Culture: Beliefs and practices in a society passed down by generations.

Material Culture: Part of culture that can be touched or felt, like food.

Folk/Traditional Culture: Local culture and values that diffuses slowly.

Pop Culture: Culture that is quick to diffuse.

Ethnocentrism: When culture is interpreted through the eyes of our own culture.

Cultural Relativism: When culture is interpreted through the eyes of the respective culture.

Cultural Landscape: The environment sculpted by our actions.

Sequent Occupance: The idea that societies leave behind their work for future inhabitants to build off of.

Ethnic Neighborhoods: Neighborhoods dedicated to a culture, such as Hispanic neighborhoods that speak Spanish and serve Spanish foods.

Dialects: The style of a language spoken.

Religion: A system of faith and beliefs.

Centripetal Forces: Forces that bring people together in a society.

Centrifugal Forces: Forces that bring people away and create conflict.

Diffusion: Spread from a hearth (source).

Relocation Diffusion: When an idea spreads as people move from one place to another, taking the idea with them.

Expansion Diffusion: Spread of an idea or innovation from a central point to different locations, increasing its influence.

Contagious Diffusion: Rapid and widespread spread of an idea through a population, going through every person.

Stimulus Diffusion: A diffusion in which the original idea is changed a bit each time it passes.

Hierarchical Diffusion: The top-down spread of an idea from a more influential person.

Language Families: Group of languages that have a common origin or ancestor..

Toponym: Name assigned to a region.

Universalizing Religions: Religions that are world-wide and try to be adapted by all. Key examples are Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, and Sikhism.

Ethnic Religions: Religions attached to an ethnicity (ie: Judaism and Jews); these religions typically don’t go out of their way to convert others.

Imperialism: Country expansion beyond its borders. One of the largest causes of diffusion.

Lingua Franca: A language spoken between people who do not share a native language.

Pidgin Language: An unofficial blend of languages.

Creolization: An official combination of languages.

Cultural Convergence: The idea that global cultures are becoming more and more alike.

Cultural Divergences: When cultures reject contemporary culture, going their own separate ways.

Language Extinction: Death of a language. Usually caused by lack of motivation to speak a native language after adopting a lingua franca.

Separation: When a home culture is accepted, and a host culture is rejected.

Assimilation: When a home culture is left behind, and a host culture is embraced.

Integration: When a home culture is accepted, along with the host culture.

Marginalization: When a home culture and host culture are both rejected.

Multiculturalism: Coexistence of cultures in a region.

Cultural Appropriation: “Trying on different cultures.” Considered disrespectful.