AP HuGe Unit 3

Cultural Patterns and Processes

Absorbing barriers

Cultural boundaries that make it difficult for new ideas or cultural traits to spread.

Accent

A way of pronouncing words that shows where someone is from or their language background.

Acculturation

When a group adopts some traits of another culture while keeping parts of its own.

Animistic religion

A religion that believes spirits exist in nature and objects.

Assimilation

When a group adopts another culture and loses much of its original culture.

Bilingualism

The ability to speak two languages.

Centrifugal force

A force that divides people and weakens unity within a place.

Centripetal force

A force that brings people together and strengthens unity within a place.

Colonialism

When a country takes control of another territory and its people.

Convergence hypothesis

The idea that cultures become more similar as they interact.

Creole

A language that develops from a mixture of languages and becomes a community's native language.

Creolization

The blending of different cultures or languages to create something new.

Cultural attitudes

The beliefs and opinions people have because of their culture.

Cultural relativism

Understanding a culture based on its own values and beliefs.

Cultural trait

A single feature of a culture, such as clothing, food, or language.

Culture hearth

A place where a culture or cultural trait begins and spreads.

Dialect

A form of a language with its own vocabulary, pronunciation, or grammar.

Empire

A group of territories or peoples controlled by one ruler or country.

Endangered language

A language at risk of no longer being spoken.

Ethnic geography

The study of where ethnic groups live and how they are distributed.

Ethnic group

People who share a common culture, ancestry, language, or history.

Ethnic religion

A religion mainly associated with a particular ethnic group or place.

Ethnocentric approach

Judging other cultures by the standards of your own culture.

Extinct language

A language that no longer has any speakers.

Generic toponym

A common word in a place name that describes a geographic feature, such as mount or river.

Genocide

The deliberate attempt to destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.

Glocalization

Adapting global products or ideas to fit local cultures.

Imperialism

A policy of extending a country's power over other countries or territories.

Indigenous culture

The culture of the original people of a region.

Language

A system of spoken, written, or signed communication.

Language family

A group of languages that developed from a common ancestral language.

Lingua franca

A language used for communication between people who speak different languages.

Local culture

The traditions, beliefs, and practices of a community in a particular place.

Long-lot settlement pattern

A settlement pattern where land is divided into long, narrow lots, often extending back from a river or road.

Material culture

The physical objects people create and use, such as buildings, clothing, and tools.

Modernist architecture

An architectural style that emphasizes simplicity, function, and clean lines.

Monotheistic

Believing in one god.

Multiculturalism

The presence and acceptance of different cultures within one society.

Nonmaterial culture

The beliefs, values, traditions, and ideas shared by a group.

Orthodox religion

A religion that follows traditional beliefs and practices.

Permeable barriers

Boundaries that allow some cultural traits or ideas to pass through.

Physical landscape

The natural features of an area, such as mountains, rivers, and plains.

Pidgin

A simplified language developed for communication between groups that do not share a language.

Placelessness

The loss of a place's unique character as places become more alike.

Placemaking

The process of creating or improving public spaces to make them meaningful and useful.

Polyglot

A person who speaks several languages, or a place where many languages are spoken.

Polytheistic

Believing in multiple gods.

Popular culture

Cultural traits and practices that are widespread and commonly shared by many people.

Postmodern architecture

An architectural style that combines different styles and often uses decorative or unusual designs.

Proselytic

Seeking to convert people to a religion.

Race

A social category based on perceived physical characteristics, such as skin color.

Religion

A system of beliefs and practices related to the sacred or spiritual.

Sacred spaces

Places considered holy or spiritually important.

Secular

Not connected to religion.

Secularization

The process by which religion becomes less important in society.

Sense of place

The feelings and meanings people associate with a particular location.

Sequent occupance

The idea that different groups leave their cultural marks on a place over time.

Subculture

A group within a larger culture that has its own distinct beliefs, interests, or practices.

Syncretic religion

A religion that combines beliefs or practices from different religions.

Syncretism

The blending of different cultural or religious beliefs and practices.

Time-space convergence

The idea that places seem closer together because transportation and communication have become faster.

Toponyms

Place names that often reflect a place's history, culture, or physical features.

Transculturation

The process in which cultures influence and change one another through contact.

Universalizing religion

A religion that seeks to spread its beliefs to people everywhere.