environment. When people move to other parts of the country or the world, they tend to keep their culture.
Geographers generally consider culture and social customs as a combination of both generalizations about a group of people and their interaction with the physical environment. Culture refers to the beliefs, practices, values, and behaviors shared by a particular group of people. Social customs are the specific behaviors and practices within a society.
When examining the relationship between culture and the physical environment, geographers often analyze how people adapt to and shape their surroundings. This approach, known as environmental determinism, suggests that the physical environment directly influences culture and social customs. For example, the climate, terrain, and available natural resources can shape the subsistence patterns, housing styles, and clothing preferences of a community.
However, environmental determinism has limitations, as it overlooks the agency of individuals and societal factors in shaping culture. Geographers also recognize the importance of cultural diffusion, migration, historical processes, and social interactions in influencing culture and social customs.
To better understand the interplay between culture, social customs, and the physical environment, geographers use various research methods such as ethnography, interviews, surveys, and spatial analysis. These methods help them gather data and observe patterns of human behavior within specific geographic contexts.
So, to answer your question, geographers consider culture and social customs as a mix of generalizations about a group of people and their interaction with the physical environment. They study how the environment influences culture, while also recognizing the role of social interactions, historical processes, and individual agency in shaping cultural practices.