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APHG Vocabulary Unit 3 Cultural Patterns and Processes

3.1 Introduction to Culture
  1. Culture - consists of the shared beliefs, values, customs, and behaviors that define a group of people, influencing their ways of life and interactions with the world.

    • Example: Japanese culture, characterized by its traditional arts, respect for elders, and cuisine.

  2. Culture trait - a single, distinguishing feature of a culture, such as a belief, norm, or practice.

    • Example: Wearing a turban in Sikhism or bowing as a greeting in Japan.

  3. Architecture - the art or practice of designing and constructing buildings, often reflecting cultural values and historical influences.

    • Example: The historical Pyramids of Giza reflecting ancient Egyptian beliefs and engineering.

  4. Cultural relativism - the principle that an individual's beliefs and activities should be understood by others in terms of that individual's own culture.

    • Example: Understanding why some cultures eat insects rather than judging it as 'gross' based on Western norms.

  5. Ethnocentrist - someone who believes their own culture is superior to others and judges other cultures based on their own cultural standards.

    • Example: Someone who believes their country's food is inherently superior to all other cuisines and refuses to try different foods.

3.2 Cultural Landscapes
  1. Cultural landscape - a geographic area, including both cultural and natural resources, that is associated with a historical event, activity, or person, or exhibits other cultural values. It is the visible imprint of human activity on the land.

    • Example: The terraced rice paddies of Bali, shaped by generations of farming practices and religious beliefs.

  2. Linguistic - relating to language.

    • Example: The unique linguistic patterns found in the Basque region of Spain and France.

  3. Sequent occupancy - the notion that successive societies leave their cultural imprints on a place, each contributing to the cumulative cultural landscape.

    • Example: Rome, where ancient Roman ruins are overlaid by medieval structures, Renaissance buildings, and modern developments.

  4. Traditional architecture - building styles that are characteristic of a specific region, culture, or historical period, often using local materials and construction methods.

    • Example: Log cabins in rural Appalachia or thatched-roof houses in parts of Ireland.

  5. Postmodern architecture - an architectural style that emerged in the late 20th century, reacting against the austerity and formality of modernism, often incorporating diverse elements and historical references.

    • Example: The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, known for its stainless steel, curvilinear forms.

  6. Ethnicity - the state of belonging to a social group that has a common national or cultural tradition.

    • Example: People identifying as Irish-American, celebrating St. Patrick's Day and maintaining traditions.

  7. Gender - the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women.

    • Example: In some societies, women traditionally taking on caregiving roles, while men are seen as primary providers.

  8. Ethnic neighborhood - a geographical area with a high ethnic concentration, characteristic cultural landscape, and economic activities that are often tied to that ethnicity.

    • Example: Chinatown in San Francisco, with specific restaurants, shops, and community organizations.

  9. Indigenous community - a group of people who are native to a particular region or land, typically having distinct cultural practices, languages, and traditional ways of life.

    • Example: The Maori people of New Zealand, with their unique language, customs, and connection to the land.

3.3 Cultural Patterns
  1. Sense of place - the feelings evoked by people as a result of the experiences and memories they associate with a place, and to the symbolism that they attach to it.

    • Example: The strong emotional connection a person might feel to their childhood hometown, associating it with warmth and family memories.

  2. Placemaking - a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design, and management of public spaces that focuses on the creation of vibrant places that meet the needs of the local community.

    • Example: Converting an unused city plaza into a vibrant public park with seating areas, food stalls, and art installations.

  3. Centripetal force - a force that unites people and states, prompting loyalty and feelings of belonging.

    • Example: A shared national language or a common enemy unifying a diverse population.

  4. Centrifugal force - a force that divides people and states, leading to disunity and conflict.

    • Example: Ethnic conflicts or political disagreements leading to secessionist movements within a country.

3.4 Types of Diffusion
  1. Relocation diffusion - the spread of an idea or innovation from its origin to new places through the physical movement of people.

    • Example: The spread of pizza from Italy to the United States through Italian immigrants.

  2. Expansion diffusion - the spread of an idea or innovation from its origin area outward in a ripple-like fashion.

    • Example: The spread of Christianity from its hearth in the Middle East outwards across Europe and beyond.

  3. Contagious diffusion - the rapid and widespread diffusion of a feature or trend throughout a population, like a disease.

    • Example: The rapid spread of a trending dance challenge on social media.

  4. Hierarchical diffusion - the spread of an idea from persons or nodes of authority or power to other persons or places.

    • Example: Fashion trends originating in major fashion capitals like Paris or New York and then spreading to smaller cities.

  5. Stimulus diffusion - the spread of an underlying principle, even though a characteristic itself apparently fails to diffuse.

    • Example: The adoption of the hamburger in India, but with a vegetarian patty due to religious beliefs against consuming beef.

3.5 Historical Causes of Diffusion
  1. Creolization - the process in which a Creole language and culture emerges from the blending of different linguistic and cultural traditions.

    • Example: Haitian Creole, a language that emerged from the blending of French and West African languages.

