Unit 3 Culture APHG

Subculture

a distinct community within a larger culture.

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 Religions

Religion that combines elements of two or more different belief systems

Orthodox Religions

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

Greek meaning of “Orthodox”

ortho = right, doxy = teaching

How do contemporary cultural forces affect culture in a place?

complicate cultural identities and national characteristics.

Diaspora communities

populations that have been dispersed from their cultural hearth

Cultural hybridization

blanding and merging cultural traits together to create new distinct cultural forms

Cultural exculsion

the intentional or unintentional social and spatial segregation of certain groups, often on the basis of cultural differences, race, ethnicity, or religion

cultural integration

the process where different cultures blend together, adopting some of each other's characteristics while maintaining their own unique elements

What factors shape globalization? 

Urbanization, Indigenous Cultures,

Urbanization (shape globalization)

big cities has the most powerful influence on trends which then spreads to more rural areas.

Indigenous Cultures (shape globalization)

globalization can affect indigenous peoples in good and bad ways. It helps them connect with others and share their culture, but it can also hurt local traditions because of the spread of “trends” that may overshadow traditional practices and languages. Their future depends on how globalization is used and who benefits from it.

ethnic resurgence

renewed interest in and reassertion of cultural identity among an ethnic group. This phenomenon occurs when a group's unique cultural traits, such as language, traditions, and practices, are revitalized after being suppressed or marginalized by a dominant culture. 

what happens when different cultural groups meet in a globalized world?

Sometimes, small groups feel pressure to fit in, but many keep their traditions and culture. For example, Japanese Brazilians mixed their Japanese and Brazilian identities to create a new unique culture.

Time space convergence

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

what is the primary way to express culture?

through language. This is why is a language dies out the culture itself will likely follow

endangered languages

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

lingua franca

A language that is adopted as a common language between speakers whose native languages are different, often used for trade, diplomacy, or communication in multicultural settings.

Why are lingua francas harder to become endangered/extinct?

because they are frequently used in important things like business, trade, and politics.

extinct languages

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

language hotspots

places with the most unique, misunderstood, or endangered tongues

convergence hypothesis

the idea that cultures are converging, or becoming more alike.

effects of convergence hypothesis

placelessness, in which local distinctiveness is erased and many places end up with similar cultural landscapes.

cultural divergence

the process by which cultures become increasingly different from one another.

Glocalization

Adapting global practices to fit local cultural practices and preferences

culture hearth

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

ethnic group

A group of people who share common cultural characteristics such as language, religion, and ancestry.

when an ethnic group expands beyond its cultural hearth…

They usually pick a spot that is similar to their homeland. They will try to recreate some of the traits they had, but not all of them because that is impossible.

language families

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. And is marked by an accent

accent

a way of pronouncing words depending on your linguistic history.

3 most important religious hearths

Semitic, Indus-Ganges, and East Asian

monotheistic

belief in only one god

Semitic Religious Hearth

3 main monotheitic religions are Judaisim, Christianity, and Islam (oldest to youngest). 

Universalizing Religions

A religion that actively seeks new members and believes its message has universal importance and application (Islam and Christianity)

Ethnic Religion

religion identified with a particular ethnic or tribal group that does not seek converts (Judaism)

The Indus-Ganges Religious Hearth

Hinduism and Buhddism. (oldest to youngest)

proselytic

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

East Asian Religious Hearth

Confucianism and Taoism. They were accepted widely in China only when the government promoted it. But then China started banning religion and created an absorbing barrier.

Geolinguists

Scholars who study the relationship between language and geographic distribution, often examining language diffusion and its impact on cultural landscapes.

Most popular language family

Indo-European

3 main language families

Indo-European, Sino - Tibetan, Afro-Asiatic

2 Branches of Sino-Tibetan

Sino-Burman and Tibeto-Burman

2 Branches of Afro-Asiatic

Semitic and Hamitic

Toponyms

names given to places

Generic Toponyms

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

Which religion is the parent religion of Buddhism?

Hinduism

polytheistic

belief in many gods

Animistic Religions

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.

What does contemporary mean?

Relating to the present time.

What systematic killing of a race of people is referred to as genocide?

Genocide is the systematic killing of a race of people, usually to eliminate them from the gene pool.

What negative cultural impact can globalization have?

Globalization can lead to the loss of languages and cultures.

Give an example of a country that restricts language use among certain ethnic groups.

Turkey prohibits speaking and teaching Kurdish.

What do assimilation camps in the United States aim to do?

Assimilation camps aim to integrate individuals into the dominant culture.

What does cultural divergence refer to?

