Chapter 1: Cultural Approach Flashcards
Region
a grouping of similar places or of places with similar characteristics
Geography
field of study related to locations and places; a Greek word that means “to describe the Earth”
Human Geography
one part of the discipline of geography which examines the relationships between people and places and spaces
Culture
learned, collective human behavior as opposed to innate, or inborn, behavior; inovles a means of communicating these learned beliefs, memories, perceptions, traditions, and attitudes that serves to shape behavior
Physical Environment
terrain, climate, natural vegetation, wildlife, variations in soil and the pattern of land and water
Space
term that refers to an abstract location on a map; connote the objective, quantitative theoretical model-based economics oriented type of geography
Model
an abstraction, an imaginary situation, proposed by geographers to simulate laboratory conditions so that they can isolate certain causal forces for detailed study
Place
key concept or term connoting the humanistic view of geography; connotes the subjective, ideographic, humanistic, culturally oriented type of geography that seeks to understand the unique character of individual regions and places
Formal Region
area inhabited by people who have one or more traits in common, such as language, religion, or a system of livelihood
Border Zones
areas where different regions meet and sometimes overlap
Core-Periphery
concept based on the tendency of both formal and functional culture regions to consist of a core or node, in which the defining traits are purest or functions are headquarted
Functional Region
cultural area that functions as a unit politically, socially, or economically
Node
central point in a functional culture region where functions are coordinated and directed
Vernacular Region
culture region perceived to exist by its inhabitants, based in the collective spatial perception of the population at large and bearing a generally accepted name or nickname
Mobility
relative ability of people, ideas, or things to move freely through space
Diffusion
movement of people, ideas, or things from one location outward toward other locations
Independent Invention
cultural innovation that is developed in two or more locations by individuals or groups working independently
Relocation Diffusion
spread of innovation or other element of culture that occurs with the bodily relocation (migration) of the indivudal or group responsible for the innovation
Expansion Diffusion
spread of innovations within an area in a snowballing process, so that the total number of knowers or users becomes greater and the area of occurence grows
Hierarchical Diffusion
type of expansion diffusion in which innovations spread from one important person to another or from one urban center to another, temporarily bypassing other persons or rural areas
Contagious Diffusion
type of expansion diffusion in which cultural innovation spreads by person-to-person contact, moving wavelike through an moving wavelike through an area and population without regard to social status
Stimulus Diffusion
type of expansion diffusion in which a specific trait fails to spread but the underlying idea or concept is accepted
Time-Distance Decay
decrease in acceptance of a culture innovation with increasing time and distance from its origin
Absorbing Barrier
completely halts diffusion of innovations and blocks the spread of cultural elements
Permeable Barrier
permits some aspects of an innovation to diffuse through it but weakens and retards continued spread; an innovation can be modified in passing through a permeable barrier
Circulation
term that implies an ongoing set of movements of people, ideas, or things that have no particular center or periphery
Migration
large-scale movements of people between different regions of the world
Transnational Migrations
movements of groups of people who maintain ties to their homelands after they have migrated
Globalization
binding together of all the lands and peoles of the world into an integrated system driven by capitalistic free markets, in which culture diffusion is rapid, independent states are weakened, and cultural homogenization is encouraged
Uneven Development
tendency for industry to develop in a core-periphery pattern, enriching the industrizlied countries of the core and impoverishing the less industrialized periphery
Nature-Culture
refers to the complex relationships between people and the physical environment, including how culture, politics, and economies affect people’s ecological situation and resource use
Cultural Ecology
study of the relationships between the physical environment and culture; narrowly defined, the study of culture as an adaptive system that facilitates human adaption to nature and environmental change
Possibilism
school of thought based on the belife that humans, rather than the physical environment, are the primary active force; that any environment offers a number of different possible ways for a culture to develop; and that the choices amont these possibilities are guided by cultural heritage
Environmental Determinism
belief that cultures are directly or indirectly shaped by the physical environment
Environmental Perception
belief that culture depends more on what people perceive the environment to be than on the actual character of the environment; perception, in tern, is colored by the teachings of culture
Natural Hazard
inherent danger present in a given habitat, such as floods, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, or earthquakes; often perceived differently by different peoples
