ap human geography unit 3

AMSCO aligned

culture

all of a group’s learned behaviors, actions, beliefs, and objects

cultural traits

all cultural elements, visible or invisible

cultural complex

interrelated traits and cultural artifacts

cultural hearth

area where a unique culture or specif

taboos

behaviors heavily discouraged by a culture

folk cultures

beliefs and practices of small, homogenous groups often living in rural areas that are relatively isolated and slow to change 

culture realms

share some vital traits (language, food, history, architecture)

space-time compression

improvements in transportation and communication have shortened tone time required for movement, trade, or other forms of interaction between two places

globalization

process of intensified interaction among peoples, governments, and companies of different countries around the world

popular culture

cultural traits that diffuse quickly over a large area and are adopted by various groups

diffusion

the spreading of information, ideas, behaviors, and other aspects of culture

relocation diffusion

s

expansion diff

contagious diffusion

where a cultural trait spreads continuously outward from its hearth

hierarchal diffusion

spread of culture outward from the most interconnected places or from centers of wealth and importance

reverse hierarchal diffusion

stimulus diffusion

occurs when a cultural trait spreads but every culture modi

acculturation

when an ethnic group/immigrant moves to a new area adopts the values and practices of the larger group that has received them

assimilation

when an ethnic group can no longer be distinguished from the receiving group

multiculturalism

coexistence of several cultures in one society, with the ideal of all cultures being valued and worthy of study

linguist

scientist who studies languages

language tree

indo-european language family

romance languages

unifying language of latin diverged into distinct regional languages

isoglosses

boundaries between variations in pronunciations or word usage

dialects

regional variations of a language

adages

sayings that attempt to express a truth about life

lingua franca

common language used by people who do not share the same language

slang

informal usage by a segment of the population

pidgin language

simplified mixture of two languages that has fewer grammar

creole language

when two or more languages can mix and develop a more formal structure and vocabulary so that they are no longer a pidgin language, has native speakers

swahili

trade between arab-speaking merchants and bantu-speaking residents result

official language

one designated by law to be language of government

homogenous

made up largely of ethnically similar people

ethnicity

membership in a group of people who share characteristics such as ancestry language, customs, history, and common experiences

nationality

describes people’s connection to a particular country

fundamentalism

an attempt to follow a literal interpretation of a religious faith

sharia

Islamic legal framework for a country

theocracies

country whose government is led by religious leaders

neolocalism

the process of re-embracing the uniqueness and authenticity of a place

polytheistic

having many gods

monotheistic

having one god

karma

the idea that behaviors have consequences in the present or future life

caste system

rigid class structure

ethnic religions

belief traditions that emphasize strong cultural characteristics among their followers

universal religion

actively seeks to convert to its faith regardless of their ethnic background

pilgrimage

a religious journey taken by a person to a sacred place of their religion

animism

belief that non-living objects, such as river or mountains, have a spirit

charter group

first group to establish cultural and religious customs in a space

ethnic islands

concentrations of an ethnic group

sequent occupance

ethnic groups move in and out of neighborhoods and create new cultural imprints on the landscape