Cultural Geography (Geography, Culture, and Social Sciences)

Cultural Region

A region defined by common human characteristics

Bering Land Bridge

an area of land exposed during the last Ice Age in what is now the Bering Strait between modern-day Russia and Alaska, used by prehistoric humans to migrate into the Western Hemisphere

Irish Potato Famine

a disease (potato blight) devastated potato crops across Europe, hitting Ireland the hardest; approximately one million Irish people died of starvation or disease; major driver of immigration to the U.S. from Ireland in the mid-1800s

Transition Zones

areas which exhibit characteristics similar to multiple regions around it

Pull Factor

Pull factors are circumstances or conditions that attract or draw individuals to move to a particular destination.

Sociological Institutions

Groups of people who have come together for a common purpose and have common norms which guide behavior and meet basic needs in the group/institution.

Cultural Adaptation

Immigrants to a new community adjust to the norms of the new culture, and adopt them as their own

Physical Region

A region that share similar physical features.

Assimilation

a process in which existing schemas are applied to new objects or situations

Non-Material Components

any aspect of a culture that is not physical

Mortality Rate

The number of deaths per 1000 individuals in a population per year

Region

A collection of different places that have one or more unifying characteristics. One of the 5 themes of geography.

Acculturation

when one culture takes on some of the cultural traits of another culture

Democracy

A system of government in which all members of society have a share in decision making

Socio-Economic Status

social and economic standing within a group

Primary Socialization

occurs as a child learns the norms, values, and opinions of the specific culture to which they belong

Cultural Foundations

the core worldviews that a society holds about itself, its members, and its place in the world

Values

A person's or group's standards of behavior based on what the person or group feels is important.

Material Components

physical items related to a culture

Functional Regions

A region based on a shared service or purpose

Norms

Rules or expectations that help regulate behavior of individuals in a society.

Cultural Traits

individual aspects of human activity that shape the social life of a place

Demographic Transition Model (DTM)

Describes historical population trends over time based on birth rate and death rate

Population Pyramid

Chart that shows the distribution of a population by age (and often by gender as well)

Cultural Convergence

occurs when two distinct cultures become more similar due to increased contact

Human Migration

the movement of people from one location to another

Assimilate

When an individual or group replaces most of their home culture with the new culture.

Push Factor

Circumstances or conditions in a person's home country that motivate or force them to leave.

Resocialization

occurs as an individual breaks with their previously accepted cultural norms and accepts new values and norms

Cultural Diffusion

the process by which cultural traits spread from one group to another

Cultural Syncretism

the creation of a new culture that is a blend of multiple cultures

Fertility Rate

The average number of children that will be born to 1000 woman in a population per year

Culture

a set of shared attitudes or beliefs common to a group or area

Anticipatory Socialization

occurs as an individual prepares for a future role in society, such as an occupation or a relationship