Unit 3-1: Cultural Patterns and Processes - AP Outline

Centrifugal Force

A force that threatens the cohesion of a neighborhood, society, or country; any factor that tends to divide, destabilize, or weaken a state (country)

Examples of Centrifugal Forces

• Ethnic, language, or religious differences

• Economic inequality (disparities in wealth, resources, or job opportunities between regions or groups in a country

• Physical geography/spatial factors - such as mountains or rivers that separate people or inhibit communication and transportation.

• Political instability/corruption - weak, ineffective or corrupt central government

Centripetal Force

Any factor that unifies and strengthens a state, promoting political stability and national cohesion

Examples of Centripetal Forces

• Political/Institutional Factors - nationalism/patriotism, strong/legitimate government

• Cultural Factors - common language, shared religion or ethnicity, national sports/events

• Economic/Infrastructure Factors - effective infrastructure (transportation/communication), equitable economic development, forward capital

Contagious Diffusion

Form of expansion diffusion where a cultural trait, idea, or innovation spreads rapidly outward from its hearth (origin) to nearby places or people; widespread and rapid

Examples of Contagious Diffusion

• Disease - contagious diseases that pass through physical proximity and personal contact (flu, common cold, Ebola, cholera)

• Ideas/Trends - Viral internet meme or TikTok trend

Creole (Creolization)

Language that results from the mixing (blending) of a colonizer's language with the language(s) of the people being dominated, which has become nativized (the first or native language of a generation of speakers)

Examples of Creole Languages

• Haitian Creole, Tok Pisin, Louisiana Creole, Gullah

Cultural Relativism

Evaluating a culture or practice from its own perspective and standard

Promotes tolerance, empathy, and a complete understanding of why a trait exists in a specific culture

Cultural Landscape - helps explain why a particular practice or landscape feature exists in a specific location by tying it to that culture’s beliefs, environment, and history

Ethnocentric Approach (Ethnocentrism)

Belief that one's own culture or ethnic group is superior to others and is the standard by which all other cultures should be measured

Evaluating a culture or practice based on the standards of one's own culture; often leads to prejudice, misunderstanding, judging another culture as inferior, or conflict

Hierarchical Diffusion

Form of expansion diffusion where an idea, innovation, or trend spreads by passing first among the most connected individuals or places, then trickling down to the rest of the population or lower levels of the urban hierarchy

Often skips (leapfrogs) over less influential people or smaller places in the initial stages

Examples of Hierarchical Diffusion

• Fashion Trends (starts in major cities)

• New Technology (starts with high-income/wealthy)

• Music Genres (starts in major cities)

• Company Decisions (starts with owner or CEO)

Lingua Franca

Language systematically used to facilitate communication between people who speak different native languages. It is a common language adopted for trade, diplomacy, science, and other international purposes

Examples of Lingua Franca

• English - Colonization by Britain (historical); Internet (contemporary)

• Spanish - Trade in Latin America

• Arabic - Religion (Islam) and trade in the Middle East

• Swahili - Trade and communication in East Africa

Traditional Architecture

Building style that reflects the cultural, historical, and environmental conditions of a small, cohesive, and homogeneous group of people

Features of Traditional Architecture

• Local Materials - use materials available in the environment

• Climate Adaption - designed for the local climate conditions

• Cultural and Religious Beliefs - incorporate symbols and practices significant to the community's heritage

• Slow Diffusion - Passed down through generations and likely only through relocation diffusion

Multiculturalism

A set of policies that promote the active participation and inclusion of minority groups in national histories, national politics, and cultural institutions with the goal of embracing difference with society;

Presence and active support of multiple, distinct cultural groups coexisting within a single society (cultural pluralism)

Examples of Multiculturalism

• Ethnic Enclaves/Neighborhoods

• Bilingual or Multilingual Signage

• Diverse Architecture

• Diverse Cuisine (restaurants and grocery stores)

Placelessness

Refers to the loss of unique identity and character of a place, resulting in landscapes that look and feel the same regardless of their location; diminishes regional variation and eliminates the unique meanings associated with specific locations

Causes of Placelessness

• Globalization and Economic Uniformity

• Mass Communication and Popular Culture

• Standardized Architecture and Urban Planning

• Increased Mobility and Connectivity

Visualization on the Cultural Landscape

• Retail and Commercial Spaces (shopping malls and big-box stores)

• Housing - “Cookie-Cutter” suburban housing

• Infrastructure - Standardized highway systems, rest stops, and chain hotels/restaurants

Placemaking

Process that involves the deliberate design and management of public spaces to create environments that are vibrant, functional, and meaningful to the local community

Key Characteristics and Goals of Placemaking

• Community Engagement - Involving residents in the planning process

• Place Attachment - Fostering emotional connections between people and their environment

• Cultural Expression - Reflecting local culture and history in the design

• Sustainability - Promoting environmental responsibility and social equity

Postmodern Architecture

Style that is unique and nontraditional - as a reaction against the perceived uniformity, austerity, and rigid focus on function of modern architecture

Key Characteristics of Postmodern Architecture

• Eclecticism and Historicism - use of historical architectural styles (columns, arches) with modern materials and technology

