Unit 3 AP Human Geography

Culture

shared practices, technologies, attitudes, and behaviors transmitted by the members of a society that are not the result of biological inheritance (socially constructed)

Ethnicity

a group of people who share a common cultural identity

race

historical classification that is used to categorize human populations with shared physical traits (not culture)

culture trait

a single attribute of a culture, such as food preferences, architecture, and land use

material culture traits

clothing
food
literature/art
houses/public buildings

nonmaterial culture traits

language/religion
education systems
government/law systems
music/holidays

Ethnocentrism

judging another culture based on the values of one's own culture (language, religion, customs)

cultural relativism

the idea that a person's beliefs, values, and practices should be understood based on that person's own
culture, rather than be judged against the criteria of another

Cultural landscape (built environment)

the combination of physical features, agricultural and industrial practices, religious and linguistic characteristics, sequent occupancy, traditional and postmodern architecture, and land use patterns

sequent occupance

the combined imprint on an area when it has been inhabited by a succession of cultures

indigenous communities

the original settlers of an area (preinvasion/colonialism) who have retained their culture apart from the colonizers

Ethnic Neighborhood

an area within a city occupied by a distinctive minority culture (e.g. Little Italy in NYC)

standardized language

societies that are advanced are more likely to have this- it is published, taught and used throughout

sense of place

term used to connote attachment to and comfort in a particular place with a strong identity that is deeply felt
by inhabitants

strong sense of place

sense of place that is felt by visitors as well as inhabitants

place making

how a culture makes a place fit their identity by shaping the landscape to show what they believe and value

ethnic religion

a religion that is particular to one culturally distinct group of people (don't seek converts)

Universalizing Religion

Religion that seeks to unite people from all over the globe.

centripetal force

forces that unite a country

centrifugal force

forces that divide a country

cultural diffusion

the spread of an idea, innovation, cultural trend, or disease from its source area to other areas

relocation diffusion

type of cultural diffusion when an innovation or idea spreads by the actual movement of individuals
who have adopted the idea and carry it to a new place

Expansion Diffusion

type of cultural diffusion when an innovation or idea develops in a source area and remains strong there
while also spreading outward the innovation or idea moves through fixed populations (wave-like)

Contagious Diffusion

type of expansion diffusion where nearly all individuals are affected as it spreads outward

Hierarchical Diffusion

type of expansion diffusion when particular groups are affected as it leapfrogs over areas

Stimulus Diffusion

type of expansion diffusion where a small portion of the population adopts an idea or modifies it

culture is socially constructed

the practices and beliefs (culture) that appear to be natural and obvious to people who accept
it, but are actually learned behaviors

culture change

occurs through media, technological change, politics, economics, and social relationships

Globalization

the process of increased interconnectedness among countries most notably in the areas of economics,
politics, and culture

Urbanization

refers to the movement of people to towns/cities and the resulting expansion of the rural countryside to absorb increase in people

Time-space convergence

increasing connectivity between cultures that occurs as a result of communication technology

cultural convergence

cultures become more alike as their interactions increase

cultural divergence

the tendency for culture groups to disassociate from others in order to protect or preserve their culture
from influence or change

local culture (folk culture)

culture traits of usually small, traditional, homogenous, rural communities

loss of indigenous languages

consequence of colonialism and policies of assimilation

culture hearth

the source of civilization: place where a civilization
began and their ideas and practices spread to surrounding areas

civilization

a society with an advanced state of social development
possessing recordkeeping (writing), advanced cities (urbanization),technology, specialized workers, complex institutions (government, religion)

Dialect

variant of a standard language along regional or ethnic lines

World Religions

belief systems that originated in a hearth and diffused

Ethnic Culture

cultures: members share cultural heritage, ancestry, origin myth, history, homeland, language/dialect, symbolic systems (religion/mythology), rituals, cuisine, dressing styles, art, or physical appearance

Assimilation

process in which members of one cultural group adopt the beliefs and behaviors of another group, but
still retain some original uniqueness; often occurs as a result of colonization or immigration

Placelessness

loss of distinct local features (uniqueness) in favor of standardized landscapes which happens as a result of
pervasiveness of pop culture and mass production and availability of a wide variety of consumables

pop culture

culture traits of large, heterogeneous, urban populations (usually rapidly changing)

sacred sites

areas/places of religious/spiritual significance, including cathedrals, mosques, temples, and cemeteries

