Human Geo vocab Unit 3

Culture

The shared beliefs, values, and practices of a group of people.

Cultural Trait

A specific aspect of a culture, such as a belief, value, or practice.

Artifacts

Physical objects created by a culture, such as tools and clothing.

Sociofacts

The social structures and practices that influence a culture.

Mentifacts

The ideas, beliefs, and knowledge that constitute a culture.

Popular Culture

Mainstream cultural trends that appeal to a broad audience.

Traditional (Folk) Culture

Cultural practices that are deeply rooted in the traditions of a community.

Ethnocentrism

The belief in the superiority of one's own culture.

Cultural Relativism

The practice of understanding a culture based on its own values and beliefs.

Cultural Landscape

The human-modified natural landscape reflecting cultural practices.

Sequent Occupance

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

Ethnicity

A shared cultural heritage and identity based on nationality, language, or religion.

Traditional Architecture

Building styles that are characteristic of a specific culture or region.

Postmodern Architecture

A style of architecture that emerged as a reaction to modernism, emphasizing eclecticism.

Religion

A system of beliefs and practices regarding the sacred or divine.

Toponym

The study of place names and their meanings.

Sense of Place

The emotional and cultural significance attached to a location.

Dialect

A regional variation of a language spoken by a particular group.

Adherents

Followers or members of a particular religion or belief system.

Denominations

Subgroups within a larger religious tradition.

Centripetal Force

Factors that promote unity and stability within a culture or society.

Centrifugal Force

Factors that lead to division and separation within a culture or society.

Diffusion

The spread of cultural items from one group to another.

Cultural Hearth

The origin point of a culture where it first developed.

Expansion Diffusion

The spread of a cultural phenomenon through direct or indirect exchange.

Contagious Diffusion

The rapid spread of a cultural trait through direct contact.

Hierarchical Diffusion

The spread of culture that occurs through levels of power or authority.

Stimulus Diffusion

The spread of an underlying principle even if the specific trait fails to spread.

Lingua Franca

A common language used by speakers of different languages.

Creolization

The process of cultural mixing and hybridization leading to new cultural forms.

Cultural Convergence

The tendency of cultures to become more alike due to interaction.

Cultural Divergence

The process of cultures becoming distinct and separated.

Acculturation

Cultural change resulting from the meeting of two or more cultures.

Assimilation

The process by which individuals or groups adopt the culture of another group.

Syncretism

The blending of different beliefs and practices into a new system.

Multiculturalism

The coexistence of diverse cultures within a society.

Cultural Appropriation

The adoption of elements of one culture by members of another culture.

Language Family

A group of languages derived from a common ancestral language.

Isolate

A language that has no demonstrable relationship with other languages.

Language Branch

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

Language Groups

Languages within a branch that are closely related.

Indo-European Language Family

A large family of languages including many widely spoken languages like English and Hindi.

Universalizing Religions

Religions that seek to be global and appeal to all people.

Christianity

A monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

Islam

A monotheistic religion that follows the teachings of the prophet Muhammad.

Buddhism

A religion and philosophy based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama.

Sikhism

A monotheistic religion founded in the 15th century in the Punjab region.

Ethnic Religions

Religions that are specific to a particular ethnic group.

Hinduism

One of the oldest major religions, characterized by a variety of beliefs and practices.

Judaism

The monotheistic religion of the Jewish people, based on the Hebrew Bible.

Secularized societies often see a decline in traditional religious practices, leading to a blend of cultural and spiritual beliefs that may incorporate elements from various faiths.

In these societies, religious beliefs may become less formalized and intertwined with cultural practices.