AP Human Geography Unit 3A

folk culture

Culture traditionally practiced by a small, homogeneous, rural group living in relative isolation from other groups

material culture

The physical products of human activities; includes arts, music, clothing, architecture, etc

non-material culture

group's ways of thinking (its beliefs , values, and other assumptions about the world) and doing(its common patterns of behavior, including language, gestures,and other forms of interaction)

cultural landscape

Modifications to the environment by humans, including the built environment and agricultural systems, that reflect aspects of their culture.

habit

A repetitive act performed by a particular individual.

custom

A repetitive act performed by a particular group

taboo

A restriction on behavior imposed by a social custom.

cultural trait

The specific customs that are part of the everyday life of a particular culture, such as language, religion, ethnicity, social institutions, and aspects of popular culture.

cultural hearths

source area, innovation center, place of origin of a major culture

cultural relativism

not judging a culture but trying to understand it on its own terms

cultural convergence

The tendency for cultures to become more alike as they increasingly share technology and organizational structures in a modern world united by improved transportation and communication.

Ethnocentrism

Belief in the superiority of one's nation or ethnic group; evaluation of other cultures according to preconceptions originating in the standards and customs of one's own culture.

relocation diffusion

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

Contagious Diffusion

the rapid, widespread diffusion of a characteristic throughout the population

Hierarchical Diffusion

The spread of an idea from persons or nodes of authority or power to other persons or places

Stimulus Diffusion

a form of diffusion in which a cultural adaptation is created as a result of the introduction of a cultural trait from another place

Contemporary Architecture

Architecture of the present; design reflects popular culture

Syncretism

The unification or blending of opposing people, ideas, or practices, frequently in the realm of religion. For example, when Christianity was adopted by people in a new land, they often incorporate it into their existing culture and traditions.

popular culture

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

indigenous culture

a culture group that constitutes the original inhabitants of a territory, distinct from the dominant national culture, which is often derived from colonial occupation

placelessness

defined by the geographer Edward Relph as the loss of uniqueness of place in the cultural landscape so that one place looks like the next

cultural appropriation

the process by which other cultures adopt customs and knowledge and use them for their own benefit

cultural divergence

The likelihood or tendency for cultures to become increasingly dissimilar with the passage of time.

traditional architecture

buildings use building materials available and reflect social/environmental customs of the people EX) log cabins

Assimilation

Adopting the traits of another culture, while losing your original cultural traits

Acculturation

Adopting the traits of another culture. Often happens over time when one immigrates into a new country.