AP Human Geography AMSCO Unit 3 Cultural

culture

the attitudes and behavior that are characteristic of a particular social group or organization

cultural trait

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

cultural complex

A related set of cultural traits, such as prevailing dress codes and cooking and eating utensils.

folk culture

small, incorporates a homogeneous population, is typically rural, and is cohesive in culture traits

culture hearth

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

cultural region

an area that is set apart from other places by the way of life of the people who live there

formal region

an area of bounded space that possesses some homogenous characteristic or uniformity

functional region

an area organized around a node or focal point

perceptual region

reflect feelings and images rather than objective data

cultural landscape

the visible imprint of human activity and culture on the landscape

ethnic enclave

locations with a high concentration of one specific ethnicity

ex. Chinatown

culture realm

a set of cultural regions showing related cultural complexes and landscapes

globalization

the process in which countries are increasingly linked to each other through culture and trade

space-time compression

the reduction in the time it takes for something to reach another place due to technology

popular culture

mainstream, widespread patterns among a society's population

diffusion

the process of spread of a feature or trend from one place to another over time

relocation diffusion

the spread of an idea through physical movement of people from one place to another

expansion diffusion

The spread of a feature or trend among people from one area to another in a snowballing process.

contagious diffusion

the rapid, widespread diffusion of a feature or trend throughout a population

hierarchical diffusion

spread of an idea from nodes of authority or power to persons or places with less power

reverse hierarchical diffusion

diffusion up a hierarchy, such as from a small town to large cities

stimulus diffusion

The spread of an underlying principle, even though a specific characteristic is rejected.

acculturation

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

assimilation

The process by which people are gradually absorbed and integrated into another culture.

multiculturalism

the preservation of different cultures or cultural identities within a unified society

nativist

a person who favors those born in his country and is opposed to immigrants

sense of place

a feeling for the features that contribute to the distinctiveness of a particular spot on Earth

taboos

Culturally forbidden behaviors.

linguist

a person who studies languages

Romance language

languages that developed from Latin, such as Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian

Indo-European language family

The most commonly used language family, it is spoken by half the world's people; dominates in Europe; English belongs

language tree

a representation of the relationships of languages to each other

dialect

A regional variety of a language distinguished by vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation.

isogloss

A boundary that separates regions in which different language usages predominate

adage

a familiar proverb or wise saying

lingua franca

a language used among speakers of different languages for the purposes of trade and commerce

slang

an informal, often short-lived kind of language used in place of standard words; ESKETIT

creole language

a language that develops from a pidgin language and is taught as a first language

pidgin language

When parts of two or more languages are combined in a simplified structure and vocabulary

Swahili

Bantu language with Arabic loanwords spoken in coastal regions of East Africa.

official language

language adopted for use by the government for conduct of business and publication of documents

homogeneous culture

a group of people who are the same with religious and nation background

ethnicity

affiliation or identity within a group of people bound by common ancestry and culture

nationality

membership of a particular nation either by birth or naturalization

fundamentalism

literal interpretation and strict adherence to basic principles of a religion

theocracies

governments controlled through divine guidance or religious leadership.

sharia

Islamic law, dealing with all matters of both secular and religious life.

neolocalism

folk cultural revival to face uncertainty of modern world

monotheistic

belief in one god

caste system

a social structure in which classes are determined by heredity

karma

The belief that actions in this life, whether good or bad, will decide your place in the next life.

ethnic religion

a religion that is particular to one culturally distinct group of people

universal religion

religion that attempts to appeal to all people, not just those who live in a particular location

pilgrimage

A journey to a place considered sacred for religious purposes.

diaspora

the scattering of people who have a common background or beliefs from their homeland/cultural hearth

charter group

The first group of settlers to establish a new and lasting culture and society in an area

ethnic island

the dispersed and rural counterparts of urban ethnic neighborhoods

sequent occupance

successive habitation of same area over time; builds layer after layer in the region

polytheistic

belief in many gods

animism

the belief that inanimate objects, such as trees, rocks, and rivers, posses souls