APHuG Unit 3: Cultural Patterns and Processes

cultural traits

Specific features of a culture

cultural complex

The combination of cultural traits that define a particular culture

cultural hearth

The place where a cultural complex originates

diffuse

The spread of cultural traits from one culture to another

taboo

A cultural rule that prohibits certain behaviors or objects

traditional culture

A culture that follows long-established customs and practices

folk culture

The traditional culture of a small, homogenous group

indigenous culture

The traditional culture of the original inhabitants of a region

globalization

The process of increased interconnectedness and interdependence among countries

popular culture

The culture that is widespread and influenced by mass media

global culture

The shared values, beliefs, and practices that emerge from globalization

cultural landscape

The visible imprint of human activity on the physical environment

artifacts

Objects made by humans that reflect their culture

material culture

The physical objects that are part of a culture

mentifacts

The ideas, beliefs, and values of a culture

nonmaterial culture

The intangible aspects of a culture, such as beliefs and customs

sociofacts

The social structures and organizations of a culture

placelessness

The loss of uniqueness and distinctiveness of a place due to globalization

built environment

The human-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity

traditional architecture

Architectural styles that reflect the local culture and traditions

postmodern architecture

Architectural styles that reject traditional forms and embrace innovation

contemporary architecture

Architectural styles that reflect current trends and technologies

ethnicity

A shared cultural heritage and identity of a group of people

ethnic enclaves

Geographic areas with a high concentration of people from a particular ethnic group

cultural regions

Areas with a common cultural identity and characteristics

cultural realms

Large areas with a common cultural identity and characteristics

sacred place

A place that is considered holy or spiritually significant

diaspora

The dispersion of a group of people from their original homeland

charter group

The first group to establish cultural and religious customs in a new area

ethnic islands

Small, isolated areas with a high concentration of people from a particular ethnic group

sequent occupancy

The successive cultural imprints on a place over time

neolocalism

The revival of local customs and traditions in response to globalization

cultural patterns

Recurring behaviors and customs within a culture

nationality

The legal relationship between a person and a country

centripetal forces

Forces that unify and bind a country together

centrifugal forces

Forces that divide and destabilize a country

Sharia

Islamic law based on the teachings of the Quran

blue laws

Laws that restrict certain activities on Sundays or religious holidays

fundamentalism

A strict adherence to religious beliefs and traditions

theocracies

Countries governed by religious leaders

ethnocentrism

The belief in the superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture

cultural relativism

The belief that all cultures have equal value and should be understood on their own terms

cultural appropriation

The adoption of elements from another culture without understanding or respect

diffusion

The spread of cultural traits from one culture to another

relocation diffusion

The spread of cultural traits through the movement of people

expansion diffusion

The spread of cultural traits from a central point

contagious diffusion

The rapid spread of cultural traits through direct contact

hierarchical diffusion

The spread of cultural traits from a central authority to other places

reverse hierarchical diffusion

The spread of cultural traits from lower levels of a hierarchy to higher levels

stimulus diffusion

The spread of an underlying principle or idea without the specific traits

imperialism

The policy of extending a country's power and influence through colonization

colonialism

The establishment and maintenance of colonies by a foreign power

animism

The belief that natural objects and phenomena have souls

native speaker

A person who speaks a language as their first language

lingua franca

A language used as a common means of communication between people with different native languages

slang

Informal language used by a particular group

pidgin language

A simplified language used for communication between groups with different languages

creole language

A stable, fully-developed natural language that arises from a mixture of different languages

social construct

A concept or idea that is created and defined by a society

time-space convergence

The reduction in the time and cost of travel and communication between places

cultural convergence

The process by which cultures become more similar to each other

cultural divergence

The process by which cultures become more different from each other

linguist

A person who studies and analyzes languages

language tree

A diagram that shows the relationships between languages

Indo-European language family

A large language family that includes many of the languages spoken in Europe, India, and Western Asia

Romance languages

A branch of the Indo-European language family that includes Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian

isogloss

A line on a map that marks the boundary between two different linguistic features

dialect

A regional or social variety of a language

adage

A traditional saying that expresses a common experience or observation

toponym

The name of a place

official language

The language designated by a country's government for official business

homogenous

Consisting of similar or identical elements

adherent

A person who follows or supports a particular belief or ideology

ethnic religion

A religion that is closely tied to a particular ethnic group

universal religion

A religion that is open to all people and seeks to convert others

Hinduism

The major religion of India, characterized by a belief in reincarnation and karma

polytheistic

Belief in multiple gods

monotheistic

Belief in a single god

karma

The belief that a person's actions in this life will determine their fate in future lives

caste system

A social hierarchy based on hereditary classes

Buddhism

A religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, emphasizing the elimination of suffering

Sikhism

A monotheistic religion founded in Punjab, India, emphasizing equality and social justice

gurdwara

A Sikh place of worship

Judaism

The monotheistic religion of the Jewish people

Christianity

The monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ

Islam

The monotheistic religion based on the teachings of Muhammad

pilgrimage

A journey to a sacred place for religious or spiritual reasons

homogenization

The process of making things uniform or similar

acculturation

The process of adopting the cultural traits of another group

assimilation

The process of fully adopting the cultural traits of another group and losing one's original culture

syncretism

The blending of different cultural influences to create something new

multiculturalism

The coexistence of different cultures within a society

nativism

The policy of protecting the interests of native-born or established inhabitants against those of immigrants