ap human geo unit test

Material Culture

tangible physical items produced and used by members of a culture group that reflect traditions lifestyles and technologies

Cultural Artifacts

tangible evidence of an organizations values including physical features shared stories rituals and formal structures

Mentifacts

individual cultural traits of the ideological subsystem such as ideas

Non-material Culture

beliefs practices aesthetics and values of a group of people

Indigenous Culture

people native to an area such as Native Americans in the United States or Aboriginal Australians

Local Culture

a homogeneous group with strong shared beliefs and customs that rarely change and remain isolated

Cultural Trait

a single element of normal practice in a culture such as wearing a turban

Culture Region

an area where people share many cultural traits

Popular Culture

culture found in a large heterogeneous society with shared habits

Cultural Relativism

understanding a culture on its own terms without judging it

Ethnocentrism

belief in the superiority of ones own nation or ethnic group

Cultural Landscape

the visible imprint of human activity and culture on the landscape

Ethnic Enclave

an area with a high concentration of a distinct ethnic group

Gendered Spaces

areas where certain genders are considered appropriate while others are not

Traditional Cultures

cultures that maintain long standing traditions passed through generations

Culture

beliefs customs and traditions of a specific group

Taboo

a restriction on behavior imposed by social custom

Cultural Diffusion

the spread of cultural elements from one society to another

Relocation Diffusion

spread of ideas through the movement of people to new places

Expansion Diffusion

spread of an idea outward from its place of origin

Contagious Diffusion

rapid spread of an idea through direct person to person contact

Hierarchical Diffusion

spread of ideas from people or places of power to others

Reverse Hierarchical Diffusion

diffusion that moves from smaller places to larger cities

Stimulus Diffusion

creation of new cultural traits after introduction of an outside idea

Time-Distance Decay

the farther an idea travels the less likely it is to be adopted

Cultural Lag

when a group is slow to adapt to social or technological change

Imperialism

dominance of one political community over another to serve its interests

Colonialism

use of military force to conquer and settle another territory

Neo-Colonialism

indirect control through political economic and cultural influence

Colonization of Africa

Africa was last to be colonized and decolonized mainly by France and Britain with many changes in the nineteen fifties and sixties

Urbanization

growth of cities due to rural to urban migration

Globalization

increased interaction among people governments and companies worldwide

Language

a system of mutually intelligible sounds and symbols used for communication

Standard Language

form of a language used for government education and mass communication

Placemaking

how people shape landscapes to reflect culture and create a sense of place

Dialect

regional variety of a language with distinct vocabulary spelling and pronunciation

Accent

the way words are pronounced in different regions

Isogloss

a boundary separating regions with different language usage

Centripetal Forces

forces that unite and bind a country together

Centrifugal Forces

forces that divide and fragment a country

Language Family

group of languages related through a common ancestor

Indo-European Language Family

largest language family spoken in Europe and parts of Asia

Language Branch

group of languages sharing a common ancestor within a family

Language Group

closely related languages within a branch

Germanic Branch

Indo European branch including English German and Scandinavian languages

Romance Branch

Indo European branch derived from Latin

Indo-Iranian Branch

Indo European branch with the most speakers including Indic and Iranian languages

Diffusion of English

spread of English through colonization relocation and global use

Toponyms

place names that reflect cultural and historical influences

Religion

belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power

Universalizing Religion

religion meant to appeal to all people

Ethnic Religion

religion tied closely to a specific ethnic group and location

Christianity

monotheistic religion based on the teachings of Jesus

Judaism

monotheistic religion based on the Torah and Jewish tradition

Islam

monotheistic religion based on the teachings of Muhammad and the Quran

Sikhism

monotheistic religion founded in northern India by Guru Nanak

Buddhism

belief system focused on enlightenment through ending desire

Hinduism

ancient religion of India focused on reincarnation and many forms of a supreme being

Culture Hearth

center where cultural ideas and innovations originate

Assimilation

process of absorbing one culture into another

Acculturation

adoption of cultural traits from another group

Cultural Convergence

cultures becoming more similar over time

Cultural Divergence

cultures becoming more different over time

Time-Space Convergence

technology reducing the effective distance between places

Homogeneous Groups

groups whose members share similar characteristics

Heterogeneous Groups

groups made up of people with different characteristics

Ethnicity

identity based on shared ancestry culture and traits

Sequent Occupance

layers of cultural imprints left by successive societies

Lingua Franca

language used for communication between people with different native languages

Official Language

language used by a government for official business

Pidgin Language

simplified language used for communication between groups

Creole Language

a pidgin language that becomes a native language

Native Speaker

someone who speaks a language as their first language

Eastern Orthodox

branch of Christianity dominant in Eastern Europe and Russia

Religious Hearth

place where a religion originates

Syncretism

blending of beliefs from different religions

Multiculturalism

recognition and support of cultural diversity

Possibilism

belief that humans can adapt and choose actions within environmental limit