Key Vocabulary from Cultural Studies Lecture

A collection of key vocabulary terms and their definitions from the cultural studies lecture for exam preparation.

absorbing barriers

Barriers that completely halt diffusion.

accent

A way of pronouncing words.

acculturation

Occurs when an ethnic or immigrant group adopts enough of the ways of the host society to be able to function economically and socially.

animistic religion

A faith that subscribes to the idea that souls or spirits exist in animals, plants, rocks, and other entities of the natural environment.

assimilation

Occurs when an ethnic or immigrant group blends in with the host culture and loses culturally distinctive traits.

bilingualism

The ability to speak two languages fluently.

centrifugal force

A force that threatens the cohesion of a neighborhood, society, or country.

centripetal force

A force that brings people together and unifies a neighborhood, society, or country.

colonialism

The act of forcefully controlling a foreign territory.

convergence hypothesis

The idea that cultures are converging, or becoming more alike.

creole

A combined language that has a fuller vocabulary than a pidgin language and becomes a native language.

creolization

The linguistic process where languages converge and create new languages.

cultural attitudes

Concepts and ideas in a society shaped by cultural opinions, beliefs, and perspectives.

cultural relativism

An approach to understanding other cultures from a perspective of cultural logic.

cultural trait

A single aspect of a given culture or society.

culture hearth

A focused geographic area where important innovations are born.

dialect

A regional variation of a language that is understood by speakers of other variations.

empire

A sovereign political entity that seeks to expand beyond its origin land.

endangered language

A language that is not taught to children and is not used actively.

ethnic geography

The study of the spatial aspects of ethnicity.

ethnic group

A group of people sharing a common ancestry and cultural tradition.

ethnic religion

A religion identified with a particular ethnic or tribal group.

ethnocentric approach

An approach that evaluates other cultures from the observer's perspective.

extinct language

A language for which there are no living speakers.

generic toponym

The generic part of a place-name, such as -ville in Louisville.

genocide

The systematic killing of members of a racial or ethnic group.

globalization

Adapting global practices to fit local cultural practices.

imperialism

The motivating impulse to control greater amounts of territory.

indigenous culture

A local culture that is no longer the dominant ethnic group within its traditional homeland.

language

A mutually agreed-upon system of symbolic communication.

language family

A group of related languages sharing a common ancestry.

lingua franca

A language of communication and commerce spoken across a wide area.

local culture

Rural, ethnically homogenous culture connected to the local land.

long-lot settlement pattern

A linear settlement pattern with farmsteads at one end of narrow rectangular lots.

material culture

The physical, visible objects made and used by a cultural group.

modernist architecture

A functional, rational style of building design.

monotheistic

Relating to the belief in only one god.

multiculturalism

Policies that promote the inclusion of minority groups in cultural institutions.

nonmaterial culture

Intangible elements of culture including beliefs and values.

orthodox religion

A religion that emphasizes purity of faith.

permeable barriers

Barriers that slow diffusion but allow some partial diffusion.

physical landscape

The natural physical surroundings that shape our environment.

pidgin

A trade language with a small vocabulary derived from languages of contact groups.

placelessness

The feeling that results from the standardization of the built environment.

placemaking

Efforts to design public places to serve the needs of residents.

polyglot

A person fluent in more than two languages.

polytheistic

Relating to the belief in many gods.

popular culture

Heterogeneous culture influenced by urban areas and quick to adopt new technologies.

postmodern architecture

A design style reacting against modernist architecture with dramatic flair.

proselytic

Describing a religion that spreads its message through missionary work.

race

Historically defined by the physical characteristics of a group.

religion

A structured set of beliefs and practices seeking harmony with the powers of the universe.

sacred spaces

Sites with religious meaning recognized as worthy of devotion.

secular

Less influenced or controlled by religion.

secularization

The process whereby religion becomes a less dominant force in life.

sense of place

The distinctive feeling of a place or a person’s perception of it.

sequent occupance

The fact that places are reshaped by a variety of groups over time.

subculture

A group with distinct norms, values, and material practices that differentiate them from the dominant culture.

syncretic religion

Religion that combines elements of two or more belief systems.

syncretism

The blending of beliefs, ideas, and practices, especially in religion.

time-space convergence

The phenomenon where new transportation technologies reduce travel time.

toponyms

The names given to places.

transculturation

The notion that people adopt elements of other cultures and transform their own.

universalizing religion

A religion that actively seeks new members and believes its message is universally important.