APHG VOCAB UNIT 3: 1-36

Culture

Shared practices, technologies, attitudes, and behaviors transmitted by members of a society that are not biologically inherited.

Cultural Traits

Specific customs that are part of the everyday life of a particular culture, such as language and religion.

Cultural Complex

The group of traits that define a particular culture.

Cultural Hearths

The source of civilization where ideas and practices spread to surrounding areas.

Taboos

Behaviors heavily discouraged by a culture.

Folk Culture

Culture traits of usually small, traditional, homogenous, rural communities.

Globalization

The process of increased interconnectedness among countries in economics, politics, and culture.

Popular Culture

Culture traits of large, heterogeneous, urban populations.

Cultural Landscape

The combination of physical features, agricultural practices, and architectural styles in an area.

Material Culture

The art, housing, clothing, and foods created by a group of people.

Nonmaterial Culture

The beliefs, practices, aesthetics, and values of a group of people.

Placelessness

Loss of distinct local features in favor of standardized landscapes.

Ethnicity

A group of people who share a common cultural identity.

Ethnic Enclaves

Neighborhoods filled primarily with people of the same ethnic group.

Cultural Realms

Large cultural areas that include several regions sharing language families and religious traditions.

Cultural Regions

Areas characterized by a group of people sharing language families and food preferences.

Sacred Site

Areas of religious or spiritual significance, such as cathedrals and temples.

Diaspora

The scattering of Jews from their homeland by the Romans.

Indigenous Peoples

The original settlers of an area who have retained their culture.

Sequent Occupance

The combined imprint on an area from successive cultures inhabiting it.

Nationality

A group of people sharing cultural heritage and a desire for their own country.

Centripetal Forces

Forces that unite a country.

Centrifugal Forces

Forces that divide a country.

Fundamentalism

Governments run by religious leaders using religious laws.

Ethnocentrism

Judging another culture based on one's own cultural values.

Cultural Relativism

Understanding a person's beliefs based on their own culture.

Cultural Appropriation

Adopting traits or elements of another culture.

Cultural Diffusion

The spread of an idea or cultural trend from its source area to others.

Relocation Diffusion

Cultural diffusion through the movement of individuals carrying ideas to new places.

Expansion Diffusion

Cultural diffusion where an idea remains strong in its source area while spreading outward.

Contagious Diffusion

Expansion diffusion affecting nearly all individuals as it spreads.

Hierarchical Diffusion

Expansion diffusion affecting particular groups as it leapfrogs over areas.

Reverse Hierarchical Diffusion

"Bottom-up" diffusion starting with groups not typically looked to for expertise.

Stimulus Diffusion

Expansion diffusion where a portion of the population adopts or modifies an idea.

Cultural Convergence

Cultures becoming more alike due to increased interactions.

Cultural Divergence

The tendency for culture groups to disassociate to protect their culture from change.