  2. Lingua franca - a language systematically used to make communication possible between people who do not share a native language, often for trade or diplomacy.

    • Example: English, widely used in international business and aviation, even among non-native speakers.

  3. Colonialism - the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.

    • Example: British rule in India, leading to the adoption of English as an official language and the construction of railways.

  4. Imperialism - a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force.

    • Example: European powers establishing vast empires in the 19th and early 20th centuries, extending their political and economic control globally.

  5. Trade - the action of buying and selling goods and services.

    • Example: The Silk Road, which facilitated the exchange of goods, ideas, and religions between East and West.

3.6 Contemporary Causes of Diffusion
  1. Urbanization - the process by which towns and cities are formed and grow as more people move to urban areas.

    • Example: The spread of global pop culture as rural populations move to cities and are exposed to diverse influences.

  2. Globalization - the process of increased interconnectedness and interdependence of peoples and countries.

    • Example: The worldwide popularity of brands like Coca-Cola or McDonald's, found in nearly every country.

  3. Time-space convergence - the reduction in the time it takes to travel between two places due to improved transportation or communication technology.

    • Example: The ability to communicate instantly with someone on the other side of the world via video call, making distances feel shorter.

  4. Cultural convergence - the tendency for cultures to become more alike as they increasingly share technology, organizational structures, and cultural traits.

    • Example: The increasing similarity in popular music genres or fashion styles across different countries due to global media.

  5. Cultural divergence - the tendency for cultures to become less alike, or even distinct, as they separate and develop unique characteristics.

    • Example: The re-emergence of distinct regional dialects or traditional practices in response to globalization, as communities seek to preserve their unique identity.

3.7 Diffusion of Religion and Language
  1. Language family - a group of languages related through descent from a common ancestral language or parent language, called the proto-language.

    • Example: The Romance language family includes Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese, all derived from Latin.

  2. Language dialect - a regional or social variation of a language distinguished by differences in pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary.

    • Example: The difference between British English and American English, with variations in vocabulary (e.g., 'lift' vs. 'elevator') and pronunciation.

  3. Cultural hearth - the area where new ideas and innovations spring up and spread to other parts of the world.

    • Example: Ancient Mesopotamia, where early agriculture, writing, and urban living originated and diffused.

  4. Indo-European language family - the largest language family in the world, including most of the languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and North India.

    • Example: Languages like English, Hindi, Spanish, Russian, and German are all part of this vast family.

  5. Toponym - a place name, especially one derived from a topographical feature.

    • Example: Springfield, a common place name reflecting a topographical feature (a spring in a field).

  6. Universalizing religion - a religion that attempts to appeal to all people, not just those living in a particular location, and actively seeks converts.

    • Example: Christianity, which actively seeks converts worldwide and has followers across diverse cultures.

  7. Christianity - a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.

    • Example: The celebration of Christmas or Easter by its adherents globally.

  8. Islam - a monotheistic Abrahamic religion originating with the teachings of Muhammad, adhering to the Quran as the primary holy text.

    • Example: The annual pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) performed by millions of Muslims.

  9. Buddhism - a religion and dharma that originated in ancient India, based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha.

    • Example: The practice of meditation and adherence to the Four Noble Truths.

  10. Sikhism - a monotheistic religion founded in Punjab in the 15th century by Guru Nanak, emphasizing principles of equality, honest work, and charity.

    • Example: Wearing a Kanga (small wooden comb) and a Kara (steel bracelet) as part of the five Ks.

  11. Ethnic religion - a religion that appeals primarily to one group of people living in one place and does not actively seek converts.

    • Example: Judaism, which is closely tied to the Jewish people and traditions, with converts being less common than in universalizing religions.

  12. Hinduism - a diverse body of religious and philosophical systems native to the Indian subcontinent, characterized by a belief in reincarnation and a multiplicity of gods and goddesses.

    • Example: The worship of various deities like Vishnu and Shiva, and the observance of festivals like Diwali.

  13. Judaism - an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal traditions and civilization of the Jewish people.

    • Example: Observing Shabbat (the Sabbath) from Friday evening to Saturday evening, or celebrating Passover.

3.8 Effects of Diffusion
  1. Acculturation - the process of cultural change and psychological change that results from the contact and interaction of two different cultures.

    • Example: Immigrants adopting some customs, language, and foods of their new country while still retaining aspects of their original culture.

  2. Assimilation - the process by which a person or a group's language and/or culture come to resemble those of another group.

    • Example: Indigenous children forcibly educated in boarding schools that banned their native languages and cultural practices, forcing them to adopt the dominant culture.

  3. Syncretism - the blending of elements from different cultures or religions, resulting in a new, unique cultural or religious practice.

    • Example: Santería, a religion blending Yoruba traditions from West Africa with Catholic beliefs in the Caribbean.

  4. Multiculturalism - the presence of, or support for the presence of, several distinct cultural or ethnic groups within a society.

    • Example: A city with diverse ethnic neighborhoods, where different cultural festivals, restaurants, and languages coexist and are celebrated.