AP Human Geography Unit 3

Culture

Culture

Beliefs, values, practices, behaviors, and technologies shared by a group of people and is passed down generationally.

Cultural trait

Specific objects and shared practices used by a culture

Artifact

visible objects and technologies used by a culture

Sociofact

a structure or organization influencing the social behavior of a culture

mentifact

The central, consistent, traits of a culture expressing its values, idea, knowledge, and beliefs

popular culture

the widespread behaviors, beliefs, and practices of average people in society at a given point in time

traditional culture

Composed of behaviors, beliefs, and practices, that have been in place for a long time and is passed down by generation.

Cultural Norms

Shared standards guiding the behaviors of people

Ethnocentrism

Tendency of ethnic groups to judge others based on their own ideas

Cultural Relativism

the practice of judging a culture by its own standards, instead of one's own

cultural landscape

A landscape altered by humans, reflecting their cultural beliefs and values. (Every landscape is a cultural landscape)

Identity

How people see themselves, and how they want others to see them.

sequent occupance

Successive societies leave behind a cultural imprint

Cultural Imprint

human character and experiences within a region

Toponym

The name of a place

Gendered Spaces

Spaces designed to accommodate gender roles

Sense of Place

emotions someone attaches to an area based on their experiences.

Placemaking

The way that culture is expressed in the physical world

Diffusion

When cultural traits spread to different locations

Hearth

The origin of a cultural trait, where it develops and diffuses from

relocation diffusion

Spread of a cultural trait by people physically moving to another place (migration)

Contagious Diffusion

The rapid spread of a cultural trait regardless of social class.

heirarchal diffusion

The spread of a cultural trait by a person of authority or power. Could be someone in government, a celebrity, etc.

Stimulus Diffusion

When a cultural trait spreads, but is altered to the new culture. (Example of this is changing McDonalds menu in different countries)

How does trade cause diffusion?

It brings people together due to interactions of buying and selling.

How has colonialism and Imperialism caused diffusion?

When a country is ruled/occupied by another that culture has an influence on the culture of that country

How does migration cause diffusion?

When people travel, they take their culture with them.

How does globalization cause diffusion?

Globalization is the process in which people across the world have been connected by travel, trade, and technology. Through this process people are connected, allowing traits to diffuse.

How does urbanization cause diffusion

More and more people are moving to cities, and they attract people of many different cultures. So people of many cultures are living close together.

How do communication technologies (Time space compression, social media, etc) cause diffusion

People are exposed to more cultures then what they live by, news spreads faster, people can see the same things all over the world, connecting people.

Cultural Convergence

When cultures interact with each other, they become similar

Cultural Divergence

When cultures have conflicting beliefs they become less similar.

Acculturation

when people from one culture adopt some traits of another while still retaining their own culture

Assimilation

When people of a different culture adapt almost all the traits of another

Syncretism

when two cultures bend together to form a new cultural trait

Multiculturalism

When multiple cultures live together in a society without assimilating.

Physical barriers to diffusion

Oceans, Rivers, Mountains, Deserts, etc.

How do taboos and cultural barriers place a barrier on diffusion?

Taboos- Bans on certain practices People can't adapt a trait that goes against a taboo. Language can also act as a cultural barrier.

How do Politics place barriers on diffusion?

Countries with different policies can affect how fast diffusion spreads. For example, a country with free expression rights will have traits diffuse faster than one without.

Lingua Franca

A language that facilitates communication or trade between people who speak different native languages.

Creolization

When elements of an incoming culture are given new meanings

English FBG

Indo-european: Germanic: West Germanic

Spanish FBG

Indo-European: Italic-Romance: Ibero-Romance

Hindi FBG

Indo-European: Indo-Iranian: Western Hindu

Mandarin FBG

Sino-Tibetian: Sinitic/Chinese

Arabic FBG

Afro-Asiatic: Semitic

Language Family

Largest group of related language, includes languages with a common ancestral language (a language from before recorded history)

Language Branch

Languages within a family that share an origin and were separated from other branches thousands of years ago

Language Group

Languages within a branch with a common ancestry in the recent past and often have overlapping vocabulary

Dialect

Variation of a standard language that is distinguished by variations in pronunciation, rapidity of speech, word choice, and spelling.

