APHUG TERMS unit 3

Test on MON 11/16

acculturation

when a group of people willingly adopt some traits from another culture

• ex. bilingualism within immigrants

assimilation

when a minority culture is forced to adopt the dominant culture

• results in the loss of indigenous cultural identity

Buddhism

The third of the world's major universalizing religions.

• 365 million adherents especially in China and Southeast Asia

• Prince Siddartha had a vision while sitting under the Bodhi (awakening) tree, then founded it in the 6th c. BCE (in eastern India) against the caste system; branched off from Hinduism.

• They believe all life is dukkha (nothing permanent); seek to achieve nirvana (enlightenment); pagodas & shrines (often bell-shaped to protect burial mounds).

centrifugal forces

forces that threaten the cohesion of a neighborhood, society, or country

centripetal forces

forces that bring people together and unify a neighborhood, society, or country

Christianity

a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament of the Bible

• the most popular religion in the world (>1.3 billion); three denominations (branches) - orthodox (oldest), catholic (largest with the richest bureaucracy of all religions), protestant (newest);

• Protestant Reformation weakened the Vatican's control of Europe and gave rise to secularism in the West; landscape contains churches and cathedrals; use the most land for their dead (cemeteries).

colonialism

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

• ex. the 1918 Belgian takeover of the territory in Rwanda

contagious diffusion

the rapid, widespread diffusion of a feature or trend throughout a population

creole

a combined language that has a full vocabulary and becomes a native language

• ex. Haitian native language, which is a mixture of French, African, and Carribbean languages

cultural convergence

the idea that cultures are converging or becoming more alike

cultural divergence

when a culture splits into different cultures because of a lack of interaction

cultural hearth

a focused geographical area where important innovations are born and from which they spread

• ex. Indonesia has the world’s largest population of Muslims, but many people associate Islam with the Middle East, Islam’s birthplace

cultural landscape

the visible imprint of human activity and culture on the landscape

• the layers of buildings, forms, and artifacts sequentially imprinted on the landscape by the activities of various human occupants

cultural relativism

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

cultural trait

a distinct cultural characteristic that defines an area

• ex. architecture, land use, food preferences

dialect

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

ethnic religion

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

ethnicity

DNA and homeland affiliation or identity within a group of people bound by common ancestry and culture

ethnocentrism

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

expansion diffusion

the spread of a feature from one place to another in a snowballing process

hierarchical diffusion

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

Hinduism

created in India, approximately one billion followers u

• unlike other religions, heaven isn't always the ultimate goal in life.

• third largest in world

• religion is inseparable from life; god (Brahman, universal soul) may be in many forms (polytheistic); karma and reincarnation are cornerstones

• caste system locks people into class levels; cultural landscape has many temples and shrines

imperialism

the motivating impulse to control greater amounts of territory

• ex. the Roman and Persian empires that were able to extend their power beyond their core area

indigenous culture

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

Indo-European language family

a language family mostly spoken in Europe and some of Australia

• consists of languages such as English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese

Islam

means the submission to the will of god (Allah)

• monotheistic religion originating with the teachings of Muhammad in Qu'ran

• second largest religion in the world-fastest growing due to birth rates

• two major branches are Sunni and Shiah (Shiites believe in the infallibility of imams

• Five Pillars- 1) shahada (creed), 2) frequent prayer (toward Mecca), 3) Ramadan, alms giving, 5) hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca); Sharia law- landscape contains mosques and minarets (for calling out prayers).

Judaism

the religion of ancient Hebrews, said to be one of the first monotheistic faiths

• it's roots in the teachings of Abraham, who is credited with uniting his people to worship only one god

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

multiculturalism

a set of policies that promote the active participation and inclusion of minority groups in national histories, policies, and cultural institutions

• the goal is to embrace difference within society

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

• opposite of sense of place

placemaking

the efforts to use and design public places to better serve the needs of residents and to foster a stronger community

relocation diffusion

the spread of a feature or trend through bodily movement of people from one place to another

sequent occupance

the fact that many places have been controlled or affected by a variety of groups over a period of time

sikhism

a religion that began in sixteenth century Northern India

• the principal belief is faith in Vāhigurū.

• emphasizes faith in one god; only religion to state that men and women are equal.

stimulus diffusion

the spread of an underlying principle, even though a specific characteristic is rejected

syncretic religion

separate religions that combine into a new religion; often borrow from the past and the present.

toponym

the name given to places

universalizing religion

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