WHAP Foundational Vocab

Assimilation

(Replacing culture) Merging of cultural traits from previously distinct cultural groups; to adopt the ways of another culture

Artisans

(Skilled craftworkers) A person skilled in a particular craft; one who uses traditional methods to create items

Autonomous

(Self-ruling) Self-governing; independent; subject to its own laws. Independent of others and possessing a large degree of self-government

Bureaucracy

(Government officials) A system of departments and agencies formed to carry out the work of government. Often a highly respected position

Centralization

(Power inward) The concentration of administrative power in a central government or authority

Circa

(Approximately) About; especially used in approximate dates

Codify

(Organize laws) To catalogue or organize a set of laws, rules, etc. to a specific code

Commodity

(Trade good) An article of trade or commerce, especially a product as distinguished from a service

Consolidation

(Tightening control) A monarch's attempt to streamline and centralize the government

Cultural diffusion

(Ideas spreading) The spreading of ideas or products from one culture to another

Culture

(Way of life) A people's unique way of life, as shown by its tools, customs, arts, and ideas

Decentralization

(Power outward) To reorganize a government or industry into smaller, more autonomous units

Deforestation

(Cutting forests) The clearing of trees, transforming a forest into cleared land

Democracy

(Rule by people) A form of government in which the supreme power is retained by the people, but which is usually exercised indirectly through a system of representation and delegated authority periodically renewed

Demography

(Population study) The study of the size, growth, density, and other characteristics of human populations

Desertification

(Land drying) The process by which fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of drought, deforestation, or destructive agriculture

Diaspora

(Forced dispersal) Any group that has been dispersed outside of its traditional homeland, especially involuntarily, as Africans during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade

Doctrine

(Official beliefs) A belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a religion or a government

Egalitarian

(Equality belief) Asserting, resulting from, or characterized by belief in the equality of all people, especially in political, economic, or social life

Elite

(Powerful minority) A group of persons exercising the major share of authority or influence within a larger group

Empire

(Ruling many peoples) A political construct in which one state dominates over another state or a series of states

Epidemic

(Disease outbreak) Outbreak of a contagious disease that spreads rapidly and affects many people at the same time

Gender

(Social identity) Sexual identity, especially in relation to society or culture

Ideology

(Guiding beliefs) The doctrine, myth, belief, etc., that guides an individual, social movement, institution, class, or large group

Imperialism

(Expanding control) The practice of a nation forcefully imposing its rule or authority over other nations

Indigenous

(Native to area) Originating or occurring naturally in a particular place

Infrastructure

(Basic systems) The basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g. buildings, roads, power supplies) needed for the operation of a society or enterprise

Interregional

(Between regions) Of, involving, or connecting two or more regions

Intraregional

(Within region) Within a region

Legitimacy

(Right to rule) To rule by the principle of hereditary or sanctioned right

Monarchy

(Hereditary ruler) Supreme power held by one person and passed on through the family heirs

Nation-State

(Shared identity) A sovereign state inhabited by a relatively homogeneous group of people

Religion

(Sacred beliefs) Belief system that holds that divine powers control the environment and people's futures

Republic

(Elected leaders) A state where the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to select representatives to represent them

Sedentary

(Settled living) Settled, not migratory

Social hierarchy/class

(Ranked society) Referring to the hierarchical arrangement of individuals into divisions of power and wealth within a society

State

(Organized government) A politically unified people occupying a definite territory, nation, or territory(ies) of a government

Static

(Little change) Showing little change characterized by little movement or progression

Syncretism

(Blending cultures) Combination of different cultures (religion, art, etc.) resulting in a unique culture

Transregional

(Long-distance exchange) The exchange of goods, services, culture, and traditions across political or geographic boundaries

Tributary state

(Pays tribute) A state that is subordinate to a more powerful neighbor