Terms Definitions

Culture

the beliefs, values, practices, behaviors, and technologies shared by a society and passed down from generation to generation (page 153)

Culture trait

a shared object or cultural practice (page 153)

Artifacts

a visible object or technology that a culture creates (page 153)

Sociofacts

a structure or organization of a culture that influences social behavior (page 153)

Mentifacts

a central, enduring element of a culture that reflects its shared ideas, values, knowledge, and beliefs (page 153)

Popular culture

the widespread behaviors, beliefs, and practices of ordinary people in society at a given point in time (page 154)

Traditional Culture

the long-established behaviors, beliefs, and practices passed down from generation to generation (page 155)

Cultural Norms

a shared standard or pattern that guides the behavior of a group of people (page 155)

ethnocentrism

the tendency of ethnic groups to evaluate other groups according to preconceived ideas originating from their own culture (page 155)

Cultural relativism

the evaluation of a culture by its own standards (page 155)

Cultural landscape

a natural landscape that has been modified by humans, reflecting their cultural beliefs and values (page 157)

identity

the ways in which humans make sense of themselves and how they wish to be viewed by others (page 157)

Sequent Occupance

the notion that successive societies leave behind their cultural imprint, a collection of evidence about human character and experiences within a geographic region, which shapes the cultural landscape (page 158)

Ethnicity

the state belonging to a group of people who share common cultural characteristics (page 158)

Ethnic Neighborhoods

a cultural landscape within a community of people outside of their area of origin (page 158)

Traditional Archetecture

an established building style of different cultures, religions, and places (page 158)

Postmodern Architecture

a building style that emerged as a reaction to “modern” designs, and values diversity in design (page 159)

Religion

n. a system of spiritual beliefs that helps form cultural perceptions, attitudes, beliefs, and values (page 161)

Pilgrimage

a journey to a holy place for spiritual reasons (page 161)

Language

a distinct system of communication that is the carrier of human thoughts and cultural identities (page 161)

Toponyms

the representation of Earth’s surface to show natural and man-made features, especially their relative positions and elevations (page 31)

Gendered Spaces

a space designed and deliberately incorporated into the landscape to accommodate gender roles (page 164)

Gender Identity

an individual’s innermost concept of self as male, female, a blend of both, or neither (page 166)

Safe Spaces

a space of acceptance for people who are sometimes marginalized by society (page 167)

Gentrification

the renovations and improvements conforming to middle-class preferences (page 167)

Third place

a communal space that is separate from home (first place) or work (second place) (page 167)

Sense of place

the subjective feelings and memories people associate with a geographic location (page 168)

Placemaking

a community-driven process in which people collaborate to create a place where they can live, work, play, and learn (page 168)

Dialects

a variation of a standard language specific to a general area, with differences in pronunciation, degree of rapidity in speech, word choice, and spelling (page 170)

Adherents

a person who is loyal to a belief, religion, or organization (page 171)

Denominations

data about the structures and characteristics of human populations (page 77)

Sect

a relatively small group that has separated from an established denomination (page 171)

Centripetal Force

a force that unites a group of people (page 174)

Centrifugal force

a force that divides a group of people (page 174)