Geo 130 test 1 Flashcards
Contagious diffusion
cultural innovation spreads person to person
wave-like
no regard to social status
Cultural adaptation
adaptation of humans and cultures to challenges posed by the environment
Cultural ecology
study of interaction between people and physical world
- Geography is not destiny!
- we can adapt to circumstances in the physical world
Environmental determinism
cultures are directly (or indirectly) shaped by the physical environment
Environmental perception
culture depends more on how people view the environment rather than actual character of the environment
Expansion diffusion
spread of innovations in snowballing process
-total # grows, area of occurrence grows
Formal culture region
region inhabited by people with one or more cultural trait in common (i.e. diet)
- based on homogeneity
- infinite #
- core-periphery
Functional culture region
cultural area that functions as a unit politically, economically, socially
ex: EU
ex: State
ex: wards, stakes
Hierarchal diffusion
innovations spread from one person of importance to another (urban center to urban center)
-temporarily bypasses rural
Independent invention
innovation developed in two or more different areas by people independent of each other
Neighborhood effect
diffusion of innovation more rapid in small clusters around initial adopter
Permeable barrier
barrier permits some aspects of innovation
- weakens its spread
- innovation can be modified
Possibilism
humans primary force in culture development as opposed to environment
-environment offers #’s of ways for culture to develop
Relocation diffusion
occurs with bodily relocation (migration) of individual or group responsible for innovation
Stimulus diffusion
specific trait of innovation fails to spread, but underlying idea concept is accepted
Topophilia
love of place
Vernacular culture regions
culture region perceived to exist by its inhabitants
ex: Texas
Convergence hypothesis
Cultural differences being reduced because improvements in communication, transportation
-homogenization of popular culture
Carrying capacity
Max # ppl an area can support
Demographic transition
Moving from high BR and DR to low BR and DR
Geodemography
Study of spatial and ecological aspects of population
Malthusian
Over population is root cause of poverty, illness, warfare
