Cultural Geographies & Interpreting Places and Landscapes - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from Chapters 5 and 6: Cultural geographies, place, landscape, globalization, and related terms.

Culture

Shared beliefs, values, customs, and practices of a group.

Material culture

Physical things produced by a culture, such as clothes, food, and buildings.

Symbolic culture

Non-material aspects of culture, such as language, religion, and values.

Culture as a Geographical Process

Culture is dynamic, spreads, changes, and adapts through interaction, influencing landscapes, cities, and daily life.

Cultural Appropriation

Taking cultural elements from another group without understanding or respect, often from marginalized groups.

Cultural Trait

A single element of culture, such as a food dish, dance, or type of clothing.

Diaspora

A scattered population from a homeland that maintains cultural ties.

Cultural Imperialism

Dominance of one culture over others, often Western.

Americanization

Spread of U.S. culture worldwide (e.g., fast food chains, movies).

McDonaldization

George Ritzer’s idea: society becoming more like a fast-food chain—efficient, predictable, calculable, controllable.

Social Geography

Study of how identities (race, gender, class) relate to place and space.

Identity

How we see ourselves and how others see us.

Intersectionality

Overlapping social categories (e.g., being both a woman and an immigrant).

Race

Socially constructed categories based on perceived biological traits.

Ethnicity

Shared cultural heritage, language, and ancestry.

Geographies of Race/Ethnicity

Spatial expressions of race and ethnicity (e.g., ethnic enclaves).

Chinatown (ethnic enclave)

A concentrated ethnic community; e.g., Chinatown in Vancouver illustrating history, migration, and identity.

Cultural Landscape

A human-shaped environment reflecting cultural values.

Ordinary landscapes

Everyday settings (e.g., neighborhoods).

Symbolic landscapes

Landscapes that represent power, identity, or values (e.g., Parliament Hill).

Territoriality

Control over space for social or political purposes (e.g., borders, fences).

Cultural Landscape (replay)

See above for term: Cultural Landscape.

Proxemics

Study of personal space and distance in communication.

Topophilia

Emotional attachment to a place.

Derelict Landscapes

Abandoned or degraded spaces (e.g., empty factories).

Landscapes as Texts / Semiotics

Reading landscapes to uncover meaning; semiotics is the study of signs and symbols.

Semiotics

Study of signs and symbols.

Sign

A feature that conveys meaning (e.g., national flag).

Malls as Coded Spaces

Malls are designed to influence behavior through layout, lighting, and rules.

Sense of Place

Emotional meaning tied to a location.

Sacred Space

A place with spiritual significance (e.g., churches, mosques, temples).

Place-marketing

Branding a place to attract people or investment.

Mega events

Olympics, expos—reshape places and image.

Heritage industry

Selling history/culture for tourism.

Globalization & Place

Study of how globalization affects place, including placelessness and homogenized landscapes.

Placelessness

Loss of unique characteristics; everywhere looks the same.

Homogenous landscapes

Standardized spaces (e.g., chain stores, uniform malls).

Vancouver 2010 Olympics

Example of place-marketing and a mega event reshaping the city.

Granville Island Market

Example of heritage industry.