HGAP Unit 3 Vocabulary

Acculturation - The adoption of cultural traits, such as language, by one group under the influence of another.

Assimilation - Process of less dominant cultures losing their culture to a more dominant culture

Buddhism - Belief system that started in India in the 500s BC. Happiness can be achieved through removal of one's desires. Believers seek enlightenment and the overcoming of suffering.

centrifugal force - a force that divides people and countries

centripetal force - An attitude that tends to unify people and enhance support for a state

Christianity - Monotheistic religion based on the person and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, or its beliefs and practices.

Colonialism - Attempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose its political, economic, and cultural principles in another territory.

Contagious Diffusion - the rapid, widespread spread of a characteristic throughout the population

creolized language - A language that results from the mixing of a colonizer's language with the indigenous language of the people being dominated. A pidgin language that has become more popular and formal

Cultural convergence - the contact and interaction of one culture with another

Cultural divergence - The likelihood or tendency for cultures to become increasingly dissimilar with the passage of time.

Cultural landscape - the visible imprint of human activity and culture on the physical & built environment

Cultural relativism - the practice of judging a culture by its own standards; can lead to multi-culturalism

Culture - Beliefs, customs, and traditions of a specific group of people. Included tangible and intangible aspects.

culture trait - a single attribute of a culture

Dialect - A regional variety of a language distinguished by vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation.

Diffusion - The process of spread of a feature or trend from one place to another over time

Ethnic Neighborhood - an area within a city containing members of the same ethnic background

Ethnic religions - religion appealing primarily to one group of people living in one place (Judaism)

Ethnicitiy - Based on culture, Identity with a group of people

Ethnocentrism - Belief in the superiority of one's nation or ethnic group.

Expansion Diffusion - The spread of a feature or trend among people from one area to another in a snowballing process.

Gender roles - sets of behavioral norms assumed to accompany one's status as male or female

Hearths - Regions from which innovative ideas originate.

Hierarchical Diffusion - The spread of an idea from persons or nodes of authority or power to other persons or places

Hinduism - A religion and philosophy developed in ancient India, characterized by a belief in reincarnation and a supreme being who takes many forms

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

Indigenous communities - original inhabitants of an area (eg Native Americans, Aboriginals, Maori, First Nations)

Indo-European languages - a family (or phylum) of several hundred related languages and dialects,[1] including most major languages of Europe, Iran, and northern India, and historically also predominant in Anatolia and Central Asia.

Islam - A religion based on the teachings of the prophet Mohammed which stresses belief in one god (Allah), Followers are called Muslims. Began in Mecca

Judaism - the monotheistic religion of the Jews having its spiritual and ethical principles embodied chiefly in the Torah and in the Talmud

language - our spoken, written, or signed words and the ways we combine them to communicate meaning

language families - large groups of languages having similar roots

lingua franca - a language used among speakers of different languages for the purposes of trade and commerce

linguistic - having to do with the structure of language

Multiculturalism - A perspective recognizing the cultural diversity and promoting equal standing for all cultural traditions

Post Modern Architecture - A reaction in architectural design to the feeling of sterile alienation that many people get from modern architecture. Uses older, historical styles and a sense of lightheartedness and eclecticism. Buildings combine pleasant-looking forms and playful colors to convey new ideas and to create spaces that are more people-friendly than their modernist predecessors.

Race - Based on physical characteristics derived from biological differences sometimes stemming from environmental adaptations

Relocation diffusion - The spread of a feature or trend through movement of people from one place to another.

sequent occupance - the notion that successive societies leave their cultural imprints on a place, each contributing to the cumulative cultural landscape

Sikhism - the doctrines of a monotheistic religion founded in northern India in the 16th century by Guru Nanak

Stimulus Diffusion - The spread of an underlying principle, even though a specific characteristic is rejected.

Syncretism - The unification or blending of opposing people, ideas, or practices, frequently in the realm of religion

Time-space convergence - The idea that distance between some places is actually shrinking as technology enables more rapid communication and increased interaction among those places

Toponyms - place names

traditional architecture - buildings use building materials available and reflect social/environmental customs of the people eg log cabins

Universalizing Religion - A religion that attempts to appeal to all people, not just those living in a particular location.