Cultural divergence is when cultures shift away from each other.

How do cultural and physical barriers affect cultural divergence?

Cultural barriers become less significant as cultures diverge.

What example represents a group that has maintained cultural isolation?

The Amish people have kept themselves isolated and shun modernity.

Why might the English spoken by isolated communities differ significantly from mainstream English?

Their English evolves independently over generations, leading to significant differences.

How long have some isolated communities lived in their regions, according to the notes?

Some have lived in their regions for about 10 generations.

sense of place

people’s perception of a place

placemaking

a variety of efforts that seek to use and design public places to better serve the needs of residents and to foster a stronger community.

Centripetal Force

one that brings people together and unifies a neighborhood, society, or country. These frequently are cultural commonalities. Similar spoken languages, similar religious traditions, and similar ethnicities can all bring a society together. In general, homogeneity, or sameness, leads to less conflict and tension within a society.

What are the 3 centripetal forces?

Religion, Language, and Ethnicity

Centrifugal Forces

forces that threaten the cohesion of a neighborhood, society, or country. They pull people farther apart or drive a wedge between different segments of society. When cultural differences lead to social or political tension, they can act as centrifugal forces that pull the community farther apart.

Secularization

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

Diffusion

the pattern by which a phenomenon spreads from one location to another through space and time.

2 main types of diffusion

Relocation diffusion  and expansion diffusion

Relocation Diffusion

when individuals or groups with a particular idea or practice migrate from one location to another, thereby bringing the idea or practice to their new homeland.

Expansion Diffusion

when ideas or practices spread throughout a population, from area to area.

3 types of expansion diffusion

hierarchical diffusion, contagious diffusion, and stimulus diffusion.

Hierarchical Diffusion

when ideas leapfrog from one influential person to another or from one important place to another, skipping other persons or places.

Contagious diffusion

the wavelike spread of ideas in the manner of a contagious disease, equally moving throughout space. As with a contagious disease, exposure is required for something to be spread through contagious diffusion

Stimulus Diffusion

when a specific trait is not adopted in its original form, but the underlying idea is accepted and the cultural trait is adapted. Stimulus diffusion isn’t wholesale adoption of a trait. Rather, it involves cultural adaptation to create something new.

Absorbing barriers

any barriers that completely halt the diffusion of a cultural trait. could be a mountain range, an ocean, a political institution, a legal code, or a cultural taboo.

Permeable barriers

allow innovations to diffuse partially and in a weakened way.

Pidgin language

A trade language, characterized by a very small vocabulary derived from the languages of at least two or more groups in contact. A simplified form of speech to make it easier for people who speak different languages to communicate.

creole languages

A combined language that has a fuller vocabulary than a pidgin language and becomes a native language. Starts form a pidgin but is more developed and complicated

Creolization

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 and understand 2 languages fluently

Empires

sovereign political entities that seek to expand beyond their origin territory to control more territory politically and/or economically.

Imperialism

motivating impulse to control greater amounts of territory,

Colonliallism

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

long - lot settlement pattern

a linear settlement pattern in which each farmstead is situated at one end of a long, narrow rectangular lot. Each plot of land has access to a major linear resource, usually a river or a major road. This culturally distinctive system of land use can be seen in North America, West Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America.

Material Culture

includes the physical objects made and used by members of a cultural group. The elements of material culture are visible, and they include buildings, furniture, clothing, food, artwork, and musical instruments.

Nonmaterial Culture

includes the intangible 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, whether material or nonmaterial, and they impact how people perceive a place and act in that place.

Local Cultures

sometimes called folk cultures, are generally more rural, ethnically homogenous, and deeply connected to the local land. Local cultures pass traditions down from one generation to the next. They are slow (or resistant) to change and are unique to their region.

Indigenous Cultures

A subset of local cultures. And they are no longer the dominant ethnic group within their traditional homeland because of migration, colonization, or political marginalization.

Popular Cultures

Polar opposite of local cultures. They are heterogeneous, more influenced by key urban areas, and quick to adopt new technologies. In local cultures, the elderly and the older generation seek to preserve “the old ways,” but in popular culture, the young drive change and peer groups often have a greater influence than family customs.

Cultural Attitudes

attitudes in a society that are shaped by cultural opinions, beliefs, and perspectives.

3 fundamental parts of cultural identity

Language, Religion, and Ethnicity

Language

 a mutually agreed-upon system of symbolic communication, is an integral part of cultural identity. I

Polyglots

those fluent in more than 2 languages.

Religion

a structured set of beliefs and practices through which people make sense of the world and their place in it.