Unit 3 Vocabulary - Clear Definition

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and definitions related to culture and its various aspects as outlined in the lecture notes.

Culture

The shared beliefs, values, behaviors, traditions, material objects of a group of people.

Cultural trait

A single behavior, belief, or characteristic of a culture (such as language, food, or clothing).

Artifacts

The physical objects created and used by a culture (tools, clothing, buildings).

Sociofacts

The social institutions and structures of a culture (family, education, government).

Mentifacts

The ideas, beliefs, values, and knowledge of a culture (religion, language, values).

Popular culture

Cultural practices that spread quickly and are shared by a large, heterogeneous population.

Cultural norms

The rules or expectations for behavior within a culture.

Ethnocentrism

Judging another culture based on the standards of one's own culture.

Cultural landscape

The visible imprint of human activity on the land (buildings, roads, religious symbols).

Sequent occupancy

The idea that different cultural groups occupy the same place over time, each leaving cultural marks.

Ethnicity

A shared cultural identity based on ancestry, language, religion, or traditions.

Ethnic neighborhoods / ethnic enclave

A place where people of the same ethnicity cluster together (e.g., Chinatown).

Religion

An organized system of beliefs, practices, and rituals related to the sacred.

Pilgrimage

A journey to a sacred place for religious purpose.

Language

A system of communication using spoken, written or signed symbols.

Toponyms

Place names given to locations that often reflect cultural values or history.

Gendered spaces

Places where men and women have different roles or access based on cultural norms.

Gentrification

The process by which wealthier people move into a lower-income area, raising costs and often displacing residents.

Third place

A social space outside home and work where people gather (cafés, parks).

Dialects

Regional variations of a language with distinct pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary.

Denominations

Divisions within a religion that share core beliefs but differ in practices.

Sect

A smaller religious group that breaks away from a larger denomination.

Centripetal force

Forces that unite and stabilize a society (shared language, religion, nationalism).

Centrifugal force

Forces that divide or weaken a society (ethnic conflict, inequality).

Expansion diffusion

The spread of a cultural trait outward from its origin while remaining strong there.

Stimulus diffusion

The spread of an idea, but not the exact trait itself.

Hierarchical diffusion

The spread of ideas from powerful or influential people or places to others.

Relocation diffusion

The spread of cultural traits through migration.

Acculturation

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

Assimilation

The process by which a minority culture is absorbed into the dominant culture.

Syncretism

The blending of elements from different cultures or religions into something new.

Hearth

The geographic origin or source area where a cultural trait begins.

Placelessness

The loss of unique identity of a place due to globalization.

Folk culture

Traditional cultural practices of small, homogeneous groups, often rural.

Taboo

A cultural or social prohibition against certain behaviors or practices.