AP HUGE Unit 3: Culture, Language, Religion

material culture

The physical, visible objects made and used by members of a cultural group; includes buildings, furniture, clothing, food, artwork, and musical instruments

nonmaterial culture

Intangible elements of culture including a wide range of beliefs, values, myths, and symbolic meanings passed from generation to generation within a given society

cultural trait

A single aspect of a given culture or society

local culture

Rural, ethnically homogenous culture that is deeply connected to the local land; the opposite of a popular culture

indigenous culture

A local culture that is no longer the dominant ethnic group within its traditional homeland because of migration, colonization, or political marginalization

popular culture

Heterogeneous culture that is more influenced by key urban areas and quick to adopt new technologies; the opposite of a local culture

cultural attitudes

Concepts and ideas in a society that are shaped by cultural opinions, beliefs, and perspectives

language

A mutually agreed-upon system of symbolic communication

polyglot

A person who is fluent in more than two languages

religion

A structured set of beliefs and practices through which people seek mental and physical harmony with the powers of the universe

ethnic group

A people of common ancestry and cultural tradition; characterized by a strong feeling of group identity

race

Historically defined by the physical characteristics of a group, especially skin color

ethnic geography

The study of the spatial aspects of ethnicity

multiculturalism

A set of policies that promote the active participation and inclusion of minority groups in national histories, national politics, and cultural institutions with the goal of embracing difference within society

ethnocentric approach

An approach to understanding other cultures that evaluates them from the perspective of the observer's culture

cultural relativism

An approach to understanding other cultures that seeks to understand individuals and cultures from a wider perspective of cultural logic

physical landscape

All the natural physical surroundings that create and shape the places we are living in or examining

placelessness

The feeling resulting from the standardization of the built environment; occurs where local distinctiveness is erased and many places end up with similar cultural landscapes

modernist architecture

A functional, rational, and orderly style for building designs

postmodern architecture

A design style that is a reaction against modernist architecture; it has a flair for the dramatic, creating a spectacle while serving a variety of functions

sequent occupance

Refers to the fact that many places have been controlled or affected by a variety of groups over a period of time; those groups have reshaped the functions or meanings of those places and left behind layers of meaning

sacred spaces

Natural or human-made sites that possess religious meaning and are recognized as worthy of devotion, loyalty, fear, or esteem

secular

Less influenced or controlled by religion

subculture

A group of people with distinct norms, values, and material practices that differentiate them from the dominant culture surrounding them

sense of place

The distinctive feeling of a place, or a person's perception of place

placemaking

Efforts to use and design public places to better serve the needs of residents and to foster a stronger community

centripetal force

A force that brings people together and unifies a neighborhood, society, or country

centrifugal force

A force that threatens the togetherness of a neighborhood, society, or country

secularization

The process whereby religion become a less dominant force in everyday life than it was in the past

absorbing barriers

Barriers that completely halt diffusion

permeable barriers

Barriers that slow diffusion, but still allow some partial or weakened diffusion

pidgin

A trade language, characterized by a very small vocabulary derived from the languages of at least two or more groups in contact

creole

A combined language that has a fuller vocabulary than a pidgin language and becomes a native language (often a combination of colonizer’s language and native language)

creolization

The linguistic process where languages converge and create new languages and forms of communication

lingua franca

A language of communication and commerce spoken across a wide area where it is not a mother tongue

bilingualism

The ability to speak two languages fluently

empire

A sovereign political entity that seek to expand beyond their origin land to control more territory politically and/or economically

imperialism

The motivating impulse to control greater amounts of territory

colonialism

The act of forcefully controlling a foreign territory, which becomes known as a colony

genocide

The systematic killing of members of a racial, ethnic, or linguistic group

time-space convergence

The phenomenon whereby the introduction of new transportation technologies progressively reduces the time it takes to travel between places

endangered language

A language that is not taught to children by their parents and is not used actively in everyday matters

extinct language

A language that has only a few elderly speakers still living or no living speakers

convergence hypothesis

The idea that cultures are converging, or becoming more alike

glocalization

Adapting global practices to fit local cultural practices and preferences

culture hearth

A focused geographic area where important innovations are born and from which they spread

language family

A group of related languages that share a common ancestry

dialect

A regional variation of a language that is understood by people who speak other variations of that language

accent

A way of pronouncing words

monotheistic

Relating to the belief in only one god

universalizing religion

A religion that actively seeks new members and believes its message has universal importance and application

ethnic religion

A religion identified with a particular ethnic or tribal group that does not seek converts

proselytic

Describing a religion that spreads its message to others through missionary work

toponyms

The names given to places

generic toponym

The generic part of a place-name, often a suffix or prefix, such as -ville in Louisville

polytheistic

Relating to the belief in many gods

animistic religion

A faith that subscribes to the idea that souls or spirits exist not only in humans, but also in animals, plants, rocks, natural phenomena such as thunder, geographic features such as mountains or rivers, and other entities of the natural environment

acculturation

Occurs when an ethnic or immigrant group adopts enough of the ways of the host society to be able to function economically and socially

assimilation

Occurs when an ethnic or immigrant group blends in with the host culture and loses many culturally distinctive traits

transculturation

The notion that people adopt elements of other cultures as well as contribute elements of their own culture, thereby transforming both cultures

syncretism

The blending of beliefs, ideas, practices, and traits, especially in a religious context

syncretic religion

Religion that combines elements of two or more different belief systems

orthodox religion

Religion that emphasizes purity of faith and is generally not open to blending with elements of other belief systems

relocation diffusion

The spread of cultural traits through the physical movement of people from one location to another.

expansion diffusion

The spread of cultural traits due to the influence of a population in a specific area, often through hierarchical, contagious, or stimulus methods.

hierarchical diffusion

The spread of cultural traits from larger to smaller populations, often influenced by social or political power, where individuals or groups of high status promote the trait and it subsequently trickles down to lower-status individuals.

stimulus diffusion

The spread of cultural traits where a specific underlying idea is accepted and adapted by a different culture, even if the original trait is not adopted in its entirety.

contagious diffusion

The spread of cultural traits rapidly and widely throughout a population, often through direct contact or social interaction, leading to a widespread adoption of the trait.