Parkview AP Human Geography Unit 3: Culture and Religion Vocabulary

A comprehensive vocabulary list for Unit 3 of the AP Human Geography course, focusing on culture and religion concepts.

Acculturation

The process of cultural change and adaptation that occurs when one culture comes into contact with another.

Assimilation

The process by which a person or a group's language and/or culture come to resemble those of another group.

Centripetal Force

A force that unifies people and enhances support for a state.

Centrifugal Force

A force that divides people and countries.

Contagious diffusion

The rapid, widespread diffusion of a feature or trend throughout a population.

Cultural appropriation

The adoption of elements of one culture by members of another culture, often without permission.

Cultural convergence

The tendency for cultures to become more alike as they increasingly share technology and organizational structures.

Cultural divergence

The process of a culture splitting into different directions, often due to differing circumstances.

Cultural landscape

The visible imprint of human activity on the landscape.

Cultural relativism

The practice of understanding a culture on its own terms without judgment.

Ethnic Neighborhood

A neighborhood composed of people of similar ethnic backgrounds.

Ethnocentrism

Evaluating other cultures according to the standards of one's own culture.

Expansion diffusion

The spread of a feature or trend among people from one area to another in an additive process.

Indigenous community

A community of native people who have a distinct culture and social structure.

Hearth

The area where a cultural trait or innovation originates.

Hierarchical Diffusion

The spread of an idea from persons or nodes of authority to other persons or places.

Material culture

The physical objects, resources, and spaces that people use to define their culture.

Multiculturalism

The presence and coexistence of multiple cultures within a society.

Nonmaterial culture

The ideas, values, and beliefs of a group of people.

Relocation diffusion

The spread of a feature or trend through the physical movement of people.

Sense of place

The feelings and perceptions people associate with a particular location.

Sequent occupancy

The notion that successive societies leave their cultural imprints on a place, contributing to the cumulative cultural landscape.

Stimulus diffusion

The spread of an underlying principle, even though a specific characteristic itself fails to diffuse.

Syncretism

The blending of elements from different cultures to form a new, unique cultural practice.

Taboo

A social or religious custom prohibiting discussion of a particular practice or forbidding association with a particular person, place, or thing.

Time-space convergence

The idea that the world is getting smaller as technology and transportation systems improve.

Animistic religion

A belief system in which spirits inhabit natural objects and surroundings.

Buddhism

A religion and philosophy based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha).

Caste system

A form of social stratification found in India, dividing people into different hierarchical groups.

Confucianism

A system of philosophical and ethical teachings founded by Confucius.

Diaspora

The scattering of people from their original homeland.

Ethnic religion

A religion associated with a particular ethnic group.

Feng Shui

An ancient Chinese practice of arranging the environment for harmony and balance.

Hajj

The annual pilgrimage to Mecca that every Muslim must undertake at least once in their lifetime.

Interfaith boundary

Boundaries between the world's major faiths.

Intrafaith boundary

Boundaries within a single major faith.

Karma

In Hinduism and Buddhism, the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences.

Monotheistic religion

A religion that believes in the existence of only one god.

Pilgrimage

A journey to a sacred place for religious purposes.

Polytheistic religion

A religion that believes in the existence of multiple gods.

Reincarnation

The belief that the body is temporary and the soul or essence is eternal, passing from one life to another.

Religious fundamentalism

A return to the core principles of a religion, usually in a strict and literal sense.

Secularism

The principle of separating religion from political, social, and educational practices.

Shamanism

A practice that involves a practitioner reaching altered states of consciousness to interact with the spirit world.

Shiite (Shiah)

A branch of Islam that believes that only a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad should lead the religion.

Shintoism

The traditional religion of Japan, involving the worship of kami (spirits).

Sikhism

A monotheistic religion that originated in the Punjab region of India.

Sunni

The largest denomination of Islam, which accepts the first four caliphs as rightful successors to Muhammad.

Taoism

A philosophical and religious tradition from China emphasizing living in harmony with the Tao.

Universalizing religion

A religion that seeks to convert non-believers to its ranks.

Zionism

A movement for the re-establishment of a Jewish nation.