Culture Flashcards
Culture
The specialized behavior patterns, understandings, adaptations, and social systems of a group of people that are shared and passed down
Mentifact
Non-material attitudinal elements and values like language and religion
Sociofact
Non-material norms involved in group structure
Artifact
Material human-made objects related to peoples’ livelihood
What are 6 components of culture?
- Culture traits
- Culture complex
- Culture system
- Culture region
- Culture realm
- Globalization
Culture Trait
Units of learned behavior evident by artifacts, language, a belief, a tecchnique
Culture Complex
Individual culture traits that are functionally interrelated
Culture System
Two or more cultural complexes that are linked by a larger set of shared traits and may have other traits that are not common
Culture Region
Areas in which there is a degree of homogeneity in cultural characteristics
Culture Realm
Related culture regions that cover a large part of land
Mesolithic
Early age of culture development characterized by cultural divergence, and transition towards agriculture (10 000- 11 000 BP)
Neolithic
Early stage of cultural development characterized by new tools, technologies, and social structures among sedentary populations
Multilinear evolution
Cultural innovations occurring independently in parallel ecological regions
Cultural Convergence
Increase in adoption of unique cultural aspects by other groups
“The cradle of civilization”
Mesopotamia
5 Early Urban Civilizations
- Mesopotamia (Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran)
- China
- Sumer and Gilgamesh
- Egypt
- India
8 Characteristics of emerging Civilizations
- Productive agriculture
- Stratification and labour specialization
- Knowledge of astronomy, mathematics
- Spread of it’s culture
- Public monuments
- Widespread trade
- Writing system
- State orginization
3 “M”s of Change (From US folk culture to a National culture)
- Mechanization
- Mass production
- Mass distribution
Characteristics of Folk culture
- small scale
- consistant
- rural
- resistant to change
Characteristics of popular culture
- large
- messy
- urban
- rapid change
Local culture
People with shared experiences, customs, and traits distinguish themselves from others:
- they keep other cultures out
- avoid cultural appropriation
Cultural appropritation
The process of adopting customs and knowledge from other cultures for personal benefit
Neolocalism
Reinvigorating regional culture in response to globalization
Commodification
The process trough which something is given monetary value
Acculturation
Process of an ethnic individual/group being absorbed into larger society while keeping distinction
Three parts of cultural assimilation
- Behavioral assimilation
- Structural assimilation (social systems, occupations)
- spatial assimilation
Ideas that contribute to resistance of change
- Culture rebound: re-adoption of ancestors culture
- Xenophobia: fear of foreigners
- Ethnophobia: fear of a specific ethnic group
- Ethnocentrism: One ethnic group is superior
What indicates the convergence of cultural landscapes?
- Diffusion of architecture
- Globalization of businesses and products
- Common idealized landscape
