APHG culture terms

Universalizing Religions

Religions that actively seek to appeal to a broad audience and spread their beliefs across cultural and geographical boundaries.

Ethnic Religion

Religions closely tied to a specific ethnic group, reflecting their traditions and customs, and typically do not seek converts.

Secularism

The principle advocating for the separation of religion from political, social, and educational institutions to ensure equal treatment of all beliefs.

Fundamentalism

Strict adherence to specific theological doctrines, often resisting modern societal changes and emphasizing literal interpretations of sacred texts.

Romance Languages

A group of languages that evolved from Vulgar Latin, including Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian.

Lingua Franca

A practical language used as a common means of communication among speakers of different native languages, often in trade or multicultural contexts.

Pidgin Language

A simplified form of speech that develops for communication between speakers of different languages, often in trade contexts.

Multilingual States

Countries where multiple languages coexist, often due to historical migration or cultural diversity, such as Canada and India.

Monolingual States

Nations where one language predominates, serving as the primary means of communication, like Japan with Japanese.

Toponyms

Place names that carry significant historical, cultural, or geographical meanings, reflecting the heritage of an area.

Feng Shui

An ancient Chinese practice of arranging environments to promote harmony and balance, focusing on the flow of energy.

Indigenous Religions

Spiritual beliefs native to a culture or region, emphasizing a deep connection to nature and ancestral traditions.

Intrafaith

Dialogue or interaction within a single faith tradition, aimed at deepening understanding and strengthening community bonds.

Interfaith

Dialogue or interaction between different faith traditions, promoting understanding and cooperation among diverse religious groups.

Confucianism

A philosophical system based on Confucius's teachings, emphasizing morality, social relationships, and justice.

Dowry Deaths

Tragic incidents where brides lose their lives due to disputes over dowries, reflecting societal issues like gender inequality.

Neolocalism

A cultural movement promoting local traditions and identity in response to globalization, emphasizing community engagement.

Placelessness

The loss of unique cultural identities and local characteristics due to globalization and standardization of landscapes.

Global-Local Continuum

The relationship between global influences and local cultures, where local contexts adapt and reinterpret global trends.

Standard Language

A formally recognized language variety used in official documents, education, and media for consistency in communication.

Dialects

Regional or social variations of a language, reflecting the history and culture of specific communities.

Cognate

Words in different languages that share a common origin, providing insight into historical linguistic connections.

Proto-Indo European Language

The hypothetical ancestor of the Indo-European language family, reconstructed through comparative methods.

Language Divergence

The process by which languages become distinct over time due to geographical, social, and political factors.

Backward Reconstruction

A method used by linguists to reconstruct ancient languages by analyzing modern descendants.

Language Convergence

The process where languages become more similar due to contact between different linguistic communities.

Conquest Theory

A theory explaining the spread of languages through military conquest.

Opinion Leaders

Influential individuals who shape public opinion and trends, acting as a bridge between the public and information sources.

Reterritorialization

The process of re-establishing cultural identity in a new location, blending original elements with local influences.

Commodification

Turning goods, services, or ideas into commodities for sale, often stripping them of cultural significance.

Cultural Appropriation

Adoption of elements from one culture by another, often without permission, raising ethical concerns.

Hierarchical Diffusion

The spread of culture from larger to smaller places or from influential to less influential people.

Assimilation

The process where individuals or groups adopt another culture, often leading to the loss of their original identity.

Pop and Folk Culture

Pop culture is mainstream and rapidly changing, while folk culture is traditional and localized, reflecting specific community values.

Queer Theory

An academic field exploring the social construction of gender and sexuality, challenging normative assumptions.

Mutual Intelligibility

The ability of speakers of different but related languages to understand each other, facilitating communication.