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For example, let's say we have a fairly typical fantasy world which contains humans, elves, and dwarves. Let's say there are also three main areas in the world; one is a small trading town built around a wasteland oasis; one is the cliche fantasy castle city, and one is a trading outpost in the bitter cold of the north.
In this world, by default, humans, elves, and dwarves have certain cultural characteristics which are associated with their race. Do the wasteland dwarves have a culture which is more similar to the tundra dwarves or do the wasteland dwarves have a culture which is more similar to the wasteland humans?
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I would say that the wasteland dwarves' culture would be more similar to that of the tundra dwarves. The inherent characteristics of a race are, in my mind, the strongest determining element of that race (and this might explain why there are frequently many human cultures, since one of the typical defining elements of humanity is its ability to adapt/change to suit its circumstances), and how a race's culture or society varies from place to place will largely be a product of how that race's inborn / natural characteristics respond to the environment.
That's not to say that there wouldn't potentially be some considerable differences between the wasteland dwarves and tundra dwarves -- if dwarves are racially characterized by clannishness, honor, and greed, that probably isn't going to change any more than canines tend to congregate in packs, but how those characteristics manifest themselves will be different in different environments.
Cheers.