AP Human Geography Unit 3 - Culture

examples of artifacts

clothing, architecture, art, weapons, tools, infrastructure, modes of transportation, etc.

examples of sociofacts

family, school, government, religious institutions, land use, gender roles, etc.

examples of mentifacts

language, religion, folklore and myths, traditions, taboos, morality and ethics, etc.

locations of the ancient cultural hearths

Mesoamerica, Andean America, West Africa, Mesopotamia, Nile Valley, Indus Valley, Wei-Huang River Valley, Ganges Delta

What are the cultural realms?

Anglo-American, Latin American, European, Islamic, Sub-Saharan African, Slavic, Sino-Japanese, Indic, Southeast Asia, Austral European

expansion diffusion

• an idea or innovation develops in a hearth and remains strong there while also spreading outward

• ideas/innovations move, not people

types of expansion diffusion

contagious, hierarchical, reverse hierarchical, stimulus

contagious diffusion

• one person spreads an idea/innovation to multiple people, and those people spread it to multiple people, and so on and so forth

• diffusion that uniformly affects all individuals/areas outward from the source

examples of contagious diffusion

disease, breaking news, internet memes, coffee culture

hierarchical diffusion

• the spread of an idea from persons or nodes of authority or power to other persons or places of less power/authority

• may only affect certain places

examples of hierarchical diffusion

fashion trends, phone trees, popular music, chains of command, rap

reverse hierarchical diffusion

diffusion up a hierarchy, such as from a small town to large cities

examples of reverse hierarchical diffusion

Walmart, thrifting

stimulus diffusion

• when something spreads but is changed by the people who adapt the idea/innovation

• fundamental idea stimulates imitative behavior

• adapted to meet needs of local culture

examples of stimulus diffusion

franchise restaurants w/ international locations (e.g. McDonald's), "Italian" food, Tex-Mex, gang culture

relocation diffusion

• spread of an idea/innovation through the physical movement of people

• not everyone along the path of achievement adopts the innovation

examples of relocation diffusion

crops & farming techniques, architectural styles, concepts of government, religion, missionaries/conquistadors spreading ideas, etc.

types of barriers to diffusion

physical, cultural, economic, political

examples of barriers to diffusion

mountains, oceans, deserts, religious beliefs, language, taboos, political boundaries, censorship, affordability of trends, etc.

historical causes of diffusion

trade, colonialism, war

contemporary causes of diffusion

globalization and urbanization

examples of folk culture

Amish, Native Americans, Cajun, Samui, Māori, Inuit, Romani

examples of popular culture

pop music, movies, fashion

folk culture

• practiced by small, homogenous groups in isolated areas

• anonymous origins with a heavier and stricter focus on tradition

• transmitted slowly

• traits and distribution characterized by local cultural and physical factors

• often threatened by diffusion of popular culture, but continued use primarily for preservation or to attract tourists

popular culture

• found in large, heterogenous societies

• traceable hearths

• typically follows hierarchical diffusion and distributes widely without barriers

• sophisticated and complex products made by individuals, businesses, or factories; can also be imported

• less influenced by environmental factors

• diminishing ideas of gendered roles/spaces

• when dominant, folk culture may been as controversial

Which religion is the largest religion with 2 billion followers?

Christianity

followers of Christianity

Christians

branches of Christianity

Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox

sacred text of Christianity

The Bible

key ideas of Christianity

Jesus is the son of God and savior of humanity. Core values are outlined in the Ten Commandments.

Christianity hearth

Eastern Mediterranean/Southwestern Asia/Present-Day Israel

Christianity diffusion

• Contagious diffusion through Middle East, Europe, and Central Asia

• Hierarchical diffusion via conquest/colonization

• Relocation diffusion throughout the world via missionaries

Christianity distribution

• Catholics dominate Southwest Europe and Latin America

• Protestants dominate Northwest Europe and North America

• Orthodox dominate Eastern Europe

Christianity place of worship

churches (architecture depends on location but often have a cross)

Which religion is the 2nd largest with 1.5 billion followers?

Islam

followers of Islam

Muslims

branches/denominations of Islam

Sunni and Shia

sacred text of Islam

Koran/Quran

key ideas of Islam

Allah revealed his teachings through a series of prophets, the last being Muhammad.

hearth of Islam

Southwestern Asia (Present-day Saudi Arabia)

Islam diffusion

• Contagious diffusion by trade and military conquest to Spain, Africa, and much of Asia

• Relocation diffusion throughout the whole world

Islam distribution

Dominant in the Middle East (from North Africa to Central Asia)

Islam place of worship

mosques (varies by location, but often with domes, thin towers, and ornate arches)

Which religion is the 3rd largest with 1 billion followers?

Hinduism

Hinduism branches

Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, Smartism

Hinduism sacred text

The Vedas

key ideas of Hinduism

Belief in the power of meditation, karma, and reincarnation and associated with the caste system.

