AP Human AMSCO Chapter 7 Vocabulary

Imperialism

A policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force over other territories.

Colonialism

An attempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose its political, economic, and cultural principles in another territory.

Animism

The belief that objects, such as plants and stones, or natural events, like thunderstorms and earthquakes, have a discrete spirit and conscious life.

Native Speakers

People who have spoken a particular language from early childhood.

Lingua Franca

A language mutually understood and commonly used in trade by people who have different native languages.

Slang

Informal words and phrases that are used by specific groups in casual conversation.

Pidgin Language

A simplified form of speech developed from two or more languages used for communication among people who do not share a common language.

Creole Language

A stable, full language that developed from a pidgin language when it became the primary/native language of a group.

Social Constructs

Concepts, categories, or ideas created and accepted by a society that may not have an objective physical reality.

Time-space convergence

The idea that distance between places is shrinking in terms of travel time or communication time due to technological advances.

Cultural Convergence

The theory that two cultures will become more like each other as their interactions increase.

Cultural Divergence

The restriction of a culture from outside cultural influences, causing cultures to become increasingly different over time.

Linguists

Scientists who study the structure, development, and relationship of human languages.

Language tree

A graphic representation of the relationships among language families, branches, and groups over time.

Indo-European Language Family

The world's largest language family, spoken by nearly half the population, including Germanic, Romance, and Indo-Iranian branches.

Romance Languages

A group of related languages derived from Vulgar Latin, including Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian.

Isoglosses

Geographic boundaries within which a particular linguistic feature occurs or a word is spoken.

Dialects

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

Adages

Sayings or proverbs that express a general truth or piece of advice derived from experience.

Toponyms

The names given to places on Earth's surface.

Official Language

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

Homogeneous

Describing a group or society that shares uniform or very similar cultural, linguistic, or ethnic characteristics.

Adherents

Believers, followers, or faithful practitioners of a particular religion, philosophy, or ideology.

Ethnic religions

Religions with a relatively concentrated spatial distribution whose principles are likely based on the physical characteristics of the particular location.

Universal religion

A religion that attempts to appeal to all people worldwide, not just to those living in a particular location.

Hinduism

A major ethnic religion originating in South Asia, characterized by a belief in karma, reincarnation, and a diverse pantheon.

Polytheistic

Belief in or worship of more than one god.

Monotheistic

Belief in or worship of only one God.

Karma

In Hindu and Buddhist doctrine, the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, deciding their fate in future existences.

Caste system

A strict social structure in India traditionally associated with Hinduism that ranks individuals into hereditary social classes.

Buddhism

A universalizing religion founded in ancient India by Siddhartha Gautama, focusing on spiritual enlightenment and overcoming suffering.

Sikhism

A universalizing monotheistic religion founded in the Punjab region of India by Guru Nanak.

Gurdwara

A Sikh place of worship.

Judaism

An ethnic monotheistic religion originating in the Middle East, based on the Torah and covenant with God.

Christianity

A universalizing monotheistic religion based on the life, teachings, and death of Jesus Christ.

Islam

A universalizing monotheistic religion based on the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as recorded in the Quran.

Pilgrimage

A journey to a place considered sacred for religious or spiritual purposes.

Homogenization

The reduction in cultural diversity through the popularization and diffusion of a single dominant culture.

Acculturation

The process of adopting the cultural traits or social patterns of another group while retaining distinct original cultural traits.

Assimilation

The process by which a minority group fully adopts the culture, habits, and customs of a dominant group, losing its original identity.

Syncretism

The blending or combining of elements from different cultures, religions, or philosophies to form a new cultural synthesis.

Glocalization

The practice of conducting business or adapting products according to both local and global considerations.

Nativist

An attitude or policy favoring native-born inhabitants over immigrants.