Unit 3: Culture

Cultural trait

A single element of normal practice in a culture, such as the wearing of a turban.

Taboo

Restriction on behavior imposed by a social custom.

Custom

Frequent repetition of an act to the extent that it becomes characteristic of a group of people.

Uniform Landscapes

Contemporary landscape, no distinct character, big box stores, cookie cutter suburbs, strip malls, etc.

Acculturation

The adoption of cultural traits, such as language, by one group under the influence of a dominant culture.

Assimilation

a smaller culture is totally absorbed by a larger, more dominant culture

Sequent Occupance

Process by which a landscape is gradually transformed by a succession of occupying populations, each of which modifies the landscape left by the previous groups.

Expansion Diffusion types

Hierarchial, Stimulus, Contagious

Hierarchical Diffusion

Spread of an idea from a person or nodes of authority to other persons or places

Stimulus Diffusion

Spread of an underlying principle or idea even though the entire concept does not diffuse

Contagious Diffusion

Rapid, widespread throughout the population

Relocation diffusion

Involves the actual movement of people from a source area, this type of diffusion can be stopped by physical, legal or cultural barriers.

Universalizing Religion

faiths that claim applicability to all humans and that seek to transmit their beliefs through missionary work and conversion

ethnic religion

religion that is identified with a particular ethnic or tribal group and that does not seek new converts

Diaspora

The movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland

Animism

Belief in natural world full of spiritual beings with supranational powers, give human and animal characteristics to inanimate objects.

Fundamentalism

Strict adherence to specific religious doctrine/text

How do religious beliefs impact the cultural landscape?

Churches, Mosques, Temples, Cemeteries, Toponyms, Food Taboos

List the reasons why English and Christianity diffused around the world.

Military Conquest, Colonization, Relocation Diffusion, Migration.

Pidgin language

simplified form of speech formed out of one or more existing languages and used by people who have no other language in common.

Lingua franca

Language of business, internet, currently English

Isogloss

Boundary line between places or regions that differ in particular linguistic feature

Dialect

Regional variation of a language distinguished by vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation.

Language Family

Collection of languages related through a common ancestor that existed long before recorded history

Creole language

a language that began as a pidgin language but was later adopted as the mother tongue by a people in a place (Cajun)

Language Branch

Collection of languages related through a common ancestor that existed several thousand years ago

Language Group

Collection of languages within a branch that share a common origin in the recent past and display few differences

Multiculturalism

acceptance of multiple cultural traditions within a society - promotes maintaining distinctiveness of multiple cultures

material culture

the art, housing, clothing, sports, dances, foods, and other similar items constructed or created by a group of people

non-material culture

The beliefs, practices, aesthetics, and values of a group of people.

pidgin language

form of speech that adopts simplified grammar and limited vocabulary of a lingua franca; used for communications among speakers of two different languages

cultural appropriation

situation where a dominant cultural group takes an expression from an oppressed group and uses it for its own benefit

popular culture

Culture found in a large, heterogeneous society that shares certain habits despite differences in other personal characteristics.

local culture (folk culture)

culture traits of usually small, traditional, homogenous, rural communities

Culture landscape

the visible imprint of human activity and culture on the landscape

Cultural Hearth

a center where cultures developed and from which ideas and traditions spread outward

Explain the difference between cultural relativism and ethnocentrism.

Cultural relativism is the practice of judging a culture by its own standards. While ethnocentrism is the practice of judging another culture by the standards of one's own culture.

How does culture impact land-use patterns of society?

It promotes different types of agriculture, uses for and, unique cultural landscapes, different types of transportation,and more.This can create a unique sense of place for a society.

When looking at society how can we see cultural beliefs and identities reflected in the way society is organized and utilizes resources?

World culture promotes urbanization, larger institutions, supply chains that cross boundaries,& have complex economies. Indigenous/ ethnic cultures focus more on family structures, religion, traditions, & small scale economies

Give an example of a centripetal force for the following: language, ethnicity, and religion

one central dominant language like English spoken, Similar ethnic groups that have a strong national identity, When one religious group is in an area it can be used to create a unified culture, a sense of civic duty, and a bond between citizens across large geographic areas.

Give an example of a centrifugal force for the following: language, ethnicity, and religion

Multiple languages being spoken inside a state may lead to communication problems, Multiple ethnic groups with a sense of self-determination, Multiple religious groups may come at odds with one another, and some states will view the devotion to a religious order over a state as unexceptable.