AESC vocab exam 1

culture

the unique combination of customs, beliefs, and practices that are transmitted from one generation to another and distinguishes human society from each other, they establish unwritten sets of rules that operate in the background of our life

cultural norms

cultural attributes considered normal within a particular group, all human societies have them but they are different in each culture, they influence every facet of life, we are often unaware that we are influenced at all by them

counterculture

cultural attributes that are opposed to the social norms, all societies have them but work hard to repress them, considered conscious acts of rebellion

agriculture

science or practice of farming, including cultivation of soil for growing crops and rearing of animals to provide humans with food, shelter, clothing and other products

big 3 crops

corn, wheat, rice (all non-perishable storable grains that can be held for years under the right conditions)

cultural adaptations

expanded group knowledge quickly, preserved knowledge gained over generations, built on past knowledge to gain greater insight

ockham’s razor

when comparing hypotheses, the simplest and most logical is typically correct

earlier nomadic groups

characterized by small groups, few possessions, few children

modern stable groups

characterized by larger groups, more children, and many possessions

production of surplus food and the creation of labor specialization

emergence of agriculture created…

genetic mutation

any alteration in DNA that differs from the original sequence, key to biological adaptation

subsistence agriculture

a form of farming in which all crops are used to maintain the farmer and their family, relatively low amounts of surplus for sale), there are two types

extensive subsistence

agriculture where a vast expanse of land is cultivated, only a small amount of surplus (less input, less output), uses more simple farming techniques, low physical energy requirements

intensive subsistence

farmers get more food per acre compared to extensive, allowed much more surplus (more input, more output), more advanced farming techniques, high physical energy requirements

permanent cities, specialized workers, complex institutions, record keeping, advanced technology

five characteristics of civilization

technology

refers to making, modification, usage and knowledge of tools, machines and systems to solve a probelm

commerical agriculture

farming as business for profit to be able to produce surplus food, goal of selling these commodities as much as possible, can be arable (land suitable for growing crops), pastoral (land suitable for rearing animals) or both, best supported in temperate zones

morrill act of 1862

envisioned agricultural and mechanical universities funded by the government, a major boost to higher education, set up to establish a land grant institution in each state that would educate people in agriculture, mechanics, etc.

family farms

managed and operated by a family providing most of the farm labor (UN definition) or principle operation by blood or marriage is owner of the farm (USDA definition) not who works the farm but who owns it, family owned doesn’t always mean small

tobacco (1600-1700s)

USA’s first cash crop

cotton, only really became big when cotton gin was invented by eli whitney, reignited desire for slaves in the south, dominated deep south agriculture for 100 years until boll weevil hit

USA’s second cash crop

vertical integration

company owns all part of production and contract with farmers to grow all the products

poultry

largest agricultural industry in GA

domestication

sustained multi generational relationship in which one group or organisms assumes influence over reproduction/care of another group to accentuate desirable traits and secure more predictable supply of resources from the organism

wolves/dogs

first domesticated animal

neoteny

the retention of juvenile traits into adulthood, influencing physical appearance and behavior to make them more appealing/manageable as pets

taming

when a wild animal is used to humans and will submit to human control, is the first step in domestication

peru

the first place to domesticate potatoes

monoculture

agricultural practice of producing or growing one single crop or plant species over a wide area for consecutive years

speciesism

giving preference to our own species over another in the absence of morally relevant differences

big game hunter theory

early humans developed technology to kill large animals that gave them huge access to important macronutrients in huge quantities

civilization

stage in human development in which a concentrated group of individuals develop sustained advances, social organizations, and cultural interactions

drug

medicine or other substance that has a physiological effect when ingested (not consumed for calorie intake)