Isolate

A language with no known relationship with other languages

Cognate

words in different languages with similar meanings and shared descent from a common ancestor.

Proto-Indo-Eurpean

Speculated ancestral language of Indo-European

Endangered Language

A language of a small group of people that is in danger of disappearing due to population decline or cultural pressures.

Language

A method of communication using speech, writing, or gestures

Linguistics/ Linguist

A person who studies languages

Afro-Asiatic (location)

North Africa

Indo-European (location)

Majority of North and South America, Europe, Most of Russia, parts of Australia and Southwest Asia

Sino-Tibetian (location)

China

Kurgan Hypothesis/ Nomadic Warrior Hypothesis

Hearth in grasslands in Russia/Ukraine, diffused Proto-Indo-European through military conquest. Diffused from before 1000 bce to after.

Anatoilian Hypothesis/ Sedentary Farmer Hypothesis/ Renfrew Hypothesis

Hearth in Anatoilia (an area in Turkey), said to have diffused Proto-Indo-European through agricultural practices. Diffused from around 6000-3000 bce.

Why is English so dominant?

Many reasons. Some include education, the internet and English, Film/ television/ sports,

Pidgin language

A very simple language created for basic communication between speakers of different native languages, usually will borrow words from a dominant language, but keep grammatical structure of the other

Creole Language

A primary used language often developed from Pidgin language that is used in every situation. More complex than a pidgin language.

Universalizing Religion

A religion that attempts to appeal to a wide variety of people and are open to membership to all.

Main Universalizing Religions

Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Sikhism

Ethnic Religion

A religion that is closely tied to a particular ethnic group, generally within a particular region

Main Ethnic Religions

Hinduism and Judaism

Christianity Hearth

Israel

Christianity Founder

Jesus

The three branches of Christianity

Roman Catholicism (majority), Eastern Orthodox, and Protestantism

Christianity Place of Worship

Church

Christianity Holy Text

The bible

Christianity Sacred Place

Jerusalem

Christianity Burial Practice

Burial

Christianity World Distribution

Europe, North and South America, Russia, Australia, South Africa

How did Christianity Diffuse?

Relocation and expansion diffusion as a small group of followers called disciples carried the Christian message throughout the Roman Empire and Mediterranean region. From there it became the official religion of the Roman Empire in the 300s (hierarchical diffusion), then for the next 1000 years Christian Missionaries spread it. Christianity came to the America’s in the 15th century when Europeans colonized the land.

Christianity Main Beliefs and Practices

Jesus was the son of god, who was sent to Earth to save humanity from its sins; Jesus died on the cross, then was resurrected; Monotheistic religion- believe their is one god; Believe in live after death;

Islam Hearth

Mecca and Medina

Islam Founder

Muhammad

Holy book of Islam

Quran

The two major branches of Islam

Shias and Sunnis, majority are Sunni

Islam place of worship

Mosque

Islam burial practice

burial

Islam Food Taboos

Halal- Food must be slaughtered correctly, pork, alcohol

Islam World Distribution

North Africa and the Middle East

How did Islam Diffuse?

Muslims spread their religion through conquest, trade, and missionary work.

Buddhism hearth

Northeastern India

Buddhism branches

Theravada and Mahayana (majority)

Buddhism Founder

Siddhartha Guatama

Buddhism Place of Worship

Temple or Monestary

Buddhism Sacred Text

None- this varies widely by branch

Buddhism Sacred Place

Bodh Gaya/ Bodhi Tree

Buddhism Burial Practice

Depends- cremation is typical but burials also are common

Buddhism World Distribution

East Asia and parts of Southeast Asia

How did Buddhism Diffuse?

First spread through contagious diffusion. After becoming a Buddhist, Ashoka, the emperor who ruled much of South Asia from 268 to 232 B.C.E., PROMOTED THE RELIGION both inside and beyond his empire. He sent missionaries to carry the teachings of Buddha as far west as Greece and Egypt and south to Sri Lanka.

Buddhism main beliefs and practices

Hinduism Hearth

Unknown- but near India

Hinduism founder

unknown

Hinduism place of worship

Mandira (temple)