• Ornamentation and Decoration - use of decorative elements, embracing color, patterns, and surface ornamentations

• Contextualism - attempt to use more local context, culture, and history of the place where being built

• Whimsy and Irony - use of playful, unconventional forms, exaggerated proportions, and even metaphorical shapes 

Sense of Place

Refers to the emotional and subjective connections people have with a specific geographic location. It is the feeling, meaning, and character that a place is perceived to have, which is shaped by human experience, memory, and culture

Components of Sense of Place

• Physical Attributes - Unique natural and built features of a place (ocean, mountain range, local architecture)

• Human Attributes - Culture, history, language, traditions

• Personal Experience - Memories and emotional bonds

Stimulus Diffusion

Form of expansion diffusion where the underlying principle or idea of a cultural trait spreads, even though the specific original characteristic or trait itself does not diffuse

Key Characteristics of Stimulus Diffusion

• Core concept adopted, but specific item is rejected or cannot be implemented in the new environment

• Idea adapted to local conditions, resources, or cultural values, creating a new, unique, yet related trait

• Usually the result of barriers (cultural, economic, or environmental) that prevent adoption of original item

Cultural Landscape

Visible imprint of human activity on the natural environment. It shows how human practices, beliefs, and values shape and modify the physical surroundings. ANYTHING humans do to modify/change the landscape/environment

Key Characteristics of Cultural Landscape

• Physical and Built Features - buildings, roads, monuments, infrastructure - the built environment

• Agricultural and Industrial Practices - factories/manufacturing, farms

• Religious and Linguistic Characteristics - Churches, mosques, temples, cemeteries, and language visible on signs or place names (toponym)

Culture

Comprises the shared practices, technologies, attitudes, and behaviors transmitted by a society

The beliefs, values, practices, behaviors, and technologies shared by a society and passed down from generation to generation

Gendered Spaces

Areas or environments that are socially constructed to be primarily associated with, restricted to, or designed for a specific gender

Spaces reflect and reinforce societal gender roles, expectations, and power structures by influencing how different genders are expected to behave, work, and interact within a given location

Types of Gendered Spaces

• Public-Private divide - historically private spaces are often female-associated and public space is male-associated

• Physical and Structural Design - design of built environment can intentionally (or unintentionally) accommodate or restrict certain groups (schools or places or worship)

Sequent Occupance

Notion that successive societies leave their cultural imprints on a place, each contributing to the cumulative cultural landscape

Cultural Imprints

• Architecture and Infrastructure - distinct building styles, road patterns, and historic structures left by past societies

• Land Use - changes in agricultural practices, resource exploitation, and urban development over time

• Place Names (Toponyms) - names of cities, rivers, and streets reflect the language of former groups

• Social and Cultural Practices - enduring traditions, religious sites, and foodways that have been passed down or blended

Commodification

Process of transforming a good, service, idea, or cultural artifact that previously was not regarded as an object to be bought or sold into a commodity that has monetary value and can be traded in a market economy

Cultural Appropriation

Unauthorized adoption or use of elements from one culture by members of a different and typically dominant culture, often without consent, proper credit, or a deep understanding of the elements' original context and significance

Examples of Cultural Appropriation

• Fashion - major retailer mass-producing and selling designs inspired by Indigenous or marginalized cultures without proper acknowledgment

• Symbolism - non-native individuals wearing Native American headdresses as fashion statements without understanding their cultural significance

• Language/Music - taking phrases or musical styles (blues/jazz/rap) from African American vernacular

Cultural Trait

Single, distinguishing characteristic of a culture. It is the smallest element that can be recognized, learned, and transmitted from one person to another

Ethnic Enclave

A geographical area where a particular ethnic group is spatially clustered and socially and economically distinct from the majority group

Key Characteristics of Ethnic Enclave

• Cultural Preservation - “safe space” where immigrants can maintain their language, religion, foodways, and social customs without pressure to assimilate into host culture

• Cultural Landscape - create a distinct cultural landscape using unique architecture, bilingual signs (toponyms), and ethnic shops

Examples of Ethnic Enclave

• Chinatown - cities like San Francisco, New York City, and Chicago

• Little Havana - Cuban Americans in Miami

• Koreatown - Korean Americans in Los Angeles and Chicago

Placelessness

Feeling resulting from the standardization of the built environment; occurs where local distinctiveness is erased and many places end up with similar cultural landscapes

Relocation Diffusion

Spread of an idea through physical movement of people from one place to another

When people migrate they bring aspects of culture with them (language, religion, food, dress, architecture, etc.)

Sense of Place

Personal connection and emotional attachment an individual feels towards a particular geographic location, shaped by their experiences, cultural understanding, and perception of that place, making it feel unique and meaningful to them

Stimulus Diffusion

Occurs when a specific trait is rejected, but the underlying principle is accepted

Modern Architecture

Functional, rational, and orderly architecture that used simple, geometric forms (rectangular, box-like), new materials (glass, steel, concrete), flat roofs, with a lack of ornamentation and an emphasis on open spaces and natural light