AP Human Geography Unit 3 Vocab

Acculturation

The process of cultural change and adaptation that occurs when individuals from one culture come into contact with another culture.

Adaptation

The process by which individuals or groups adjust to their environment or new cultural conditions.

Assimilation

The process by which a person or group adopts the culture of another group, losing their original cultural identity.

Cultural identity

The feeling of belonging to a particular culture or ethnic group.

Creolized language/Crealization

A stable natural language that has developed from a mixture of different languages, often through colonization.

Custom

A traditional and widely accepted way of behaving or doing something that is specific to a particular society.

Dialect

A particular form of a language that is peculiar to a specific region or social group.

Folk culture

The traditional culture of a group of people that is passed down through generations, often characterized by handmade goods and local customs.

Habit

A regular practice or routine behavior that is often automatic.

Isogloss

A geographic boundary within which a particular linguistic feature occurs.

Isolated language

A language that has no known linguistic relatives or connections to other languages.

Language

A system of communication used by a particular country or community.

Language branch

A subgroup of languages that share a more recent common ancestor within a language family.

Language family

A group of languages that are related through descent from a common ancestor.

Language group

A set of languages within a branch that share a more recent common origin.

Lingua franca

A language that is adopted as a common language between speakers whose native languages are different.

Material culture

The physical objects, resources, and spaces that people use to define their culture.

Monolingual

Speaking only one language.

Multilingual

Speaking several languages.

Non-material culture

The abstract creations of a culture, including values, beliefs, norms, and customs.

Official language

The language that is given a special legal status in a particular country.

Pidgin language

A simplified speech form that arises to facilitate communication between people who do not share a common language.

Placelessness

The sense of loss of uniqueness of place in the cultural landscape.

Popular culture

Culture that is prevalent and widely accepted by the general public, often associated with mass media.

Standard language

The form of a language that is widely accepted as the norm or model, often used in formal settings.

Taboo

A social or cultural prohibition against discussing certain subjects.

Autonomous Religion

A religion that does not have a central authority but shares common beliefs.

Branch

A division within a religion that encompasses a number of congregations adhering to the same beliefs.

Denomination

A recognized autonomous branch of the Christian church.

Ethnic Religion

A religion that is closely tied to a particular ethnic group and typically does not seek to spread beyond that group.

Hierarchical Religion

A religion with a formalized structure of authority and control.

Missionary

A person sent on a religious mission, often to promote their faith.

Monotheism

The belief in a single, all-powerful deity.

Pilgrimage

A journey to a sacred place undertaken for religious reasons.

Polytheism

The belief in or worship of multiple deities.

Reincarnation

The belief that after death, the soul is reborn into a new body.

Syncretic

Referring to the blending of different beliefs or practices.

Universalizing Religion

A religion that seeks to appeal to all people, regardless of location or cultural background.

Multiculturalism

The coexistence of multiple cultures within a society.

Adherents

Individuals who follow or support a particular religion or belief system.

Postmodern Architecture

Architecture that emerged in the late 20th century characterized by a departure from modernist principles.

Secular

The state of being separate from religion or not being exclusively allied with any religion.

Cultural Relativism

The practice of evaluating a culture by its own standards rather than viewing it through the lens of another culture.

Ethnocentrism

The evaluation of other cultures according to the standards of one's own culture.

Cultural Hearth

A geographic area where cultural traits develop and spread to other areas.

Sikhism

A monotheistic religion that originated in the Punjab region of India in the 15th century.

Cultural Landscape

The visible imprint of human activity on the landscape, including buildings, roads, and agricultural practices.

Sequent Occupancy

The notion that successive societies leave their cultural imprints on a place.

Buddhism

A religion and philosophy centered on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha.

Judaism

One of the oldest monotheistic religions, centered on the covenant between God and the Hebrew people.

Christianity

The faith based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

Hinduism

The predominant religion of India, characterized by a variety of beliefs and practices.

Islam

A monotheistic Abrahamic religion founded on the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.

Place-Making

The intentional effort to create belonging, community, and identity in a specific place.

Proselytizing Religion

A religion that actively seeks to convert others to its faith.