Hinduism hearth

South Asia

Hinduism diffusion

• Contagious diffusion across Indian subcontinent

• Relocation diffusion in recent decades to Europe and USA

Hinduism distribution

Vast majority of followers live in India, but there are significant populations in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Nepal

Hinduism place of worship

temples (ornate and either colorful or monochromatic)

Which religion is the 4th largest with 350 million followers?

Buddhism

Buddhism followers

Buddhists

Buddhist branches

Mahayana, Theravada, Vajrayana

Buddhist sacred text

Tripitaka

key ideas of Buddhism

Core belief is reincarnation; followers pursue Nirvana (the ultimate enlightenment).

Buddhism hearth

South Asia in present day Nepal

Buddhism diffusion

• Contagious diffusion as teachings spread throughout East and Southeast Asia via missionaries

• Relocation diffusion throughout the world

Buddhism distribution

Significant presence in Southeast Asia, China, and Japan

Buddhist place of worship

temples (with sloping roofs)

Which religion is the 5th largest with 30 million followers?

Sikhism

Sikhism followers

Sikhs

Sikhism branches

Udasi, Nirmala, Nanakpanthi, Khalsa, Sahajdhari, Namdhari Kuka, Nirankari and Sarvaria

Sikhism sacred text

The Guru Granth Sahib

key ideas of Sikhism

Meditation upon and devotion to the Creator, truthful living, and service to humanity

Sikhism hearth

Punjab, India

Sikhism diffusion

Hierarchical diffusion in Asia via missionaries

Relocation diffusion to North America, Europe, Oceania, and East Africa in more recent times

Sikhism distribution

primarily concentrated in India with significant populations in Canada, USA, and UK

Sikhism place of worship

Gurdwara (unique dome shape)

Which religion has 14 million followers?

Judaism

Judaism followers

Jews

branches of Judaism

Orthodox, Conservative, Reformed

sacred text of Judaism

Torah

key ideas of Judaism

There is one God who wants people to do what is just and compassionate

Judaism hearth

Eastern Mediterranean/Southwest Asia (Present-Day Israel)

Judaism diffusion

• Relocation diffusion throughout North Africa and Europe forced by Romans beginning in 70 CE

• Relocation diffusion to US and other countries largely due to persecution

Judaism distribution

• Almost half of this religion’s population lives in Israel

• 1/3 live in the USA

• The other portion is found spread throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe

Jewish place of worship

synagogue (can vary greatly but may have prominent blue and white and/or Star of David)

What are Abrahamic religions? Which religions fall under these?

• trace origins back to the first 2 sons of Abraham (Isaac and Ishmael)

• associated with Jerusalem

• Christianity, Islam, Judaism

monotheistic religion(s)

Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Judaism

polytheistic religion(s)

Hinduism

nontheistic religion(s)

Buddhism

universalizing religions

Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism

ethnic religions

Hinduism and Judaism

most widely spoken languages

English, Mandarin, Hindi, Spanish, French, Arabic, Bengali, Russian, Portuguese, Urdu, Indonesian, German, Japanese (13)

examples of language families

• Indo-European (3 billion speakers)

• Sino-Tibetan (1.3 bil. speakers)

• Niger-Congo family (437 mil. speakers)

examples of language branches

• Romance (French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese)

• Germanic (English, German, Dutch, Swedish)

• Indo-Iranian (Hindi, Farsi, Urdu, Kurdish)

examples of language groups

Afrikaans and Dutch

Proto-Indo-European language (PIE)

• Because several language families have similar words, many people believe they must be descended from single common language

• Linguists agree that it must have existed, but disagree about when/where it originated and how it diffused because there is evidence to support multiple theories

Nomadic Warrior Theory

• aka conquest theory

• Early Indo-Europeans were warrior pastoralists (herders); they domesticated animals and went out in search of areas to graze them

• Spread to Europe, Middle East, Siberia, South Asia

Sedentary Farmer Theory

• Language spread because of expansion of agricultures agricultural surplus led to more trade

• Spread from Anatolia (Turkey) to Europe, Siberia, Middle East, South Asia

Why do some languages never diffuse widely?

• not establishing colonies outside of country/continent

• ex: Mandarin is the 2nd most spoken language, but it never widely spread because China never established colonies outside of Asia

examples of dialects

American vs. British English, Ebonics/AAVE, Southern vs. Boston American English

examples of isoglosses

y'all vs. you guys; soda vs. pop vs. coke

examples of creolized languages

• French Creole in Haiti (French + African languages)

• Papiamento in West Indies (Spanish + African languages)

• Swahili in East/Central Africa (Bantu + Arabic)

• Afrikaans in South Africa

List the Linguas Franca.

English, Arabic, Spanish, Swahili, Russian

examples of isolated languages

Korean, Basque, Sumerian

examples of endangered languages

Welsh, Celtic, Māori

examples of extinct languages

Gothic, many indigenous languages

examples of revived languages

Hebrew