AP Human Geography Unit 3 Review Notes

Culture: Material and Non-Material

  • Culture is complex and lacks a perfect definition.
  • Composed of:
    • Material culture: Physical objects, artifacts (e.g., tea utensils, tea room).
    • Non-material culture: Intangible elements like beliefs, values, language, customs (e.g., rules of a tea ceremony).

Example: Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony

  • Illustrates the interplay of material and non-material culture.
  • Material: Tea utensils, tea room.
  • Non-material: Rules and procedures, concept of hospitality.

Subculture

  • A group within a larger society sharing distinct beliefs, values, and practices.
  • Example: Different grades or classes within a school.
  • Culture comprises shared practices, technologies, attitudes, and behaviors.

Modern vs. Folk Culture

  • Modern (Pop) Culture:
    • Originates in economically developed regions.
    • Spreads through hierarchical diffusion.
    • Prioritizes individualism and personal achievement.
    • Diverse and constantly evolving.
  • Folk Culture:
    • More homogenous.
    • Diffuses through relocation diffusion.
    • Emphasizes community and collective experience.
    • Centers on family and religion.
    • Aims to preserve traditional practices.
    • Resists modern trends.
  • Indigenous Cultures:
    • Tied to specific geographic regions.
    • Strong emphasis on community and traditional values.
    • Unique languages, art forms, and spiritual beliefs.
    • At risk of being replaced by modern culture.

Ethnocentrism vs. Cultural Relativism

  • Ethnocentrism: Viewing another culture through the lens of one's own culture and judging it by one's own cultural standards.
  • Cultural Relativism: Viewing and evaluating another culture by that culture's standards, without judgment.

Cultural Landscape

  • Visible human modifications of the natural environment.
  • Includes religious practices, linguistic characteristics, infrastructure, agricultural practices, architectural styles, and land use patterns
  • Architectural Styles:
    • Traditional: Uses local resources; incorporates local culture.
    • Modern: Focuses on function; often lacks cultural incorporation.
    • Postmodern: Strive to create a unique look that incorporates local culture.
  • Shaped by historical events, economic and political systems, and social norms.

Sequent Occupancy

  • How cultures over time have impacted a geographic location.
  • Illustrates how people have left their mark on an area throughout history.
  • Provides insight into how cultures have influenced and shaped a place over time.

Cultural Landscape and Cultural Beliefs/Identities

  • Land use patterns can reflect traditional attitudes towards gender roles.
  • Ethnic neighborhoods can have distinct architecture and cultural landmarks.
  • Analysis of cultural landscapes provides a deeper understanding of a culture's values and priorities.

Human and Physical Characteristics of a Place

  • Human Characteristics: Demographic data (birth rates, age distributions), languages, religions.
  • Physical Characteristics: Natural features (rivers, mountains, climate), man-made structures.
  • Geographers analyze both to understand cultural patterns.
  • Language, religion, and ethnicity shape the cultural landscape and create a sense of place.

Sense of Place & Placelessness

  • Sense of Place: A strong emotional connection to a specific geographic area, shaped by personal experiences and human/physical characteristics.
  • Placelessness: A place lacking unique characteristics and identity, invoking no strong response.

Placemaking

  • When a community transforms a public space for activities/events.
  • Promotes community and social interaction.

Global Cultural Landscape

  • Influence of global trends creates a more homogenized landscape, especially in urban areas.
  • Can lead to the replacement of unique cultural practices.

Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces

  • Centripetal Forces: Promote unity (shared history, language, cultural values).
  • Centrifugal Forces: Divide people (cultural differences, multiple languages, ethnic/religious divisions).

Cultural Diffusion

  • Spread of a cultural element from one place to another.
  • Two broad categories:

Relocation Diffusion

  • Physical movement of a culture or group of people.
  • Hearth of the cultural trait shrinks.
  • Example: The Amish migrating to the United States.

Expansion Diffusion

  • Spread through person-to-person contact.
  • Hearth of the cultural trait remains strong.
  • Types of Expansion Diffusion:
    • Contagious Diffusion: Spreads in all directions, regardless of social class (e.g., viral video).
    • Hierarchical Diffusion: Spreads through a structure, often top-down (e.g., fashion trends from global cities).
    • Reverse Hierarchical Diffusion: Starts at the bottom of a power structure and spreads upwards (business that starts in a small town and expands to surrounding region).
    • Stimulus Diffusion: An idea adapts to the local culture (e.g., McDonald's adapting menus to local tastes).

Historical Causes of Diffusion

  • Colonialism and Imperialism: Spread of religions, languages, cultures, and people.
  • English as a Lingua Franca: Spread by the British Empire.
  • Missionaries: Relocated to spread Christianity.
  • Creolization: Two cultures create a new third culture (e.g. Spanish in the Caribbean to create the Creole people).
  • Trade and Commerce: Columbian Exchange (reshaped Americas and Europe), Triangular Trade (forced migration of enslaved people), Silk Road (spread cultures across Asia).

Contemporary Causes of Diffusion

  • Advancements in Technology, Globalization, and Urbanization: Break down barriers.
  • Increased Urbanization: Diffusion of diverse lifestyles.
  • Social Media: Spread of memes, stories, and trends.
  • Globalization: Companies like McDonald's expand globally.
  • Political Alliances: Countries collaborate.
  • Military Bases: Diffuse culture and language.

Cultural Divergence vs. Cultural Convergence

  • Cultural Divergence: Individuals become separated from aspects of their culture.
  • Cultural Convergence: Cultures become more similar, merging into one mass culture.

Religion and Language

Religion

  • Universalizing Religions: Seek to appeal to all people (e.g., Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism).
  • Ethnic Religions: Centered on a specific cultural/ethnic group (e.g., Hinduism, Judaism).
Christianity
  • Monotheistic, hearth in Eastern Mediterranean.
Islam
  • Another Abrahamic religion, hearth in Eastern Mediterranean.
Buddhism
  • Originated in South Asia, based on the Four Noble Truths and the Middle Path.
Sikhism
  • Monotheistic religion, originated in the Punjab region.
Hinduism
  • One of the world's oldest religions, predominantly in India.
Judaism
  • Originated in the Eastern Mediterranean, linked to a shared history and culture.

Language

  • Proto Language: The earliest form of a language.
  • Language Family: Languages sharing a common ancestry.
  • Language Branch: Subdivision of a language family.
  • Language Group: Languages within a branch sharing similar vocabulary and grammar.
  • Dialects: Regional variances in language.
  • Isogloss: Boundary based on linguistic differences.

Effects of Diffusion

  • Assimilation: Adopting the norms of a dominant group, often at the expense of one's own culture.
  • Acculturation: Adopting certain traits of another culture without losing the original culture.
  • Syncretism: Cultures evolve similarly but remain distinct.
  • Cultural Resistance: Resistance to diffusion due to cultural barriers, language differences, or fear of losing one's way of life.
  • Multiculturalism: Coexistence of diverse cultures within a society.