Unit 3 AP Human Geography

Culture

The shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that characterize a society.

Cultural Traits

The specific customs and practices that are part of the everyday life of a particular culture.

Taboos

Socially unacceptable behaviors or beliefs in a particular culture.

Traditional/Folk Culture

The customs and practices of a small, homogeneous, rural group living in relative isolation from other groups.

Global/Pop Culture

The customs and practices that are widespread and dominant in a global or large-scale context.

Cultural Landscapes

The visible imprint of human activity and culture on the landscape.

Material Culture

The physical objects and artifacts created, used, or modified by a culture.

Artifacts

Objects made by humans, reflecting their cultural beliefs and practices.

Mentifacts

The ideas, beliefs, values, and knowledge that are part of a culture.

Nonmaterial Culture

The intangible aspects of a culture, such as beliefs, values, and social norms.

Sociofacts

The social structures and organizations that are part of a culture.

Traditional Architecture

Architectural styles and designs that are characteristic of a specific culture or time period.

Post Modern Architecture

Architectural styles and designs that reject traditional forms and embrace innovative and eclectic elements.

Cultural Realms

Large areas of the world that share similar cultural traits and characteristics.

Sequent Occupancy

The successive cultural imprints on a landscape left by different groups over time.

Cultural Patterns

The recurring and characteristic arrangements of cultural traits and behaviors within a culture.

Culture Hearth

The area where a culture originated and from which it spread.

Ethnicity

A shared cultural heritage, often based on common ancestry, language, religion, or customs.

Centripetal Forces

Factors that unify and bind a culture together, promoting stability and cohesion.

Centrifugal Forces

Factors that divide and disrupt a culture, leading to instability and conflict.

Ethnocentrism

The belief in the superiority of one's own culture, leading to a biased and narrow perspective.

Diffusion

The spread of cultural traits, ideas, and innovations from one culture to another.

Relocation Diffusion

The spread of cultural traits through the movement of people from one place to another.

Expansion Diffusion

The spread of cultural traits from a central node or hearth to other areas.

Contagious Diffusion

The rapid and widespread diffusion of a cultural trait throughout a population.

Hierarchical Diffusion

The spread of cultural traits from one key person or node of authority to other individuals or places.

Stimulus Diffusion

The spread of an underlying principle or idea, even if the specific trait itself does not spread.

Lingua Franca

A common language used for communication between people of different native languages.

Pidgin Language

A simplified form of communication that develops between groups with different languages.

Creole Language

A stable and fully developed natural language that arises from a mixture of different languages.

Social Constructs

Concepts or ideas that are created and defined by a society or culture.

Time-Space Convergence

The idea that the world is becoming smaller and more interconnected due to advancements in transportation and communication.

Cultural Convergence

The blending and merging of different cultures, leading to the adoption of common cultural traits and practices.

Cultural Divergence

The process by which different cultures become increasingly distinct and separate from each other.

Indo-European Language Family

A large language family that includes many of the languages spoken in Europe, South Asia, and other parts of the world.

Romance Languages

A branch of the Indo-European language family that includes languages derived from Latin, such as Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese.

Isoglosses

Lines on a map that mark the boundaries between different linguistic features or dialects.

Dialects

Variations of a language that are specific to a particular region or social group.

Official Language

The language designated by a government as the primary language for official documents and public communication.

Ethnic Religions

Religions that are closely tied to a particular ethnic group and are often passed down through generations.

Universalizing Religions

Religions that seek to appeal to all people and actively seek new converts.

Polytheistic

Belief in or worship of multiple gods or deities.

Monotheistic

Belief in or worship of a single god or deity.

Hinduism

The oldest major religion in the world, originating in the Indus Valley region of South Asia.

Buddhism

A religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) that emphasizes the pursuit of enlightenment and the end of suffering.

Sikhism

A monotheistic religion founded in the Punjab region of South Asia, combining elements of Hinduism and Islam.

Judaism

The monotheistic religion of the Jewish people, based on the teachings of the Torah.

Christianity

A monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, as presented in the New Testament.

Islam

A monotheistic religion founded by Muhammad in the 7th century CE, based on the teachings of the Quran.

Acculturation

The process of adopting the cultural traits or practices of a different culture.

Assimilation

The process by which individuals or groups adopt the culture of a dominant society.

Syncretism

The blending and merging of different cultural influences to create a new cultural form.

Multiculturalism

The coexistence and recognition of multiple cultural traditions within a single society.