hgap vocab #5 - culture and diffusion

absorbing barriers

barriers that completely halt diffusion

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

artifacts

objects made by humans

assimilation

occurs when an ethnic or immigrant group blends in with the host culture and loses many cultural distinctive traits

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

commodification

the process through which something is given monetary value (money); occurs when a good or idea that previously was not regarded as an object to be bought and sold is turned into something that has a particular price and that can be traded in a market economy

contagious diffusion

the distance-controlled spreading of an idea, innovation, or some other item through a local population by contact from person to person

convergence hypothesis

the idea that cultures are converging, or becoming more alike

cultural hearth

a focused geographic area where important innovations are born and from which they spread

cultural lag

situation in which some aspects of the culture change less rapidly, or lag behind, other aspects of the same culture

cultural landscape

a combination of cultural features such as language and religion, economic features such as agriculture and industry, and physical features such as climate and vegetation

cultural realm

the entire region throughout which a culture prevails - criteria that may be chosen to define culture realms include religion, language, diet, customs, or economic development

cultural relativism

an approach to understanding other cultures that seeks to understand individuals and cultures from a wider perspective of cultural logic

folk culture

culture traditionally practiced by a small, homogeneous, rural group living in relative isolation from other groups., - cultural traits such as dress modes, dwellings, traditions, and institutions of usually small, traditional communities

glocalization

adapting global practices to fit local cultural practices and preferences

habit

a repetitive act performed by a particular individual

hierarchical dIffusion

a form of diffusion in which an idea or innovation spreads by passing first among the most connected places or peoples - an urban hierarchy is usually involved, encouraging the leapfrogging of innovations over wide areas, with geographic distance a less important influence

innovation adoption

study of how, why, and at what rate new technology spreads throughout a culture

local culture

a group of people in a particular place who see themselves as a collective or a community, who share experiences, customs, and traits, and who work to preserve those traits and customs in order to claim uniqueness and to distinguish themselves from others

mentifacts

the central, enduring elements of a culture expressing its values and beliefs, including language, religion, folklore, and etc..."what a culture believes"

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 within society

permeable barriers

barriers that slow diffusion, but still allow some partial or weakened diffusion

popular culture

culture found in a large, heterogeneous society that shares certain habits despite differences in other personal characteristics., - cultural traits such as dress, diet and music that identify and are part of today's changeable, urban-based, media-influenced western societies

relocation diffusion

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

sequent occupance/occupation

refers to the fact that many places have been controlled or affected by a variety of groups over a period of time; those groups have reshaped the functions or meanings of those places and left behind layers of meaning

sociofacts of culture

a culture trait in the sociological subsystem, which is, the part of a culture that guides how people are expected to interact with each other and how their social institutions are structured

stimulus diffusion

a form of diffusion in which a cultural adaptation is created as a result of the introduction of a cultural trait from another place

subculture

a group of people with distinct norms, values, and material practices that differentiate them from the dominant culture surrounding them

taboo

a restriction on behavior imposed by social custom

trait

a distinguishing quality or characteristic, typically one belonging to a person

transculturation

the notion that people adopt elements of other cultures as well as contribute elements of their own culture, thereby transforming both cultures