AP Human Geo - Unit 3 Vocabulary

Ethnocentrism

The belief in the superiority of one's own cultural group over others, often leading to a biased and judgmental perspective.

Cultural Relativism

The idea that a culture should be understood and evaluated based on its own values and norms, rather than through the lens of one's own culture.

Cultural Appropriation

The adoption or imitation of elements from one culture by members of another culture, often without understanding or respecting their significance.

Cultural Landscape

The visible, physical expression of a culture on the natural landscape, including buildings, roads, agriculture, and other human-made features.

Ethnicity

A social identity based on shared cultural traits, language, religion, ancestry, or historical experiences, often leading to a sense of belonging to a particular group.

Sequent Occupancy

The idea that multiple cultures have left their imprints on a place's cultural landscape over time, creating layers of cultural history.

Sense of Place

The emotional attachment or connection that individuals or communities have to a specific location, often due to its cultural, historical, or personal significance.

Placemaking

The deliberate efforts to create a unique and meaningful sense of place through urban design, architecture, and community engagement.

Centripetal Force

Factors that unify and strengthen a country or culture, promoting cohesion and stability.

Centrifugal Force

Factors that divide and weaken a country or culture, leading to fragmentation and instability.

Contagious Diffusion

The spread of a cultural trait or innovation through direct person-to-person contact or communication.

Relocation Diffusion

The spread of a cultural trait or idea through the physical movement of people from one place to another.

Hierarchical Diffusion

The spread of a cultural trait or innovation from larger, influential centers to smaller, less influential ones.

Reverse Hierarchical Diffusion

The spread of a cultural trait or idea from smaller, less influential centers to larger, more influential ones.

Stimulus Diffusion

The spread of an underlying principle or idea, even if specific details or elements are altered in the process.

Lingua Franca

A common language used for communication between speakers of different native languages, often for trade or diplomacy.

Creolization

The blending and mixing of cultural elements from different societies, often resulting in the creation of a new, hybrid culture.

Colonalism

The establishment and maintenance of political and economic control over a foreign territory by a more powerful country.

Imperialism

The policy of extending a nation's influence and control over other countries, often through military force or economic dominance.

Cultural Convergence

The process by which different cultures become more similar to each other through contact and exchange.

Cultural Divergence

The process by which different cultures become more distinct from each other due to isolation or cultural barriers.

Universaliszing Religion

A religion that seeks to appeal to people worldwide and actively spread its beliefs beyond its cultural or geographic origins.

Ethnic Religion

A religion that is closely tied to a specific ethnic or cultural group and is often limited to that group's geographic area.

Language Families

Groups of languages that share a common ancestral language and have evolved from it over time.

Dialect

A regional or social variation of a language, often characterized by differences in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar.

Cultural Hearth

A region where a particular culture or civilization's ideas, innovations, and practices originated and spread from.

Acculturation

The process of adopting and incorporating elements of a dominant culture into one's own cultural practices.

Assimilation

The complete integration of an individual or group into the culture and society of another, often resulting in the loss of their original cultural identity.

Syncretism

The blending or merging of different cultural practices, beliefs, or traditions to create something new and unique.

Multiculturalism

The coexistence and recognition of multiple cultural groups within a single society, often promoting diversity and tolerance.