APHUG Unit 3

Culture

Shared practices, attitudes, and behaviors passed down through a society.

Cultural Traits

Distinctive features of a culture, such as food preferences, architecture, and land use.

Cultural Relativism

The evaluation of another culture by that culture’s own standards, recognizing differences without judgment.

Ethnocentrism

The evaluation of another culture based on one’s own cultural standards, often judging other cultures as inferior.

Cultural Landscape

How people modify their land in a way that reflects their culture.

Sequent Occupance

Cultural marks left on a landscape by people that lived there before.

Centripetal Force

Forces that bring people together.

Centrifugal Force

Forces that can drive people apart.

Cultural Diffusion

The process by which a cultural trait spreads from one place to another.

Relocation Diffusion

Spread of cultural traits as people migrate.

Expansion Diffusion

The spread of cultural traits from one area to another through contact while the original trait remains.

Contagious Diffusion

The rapid, widespread diffusion of a characteristic throughout the population.

Hierarchical Diffusion

The spread of cultural traits from a key person or node of authority to other populations.

Stimulus Diffusion

Occurs when a cultural trait spreads but is adapted by those receiving it.

Globalization

The increasing interconnectedness of the world facilitating cultural exchange.

Urbanization

Movement of people from rural areas into urban areas.

Cultural Convergence

When two or more cultures interact and adopt each other’s traits, becoming more similar.

Cultural Divergence

When cultures interact and reject each other's traits, maintaining their own beliefs.

Universalizing Religions

Religions that appeal to a wide variety of cultures.

Ethnic Religions

Religions closely tied to specific cultural or ethnic groups.

Acculturation

The process of adopting some traits of another culture while retaining one's own.

Assimilation

The adoption of all characteristics of a culture, which can be forced or voluntary.

Syncretism

The blending of two or more cultural traits to create a new cultural trait.

Multiculturalism

The coexistence of multiple cultural identities without full assimilation.