AP Human Geography Unit 3

Culture

The beliefs, practices, behaviors, and technologies shared by a society and passed down through generations.

Cultural Attribute

Material objects shared by a group of people such as language, practices, and food/ clothing.

Artifacts

Visible objects and technologies that a culture creates

Sociofacts

Structures and organizations that influence social behavior, such as families, governments, educational systems, and religious organizations.

Menifacts

The central, enduring elements of a culture, that reflect it's shared ideas, value, knowledge, and beliefs.

Popular Culture

The widespread behaviors, beliefs, and practices by ordinary people in society (changes quick)

Traditional Culture

Composed of long established behaviors, beliefs, and practices, passed down from generation to generation.

Cultural Norms

The shared standards and patterns that guide the behavior of a group of people, play an important role in upholding traditions.

Ethnocentrism

The tendency of ethnic groups to evaluate other groups according to preconceived ideas originated from their own culture.

Cultural Relativism

The evaluation of a culture solely but it's own unique standards.

Cultural Landscape

The human imprint on the landscape, and it offers clues about the cultural practices/priorities.

Identity

How humans make sense of themselves.

Sequent Occupance

The notion that successful societies leave behind their cultural imprint.

Ethnicity

The state of belonging to a group of people who share common cultural characteristics

Ethnic Neighborhoods

cultural landscapes within communities of people outside of their areas of origin

Traditional Architecture

Established building styles of different cultures, religions, and places.

Postmodern Architecture

Emerging in the 60's as a reaction to "modern" designs with more form, structure and materials

Religion

A system of spiritual beliefs that helps form cultural perceptions, attitudes, and materials.

Pilgramage

A journey to a holy place for holy reasons.

Language

The carrier of human thoughts and cultural identities.

Toponyms

Place names given to certain features on the land such as settlements, terrain features, and streams.

Gendered Spaces

In use when a society has strict gender roles, certain spaces may be designed and deliberately incorporated into the landscape.

Gender Identity

How individuals perceive themselves

Safe Spaces

a space of acceptance for people

Gentrification

the restoration of run-down urban areas by the middle class (resulting in the displacement of lower-income people)

Third Place

a communal space that is separate from home (first place) or work (second place)

Placemaking

A community driven process in which people collaborate to create a place where they can live.

Dialects

A variation of a standard language

Adherents

People who are loyal to a belief, religion, or organization.

Denominations

Separate branches of one organization

Sect (think Denominations)

A small group of people who have separated from a denomination

Centripetal Force

a force that unites a group of people

Centrifrugal force

a force that divides people and countries

Diffusion

A cultural trait that spreads over time

Cultural Hearth

A region where cultural ideas first develop

Expansion Diffusion

when an aspect of culture spreads outward from where it originated

Contagious Diffusion

Occurs when a cultural idea/trait spreads to people/ places

Hierarchical Diffusion

The spread of idea/trait from a person/ place of power

Stimulus Diffusion

When a fundamental idea behind a cultural trait stimulates a new innovation

Lingua Franca

A common language used among speakers of different languages

Creolization

Interactions between cultures resulting in 2+ cultural elements blending together

Cultural Convergence

As cultures interact with each other, and they become more similar sharing traits.

Acculturation

Where people within one culture adopt some of the traits of another while still having their traits.

Assimilation

When interactions of 2+ cultures blend together to create a new culture.

Syncretism

When 2+ cultures blend together to create a new culture

Multiculturalism

When diverse cultures coexsist within a shared space

Cultural Appropriation

The act of adopting elements from another culture

Collectivist

Where people are expected to conform to collective responsibility within the family

Language Family

The largest grouping of related languages, and includes languages, that share a common ancestral languages from a particular hearth

Isolate

A language that has no known historic or linguistic relationship with any other known language.

Language Branch

A collection of languages within a family that was separated from other languages, thousands of years ago.

Language Groups

Languages within a branch that share an ancestor in the recent past.

Universalizing Religion

Attempt to appeal to a wide variety of people and are open to membership by all.

Christianity

A religion based on the teachings of Jesus, gods son. Who taught his followers that they should love/care for each other.

Islam

Originated on the Arabian Peninsula, Muhammad who is the last messenger of Allah (god) introduced it. It is based around moral behaviors.

Buddhism

Arose from Northeastern India. It is based on the teachings of the Buddha.

Sikhism

The newest universalizing religion believes that devotion to god will free them from the cycle of life and death. And all people are created equal.

Ethnic Religions

Religion closely tied with a particular ethnic group.

Hinduism

Founded in South Asia, near the Gange's river. They believe in an eternal spirit called Brahman, and their gods/goddesses are different expressions of it.

Judism

According to the hebrew bible, the prophet Abraham founded it. It has many similarities to Christianity and Islam.

Secularized

not religious but identifying as Jews through ethnicity and culture