APHG Unit 3 Terms

Unit 3: Cultural Patterns and Processes

Culture

The body of customary beliefs, social norms, and material traits that together constitute a group of peoples’ distinct traditions.

Cultural Trait

Material objects and activities, such as food and clothing, as well as languages and other shared cultural practices that most group members do.

Artifacts

The visible objects and technologies that a culture creates, such as houses, clothing, tools, and land-use practices.

Sociofacts

Structures and organizations that influence social behavior, such as families, governments, and educational systems.

Mentifacts

The central elements of culture that reflect its shared ideas, values, knowledge, and beliefs.

Popular Culture

The widespread behaviors, beliefs, and practices of ordinary people in society at a given point in time.

Traditional Culture

Long-established behaviors, beliefs, and practices passed down from generation to generation.

Cultural Norms

The shared standards and patterns that guide the behavior of a group of people.

Ethnocentrism

The tendency of ethnic groups to evaluate other groups according to preconceived ideas from their own culture.

Cultural Relativism

The evaluation of a culture solely by its unique standards.

Cultural Landscape

The human imprint on the landscape, offering clues to cultural practices and priorities.

Identity

How humans make sense of themselves and how they wish to be viewed by others.

Sequent Occupance

The notion that successive societies leave behind their cultural imprint.

Ethnicity

The state of belonging to a group of people who share common cultural characteristics.

Ethnic Neighborhoods

Cultural landscapes within communities of people outside of their areas of origin.

Traditional Architecture

Established building styles influenced by the environment and localized needs.

Postmodern Architecture

A style that emerged in the 1960s as a reaction to modern designs.

Religion

A system of spiritual beliefs that influences cultural perceptions and behaviors.

Pilgrimage

A journey to a holy place for spiritual reasons.

Language

The carrier of human thoughts and cultural identities.

Toponyms

Names that define what is unique about a place.

Gendered Spaces

Spaces designed to accommodate strict roles for men and women.

Gender Identity

One’s concept of self as male, female, or a blend of both.

Safe Spaces

Areas of acceptance for marginalized communities.

Gentrification

Renovations that drive up housing costs, affecting vulnerable populations.

Third Place

A communal space separate from home or work.

Sense of Place

Filling a geographic location with meaning through connection to memories.

Placemaking

A community-driven process to create lively places for living and learning.

Dialects

Variations of a standard language specific to a general area.

Adherents

People loyal to a belief, religion, or organization.

Denominations

Separate organizations that comprise a number of local congregations.

Sect

A relatively small group that has separated from an established denomination.

Centripetal Force

A force that unites a group of people.

Centrifugal Force

A force that divides a group of people.

Diffusion

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

Cultural Hearth

Where traits originate from and spread.

Expansion Diffusion

When a cultural aspect spreads outward from its origin, remaining in place.

Contagious Diffusion

The spread of an idea or trait to adjacent areas.

Hierarchical Diffusion

The spread of an idea from a person or place of power to others.

Stimulus Diffusion

When the fundamental idea behind a cultural trait stimulates innovation.

Lingua Franca

A common language used among speakers of different languages.

Creolization

The blending of two or more cultural elements through interactions.

Cultural Convergence

As cultures interact, they become more similar.

Cultural Divergence

As cultures interact, they become less similar.

Acculturation

When cultures come together through migration or expansion diffusion.

Assimilation

A type of acculturation where one culture adopts the customs of another.

Syncretism

The blending of traits from two or more cultures to create new practices.

Multiculturalism

Occurs in large cities where diverse cultures live in close proximity.

Cultural Appropriation

The act of adopting elements of another culture.

Collectivist Cultures

Cultures where people conform to collective responsibilities.

Language Family

The largest group of related languages with a common ancestral language.

Isolate

A language with no known historical or linguistic relations.

Language Branch

Languages within a family that share a common origin.

Language Groups

Languages within a branch that share a common ancestor.

Universalizing Religions

Religions open to membership from a wide variety of people.

Christianity

A religion based on the teachings of Jesus.

Islam

A religion introduced by Muhammad, considered the last messenger of Allah.

Buddhism

A religion based on the teachings of Siddartha Gautama.

Sikhism

A faith identified by ten religious teachers known as gurus.

Ethnic Religion

A religion closely tied to a particular ethnic group.

Hinduism

A religion believing in one eternal spirit called Brahman.

Judaism

A monotheistic religion founded by Abraham, the origin of Christianity and Islam.

Secularized

Identifying as Jewish through ethnicity and culture, not religious practice.

Apartheid

A policy of segregation or discrimination on grounds of race in South Africa.