Linguna Franca

a language mutually understood by people who speak different languages, usually for the purpose of trade

Creolization

the blending of European, Amerindian, and African cultures in the New World as a result of colonialism to
create something new

Colonialism

the policy of acquiring control over another country, occupying it with settlers and exploiting it economically

cultural imperialism

dominance of one culture over another, historically, often occurred as a result of colonization

culture change

occurs through media, technological change, politics, economics, and social relationships

globalization

the process of increased interconnectedness among countries most notably in the areas of economics, politics, and culture

urbanization

refers to the movement of people to towns/cities and the resulting expansion of the rural countryside to absorb increase in people

time-space convergence

increasing connectivity between cultures that occurs as a result of communication technology

cultural convergence

cultures become more alike as their interactions increase

cultural divergence

the tendency for culture groups to disassociate from others in order to protect or preserve their culture from influence or change

civilization

a society with an advanced state of social development
possessing recordkeeping (writing), advanced cities (urbanization),
technology, specialized workers, complex institutions (government, religion)

language

method of communication (spoken/written)

language family

a group of languages with a shared but fairly distant origin

dialect

variant of a standard language along regional or ethnic lines

ethnic cultures

members share cultural heritage, ancestry, origin myth, history, homeland, language/dialect, symbolic systems (religion/mythology), rituals, cuisine, dressing styles, art, or physical appearance

Indo-European Language Family

family of languages believed to all come from a single language (Proto-Indo-European) that spread outward

Hinduism cultural hearth

India/Pakistan- spread to Indian south continent

Buddhism cultural hearth

India- spread to Southeast Asia, East Asia and South Asia (China/Indonesia)

Islam cultural hearth

Mecca/Saudi Arabia- spread to Northern Africa and South Asia

Christianity cultural hearth

Israel- spread to Australia, Europe, North America, Central and South America

Judaism cultural hearth

Israel- spread to North America, Israel, Europe and Russia

Christianity

-biggest religion globally
- Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Protestant
-Springs out of Judaism religiously (Jesus Christ)
- Orthodox popular in Eastern Europe
- Catholics follow Pope, strong in Italy, France, South/Central America
-Protestants, Martin Luther, strong in North America ex: Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists
- Bible is holy book, Jerusalem sacred site (Old + New Testament)
- Cross is symbol

Islam

- 2 categories: Sunni + Shia Muslims
- differences on who the second to Muhammad is
- started in Mecca, founder is Muhammad
- Holy Book is Quran
- 5 pillars are core beliefs
- sacred site: Mecca
-symbols are presents and minarets

Hinduism

- 3 biggest religion, springs from Indus River Valley
- Teachings are from the Veda
- concentrated in Southern Asia (India)
- Hindu temples often look diverse

Buddhism

- smaller population, hearth is in India but more successful in Eastern Asia
-founder is Buddha
-started with Hinduism and branched off
-distinctive temples with tie ins to nature (greenery)

Judaism

-divisions: reformers, orthodox, conservative, hearth in Jerusalem
- spread but is an ethnic religion
- founded by Abraham
- Holy book is Old Testament (Torah)
- symbol is the Star of David

assimilation

process by which a person or persons acquire the social and psychological characteristics of a group and cannot be distinguished from anyone else

acculturation

process in which members of one cultural group adopt the beliefs and behaviors of another group, but still retain some original uniqueness; often occurs as a result of colonization or immigration

multiculturalism

maintaining a diversity of ethnic cultures within a community that are valued and respected for their unique differences

syncretism

development of a new cultural trait as a result of the blending of two distinct but interacting cultures

placelessness

loss of distinct local features (uniqueness) in favor of standardized landscapes which happens as a result of pervasiveness of pop culture and mass production and availability of a wide variety of consumables

interfaith boundaries

conflict between the world’s major faiths

intrafaith boundaries

conflict within a single major faith, such as the different denominations of Christianity or the two branches of Islam

sacred sites (spaces)

areas/places of religious/spiritual significance, including cathedrals, mosques, temples, and cemeteries

buddhism

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islam

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christianity

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hinduism

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