AP HUG Unit 3 Vocab

acculturation

adoption of the behavioral patterns of the surrounding culture

animism

doctrine that everything natural has a soul

artifacts

ancient objects made by human beings

assimilation

the process where a minority group adopts the cultural traits, behaviors, and values of a dominant culture, potentially leading to a loss of its original cultural identity

behaviors

observable actions or responses of humans or animals

beliefs

ideas that people hold to be true

Buddhism

a religion of Buddha that teaches that life is permeated with suffering caused by desire

Confucianism

the teachings of Confucius that encourage love for humanity

contagious diffusion

rapid and widespread diffusion

creole

mother tongue that originates from contact between two languages

cultural landscape

visible imprint of human activity and culture on the landscape

cultural relativism

practice of judging a culture by its own standards

Daoism

philosophical system of Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu that emphasizes a simple, honest life

dialect

usage or vocabulary that is characteristic of a specific group of people; branches off of a language

ethnic religion

religion with a concentrated spatial distribution

ethnocentrism

belief in the superiority of one's own ethnic group

extinct religion

religion that is extinct

folk culture

culture usually practiced by a small, homogeneous, rural group living in relative isolation from other groups

hierarchical diffusion

spread of an idea from nodes of authority or power to persons or places with less power

Hinduism

polytheistic religion of Hindus

Indo-European language family

spoken in most of Europe and areas of European settlement and in much of southwestern and southern Asia, an example

Islam

monotheistic religion of Muslims

isogloss

boundary that separates regions in which different language usages predominate

Judaism

monotheistic religion of the Jews

language

vocal or written communication

language families

group of languages with a shared origin

language branch

group of languages with more in common than a language family

lingua franca

a common language such as English used by different speakers

material culture

physical manifestations of human activities such as buildings

monotheistic religion

religion with one god

non-material culture

human creations, such as values, that are not embodied in physical objects

official language

language adopted for use by the government for the conduct of busines and publication of documents

pidgin

an artificial language used for trade between speakers of different languages

popular culture

culture found in a heterogeneous society

relocation diffusion

spread of a feature or trend through movement of people

Carl Sauer

American geographer that wrote about diffusion

shamanism

animistic religion of northern Asia

Sikhism

a monotheistic religion founded in northern India

standard language

form of a language used for official government business, education, and mass communications

stimulus diffusion

diffusion in which one people receives a culture element from another but gives it a new and unique form

syncretism

combining of beliefs

universalizing religion

religion that attempts to appeal to all people, not just those living in a particular location.

agnosticism

the belief that God's existence cannot be known

athiesm

Believing that God does not exist

autonomous religions

a religion with a decentralized structure where individual congregations or communities have a significant degree of independence from a central authority

balkanization

the political process where a large state breaks down into smaller, often hostile, political units due to ethnic conflict

branch

a major division within a broader religious tradition

endangered language

a language that is at risk of becoming extinct, meaning it will no longer be spoken by anyone, typically due to a shift to a more dominant language within the community

ethnic cleansing

Process in which more powerful ethnic group forcibly removes a less powerful one in order to create an ethnically homogeneous region

ethnic enclave

A place with a high concentration of an ethnic group that is distinct from those in the surrounding area

ethnicity

a group of people who share a common culture, history, and/or identity, often associated with a specific place or origin

ethnoburb

a suburban residential and business area with a significant concentration of a particular ethnic minority group, often not the majority

fundamentalism

a strict, literal interpretation of a religious text or belief system, often with the goal of returning to the foundations of a faith and influencing state policy

genocide

the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation.

indigenous language

a language that is native to a region and spoken by indigenous people

indigenous people

native people

isolated language

A language that is unrelated to any other languages and therefore not attached to any language family.

language

A system of communication through the use of speech, a collection of sounds understood by a group of people to have the same meaning.

mentifacts

the intangible aspects of culture, including shared ideas, values, beliefs, and attitudes

multiculturalism

a society where multiple cultures coexist, and individuals maintain their cultural identities while potentially sharing cultural traits with others

nationality

Identity with a group of people that share legal attachment and personal allegiance to a particular place as a result of being born there.

nationalism

A strong feeling of pride in and devotion to one's country

pilgrimmage

A journey to a place considered sacred for religious purposes.

race

a social construct where people are grouped based on perceived shared physical characteristics, often ancestry, and skin color

secularism

a principle or worldview that separates religion from other aspects of life, particularly the political realm

sense of place

the emotional connection and subjective experiences individuals or groups have with a specific location

sequent occupance

the idea that different groups of people occupy a place over time, leaving their cultural imprints on the landscape

taboo

a prohibition or restriction within a culture, often based on religious, social, or moral beliefs

working language

the primary language used for daily communication within an organization, society, or other body, often with a diverse range of linguistic backgrounds among its members