Unit 3 Vocabularies and Definitions

Absorbing Barriers

Barriers that completely bring the diffusion of a cultural trait to a stop and can be physical or non

Accent

A distinctive way of pronunciation of a language, especially associated with ethnicity or race.

Acculturation

A process of adapting to a new or different culture.

Animistic Religion

The belief that objects, natural phenomena, and creatures possess a distinct spiritual essence or soul.

Assimilation

The process of becoming similar to something else.

Bilingualism

Fluency in or use of two languages.

Centrifugal

Factors that push people apart or create division within a society.

Centripetal Force

Refers to the social, political, and economic factors that bind a population together and promote national unity.

Colonialism

When a powerful country takes control of another country/territory, often to exploit its resources and people for economic gain.

Convergence Hypothesis

The idea that cultures become more similar as they interact and share ideas through globalization, technology, and migration.

Creole

When a person has two mixed languages they speak.

Creolization

A process by which two or more distinct cultures blend to create a new one.

Cultural Attitudes

Components of non

Cultural Relativism

The understanding that a person's beliefs, values, and practices shouldn't be judged by outside standards.

Cultural Trait

A single identifiable characteristic of a culture such as language, religion, or a custom.

Cultural Hearth

The origin or birthplace of a civilization, a cultural group, or a cultural trait from which it spreads to other areas.

Dialect

A specific form of a language spoken in a particular region with different pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar.

Empire

A large political structure that rules over multiple states, territories, and diverse populations under a single authority.

Endangered Language

Languages that are at risk of disappearing or are dying out.

Ethnic Geography

Study of geographic distribution of ethnic groups.

Ethnic Group

A community or population made up of people who share a common cultural background or descent.

Ethnic Religion

A religion associated with a particular ethnic group, culture, and history, passed down generations within that group.

Ethnocentric Approach

The belief that one's own culture is superior to others, leading to the evaluation of other cultures based on one's own cultural standards and values.

Extinct Language

A language with no living native speakers, often disappearing due to factors like cultural assimilation, colonization, and globalization.

Generic Toponym

The type of place or geographical feature being named, such as a river, mountain, or town.

Genocide

The mass killing or destruction of an ethnic, racial, or religious group into extinction.

Glocalization

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

Imperialism

Practice of a country extending its power and influence over another territory through diplomacy or military force.

Indigenous Culture

Traditions, beliefs, and practices of the original inhabitants of a region, with a deep connection to ancestral land and way of life.

Language Studies

The geographic distribution of language(s) or its constituent elements.

Language Family

A group of languages that are related through descent from a common ancestral language.

Lingua Franca

A common language used as a means of communication between speakers of different native languages, playing a crucial role in trade, diplomacy, and cultural exchange.

Local Culture

The set of practices, beliefs, and customs unique to a specific community or group, shaped by social factors.

Long

Lot Settlement Pattern

Material Culture

The physical objects that are a meaningful part of a culture.

Modernist Architecture

An architectural style in the 20th century that prefers functional and simple forms over historical ornaments.

Monotheistic

The belief in a single, supreme god.

Multiculturalism

The belief that diverse ethnicities, races, and cultures can exist together while maintaining their identities.

Non

Material Culture

Orthodox Religion

Conforming to established beliefs, accepted rules, or traditional practices, especially in religion.

Permeable Barriers

Allows some diffusion but doesn't allow the spread of every idea.

Physical Landscape

Refers to the natural features of the Earth's surface, including landforms, vegetation, climate, and bodies of water.

Pidgin

A grammatically simplified version of speaking with language restrictions.

Placelessness

The loss of uniqueness in a place due to globalization.

Placemaking

The process of creating quality public spaces to foster a strong sense of place and community belonging.

Polyglot

A person who knows and is able to use several languages.

Polytheistic

The belief in and worship of multiple gods and/or goddesses.

Popular Culture

Ideas, beliefs, practices, and objects that are widely shared within a society.

Post

Modern Architecture

Proselytic

To persuade someone to switch to your religious belief or way of living.

Race

A social identity used to categorize people based on physical features.

Religion

A system of beliefs, practices, and values that attempts to order life in terms of culturally perceived ultimate priorities.

Sacred Spaces

A place that has been designated as a religious site and is set apart for spiritual worship and holiness.

Secular

The separation of religion from government and other public institutions.

Secularization

The process where a religion loses its social and cultural significance in society, leading to a separation of religion from life.

Sense of Place

The emotional attachment people have to a location, based on its unique physical and human characteristics and the personal meanings they associate with it.

Sequent Occupance

A theory that describes how successive groups leave their cultural imprints.

Subculture

A group within a larger country that has its own distinct beliefs, values, and practices.

Syncretic Religion

A blend of two or more distinct religious or philosophical traditions, resulting in a new and unified belief system.

Syncretism

Blending of different beliefs, practices, and cultural elements to form a new, cohesive system.

Time

Space Convergence

Toponyms

Names given to specific places or geographic features.

Transculturation

The process of a two

Universalizing Religion

A belief system that aims to be global and appeals to all people, regardless of their cultural or geographical background.