Unit 3 AP Human Geography Vocab

1. Culture Concepts

Culture

  • The shared beliefs, practices, behaviors, and material objects that define a group of people or society.

Non-Material Culture

  • Intangible aspects of culture, such as beliefs, values, norms, language, and religion.

Material Culture

  • Physical objects and artifacts created by a society, including tools, buildings, clothing, and art.

Folk/Local Culture

  • Culture practiced by small, homogenous groups often in rural areas, emphasizing tradition and community.

Popular Culture

  • Culture found in large, heterogeneous societies, characterized by rapid changes and widespread diffusion.

Norms

  • Rules and expectations by which a society guides the behavior of its members.

Taboos

  • Strong prohibitions or restrictions on behaviors deemed unacceptable or offensive by a society.

Cultural Appropriation

  • The adoption of elements of one culture by members of another, often without understanding or respect.

Cultural Convergence

  • The process where cultures become more similar due to interactions, often through globalization.

Commodification

  • The process of turning cultural items or traditions into products for sale or profit.

Acculturation

  • The process by which individuals or groups adopt aspects of another culture while retaining their own distinct cultural identity.

Assimilation

  • The process by which individuals or groups fully adopt the culture of another group, losing their original identity.

Syncretism

  • The blending of elements from different cultures or religions to create something new.

2. Language Concepts

Language Family

  • A group of related languages that have a common ancestral language (e.g., Indo-European).

Language Branch

  • A subdivision of a language family that shares a more recent common ancestor (e.g., Germanic within Indo-European).

National Language

  • The language associated with a country’s national identity, often used in government and education.

Standardized Language (British Received Pronunciation)

  • A form of language recognized as the norm, often used in formal communication (e.g., British Received Pronunciation for English).

Dialect

  • Regional variations in language, characterized by differences in vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar.

Isogloss

  • A boundary that separates regions where different linguistic features are used.

Pidgin

  • A simplified form of language used for communication between people who do not share a common language.

Creole

  • A stable, natural language that has developed from a mixture of different languages.

Lingua Franca

  • A common language used for communication between speakers of different native languages (e.g., English for international trade).

3. Religion Concepts

Secular

  • Non-religious; not associated with any religious beliefs or practices.

Monotheistic vs. Polytheistic

  • Monotheistic: Belief in one deity (e.g., Christianity, Islam, Judaism).

  • Polytheistic: Belief in multiple deities (e.g., Hinduism, Ancient Greek religion).

Animistic

  • The belief that non-human entities (plants, animals, objects) possess spirits.

Universalizing Religion

  • Religions that seek to convert people globally (e.g., Christianity, Islam, Buddhism).

Ethnic Religion

  • Religions closely tied to a specific ethnic group or region, not actively seeking converts (e.g., Hinduism, Judaism).

4. Major Religions

Christianity

  • Place of Worship: Church

  • Hearth: Jerusalem and Israel

  • Key Beliefs: Belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior.

  • Diffusion: Relocation and hierarchical diffusion through missionaries and colonization.

Islam

  • Place of Worship: Mosque

  • Hearth: Mecca, Saudi Arabia

  • Key Beliefs: Belief in Allah and teachings of Prophet Muhammad.

  • Diffusion: Relocation and contagious diffusion through trade and conquest.

Judaism

  • Place of Worship: Synagogue

  • Hearth: Canaan (modern-day Israel)

  • Key Beliefs: Belief in one God and the covenant with Abraham.

  • Diffusion: Relocation diffusion through diasporas.

Buddhism

  • Place of Worship: Temple or Stupa

  • Hearth: Northern India (modern-day Nepal)

  • Key Beliefs: Achieving enlightenment through the Eightfold Path.

  • Diffusion: Relocation and stimulus diffusion across Asia.

Hinduism

  • Place of Worship: Temple

  • Hearth: Indus River Valley (India)

  • Key Beliefs: Belief in karma, dharma, and reincarnation.

  • Diffusion: Relocation diffusion within and outside India.

5. Identity and Society Concepts

Race

  • A socially constructed category based on perceived physical differences.

Ethnicity

  • A shared cultural heritage or identity often tied to language, religion, or ancestry.

Nationality

  • A legal relationship and allegiance to a specific country.

Gender

  • Socially constructed roles, behaviors, and attributes associated with being male, female, or non-binary.