AP Human Geography: Unit 3 Vocabulary: Cultural Patterns & Processes

Accent

A way of pronouncing words

Acculturation

Occurs when an ethnic or immigrant group adopts enough of the ways of the host society to be able to function economically and socially

Assimiliation

occurs when an ethnic or immigrant group blends in with the host culture and loses many culturally distinctive traits

Centrifugal force

A force that threatens the cohesion of a neighborhood, society, or country

Colonialism

The act of forcefully controlling a foreign territory, which becomes known as a colony

Creole

A combined language that has a fuller vocabulary than a pidgin language and becomes a native language

Creolization

The linguistic process where languages converge and create new languages and forms of communication

cultural relativism

An approach to understanding other cultures that seeks to understand individuals and cultures from a wider perspective of cultural logic

Culture trait

A single aspect of a given culture or society

culture hearth

A focused geographic area where important innovations are born and from which they spread

dialect

A regional variation of a language that is understood by people who speak other variations of that language

endangered language

A language that is not taught to children by their parents and is not used actively in everyday matters

ethnic group

A people of common ancestry and cultural traditions, characterized by a strong feeling of group identity

ethnic religion

A religion identified with a particular ethnic or tribal group that does not seek converts

ethnocentric approach

An approach to understanding other cultures that evaluates them from the perspective of the observer’s culture

extinct language

A language that has only a few elderly speakers still living or no living speakers

Glocalization

Adapting global practices to fit local cultural practices and preferences

imperialism

The motivating impulse to control greater amounts of territory

Indigenous culture

A local culture that is no longer the dominant ethnic group within its traditional homeland because of migration, colonization, or political marginalization

language

A mutually agreed-upon system of symbolic communication

Language family

A group of related languages that share a common ancestry

lingua franca

A language of communication and commerce spoken across a wide area where it is not a mother tongue

local culture

Rural, ethnically homogenous culture that is deeply connected to the local land; the opposite of a popular culture

material culture

The physical, visible objects made and used by members of a cultural group; includes buildings, furniture, clothing, food, artwork, and musical instruments

monotheistic

Relating to the belief in only one god

nonmaterial culture

Intangible elements of culture including a wide range of beliefs, values, myths, and symbolic meaning passed from generative to generation within a given society

orthodox religion

Religion that emphasizes purity of faith and is generally not open to blending with elements of other belief systems

pidgin

A trade language, characterized by a very small vocabulary derived from the languages of at least two or more groups in contact

placelessness

The feeling resulting from the standardization of the built environment; occurs where local distinctiveness is erased and many places end up with similar cultural landscapes

polyglot

A person who is fluent in more than two languages

polytheistic

The belief in many gods

popular culture

Heterogeneous culture that is more influenced by key urban areas and quick to adopt new technologies; the opposite of a local culture

proselytic

Describing a religion that spreads its message to other through missionary work

race

Historically defined by the physical characteristics of a group, especially skin color

religion

A structured set of beliefs and practices through which people seek mental and physical harmony with the powers of the universe

sacred spaces

Natural or human-made sites that possess religious meaning and are recognized as worthy of devotion, loyalty, fear, or esteem

secular

Less influenced or controlled by religion

sense of place

How a person feels about a particular place and why it is important to them

sequent occupance

Refers to the fact that many places have been controlled or affected by a variety of groups over a period of time; those groups have reshaped the functions or meanings of those places and left behind layers of meaning

syncretism

The blending of beliefs, ideas, practices, and traits, especially in a religious context

universalizing religion

A religion that actively seeks new members and believes its message has universal importance and application