Geography of Religions and Ethnicities

Question 1

Diffusion

Answer 1

process by which feature spreads across space from one place to another over time

Question 1

hearth

Answer 1

place from which innovation originates

Question 2

Relocation diffusion

Answer 2

spread of an idea through physical movement of people from one place to another

Question 3

Example of relocation diffusion

Answer 3

1) people speaking Spanish, English, French in South America because Europeans came hundreds of years ago bringing those languages
2) introduction of common currency BUT with different looking coins (Euro)

Question 4

Expansion diffusion

Answer 4

spread of feature from one place to another in additive process
Caused by:
1) Hierarchical diffusion
2) contagious diffusion
3) stimulus diffusion

Question 5

Hierarchical Diffusion

Answer 5

1) spread of an idea from persons/nodes of authority to other persons or places
2) innovation starts in city (place of power) and diffuses to rural areas on periphery
3) mainly caused by modern methods of communication, computers, texting, tweeting

Question 6

Contagious diffusion

Answer 6

1) rapid, widespread diffusion of characteristic throughout population (like a disease)
2) MISSIONARIES
3) spreads without regard for hierarchy or permanent relocation of people
4) ex= memes on internet

Question 7

Stimulus Diffusion

Answer 7

1) Spread of underlying principle EVEN THOUGH characteristic itself fails to diffuse
2) ex = innovative features of iPhone/iPad used by competitors

Question 8

4 largest religions

Answer 8

1) Christianity
2) Islam
3) Hinduism
4) Buddhism

Question 9

Ethnic vs universalizing religions

Answer 9

1) Ethnic = appeal primarily to one ethnic or cultural group
2) universalizing = attempt to be global, not just for one location

Question 10

Global distribution of religions

Answer 10

1) Christianity = dominant in western hemisphere + Europe + subsaharan Africa
2) Islam = North Africa, Southwest + Central Asia

Question 11

Regional Diversity of religions

Answer 11

1) 90% Latin Americans + 70% of Europeans/North Americans Christian
2) 90% of people in Central Asia + Southwest Asia + North Africa Muslim
3) India = 80% Hindu
4) Pakistan/Bangladesh = 90% Muslim

Question 12

diffusion of Buddhishm

Answer 12

1) Spread because of Ashoka
2) Merchants along trading routes introduced Buddhism to China + many receptive to its ideas
3) Spread to Korea and Japan BUT lost support in India

Question 13

Diffusion of Islam

Answer 13

1) Muhammad’s successors spread it across Africa, Asia, Europe through military conquest
2) At height controlled Palestine, Persian Empire, India, Spain

Question 14

Diffusion of Christianity

Answer 14

1) relocation diffusion = missionaries moved throughout Roman empire
2) Hierarchical = Spread of Christianity promoted by Roman Empire’s elite
3) Contagious = Spread quickly bc of missionaries, migration, conquest

Question 15

Conflict between religions

Answer 15

1) Jews, Christians, Muslims stem same heritage –> Abraham + Jerusalem
2) Holy for Jews = major Judaism events took place there + David established Kingdom of Israel, with Jerusalem as capital
3) Romans + Christians took control, renamed it Palestine, expelled most of Jews, consider Jerusalem holy bc Jesus’ resurrection happened there
4) Muslims then took over + consider it holy because Muhammad ascended to heaven in Jerusalem
5) continual conflict between Romans + Muslims over Jerusalem + eventually Ottoman Empire (muslims) won BUT british took over after WWI + then withdrew after WWII

Question 16

Arab-Israeli Wars

Answer 16

Numerous wars over conflict for control of Israel
1) 1948-49: Israel declared independence + was attacked the day after + lost West Bank, Old City, Gaza Strip
2) Suez War = Israel, France, UK attacked Egypt to get Suez reopened BUT Egypt still had control of Suez
3) Six-Day = Israel launched surprise attack + captured lots of territory including Golan Heights, Gaza Strip, Old City
4) Yom-Kippur = surprise attack on Israel, ended with no change

Question 17

Segregation Wall

Answer 17

Built as a barrier to protect Jews from Palestinian suicide bombers
Pro:
1) reduced suicide attacks + Israel made adjustments in response to humanitarian concerns
Anti:
1) increases Israel control over Palestine
2) prevents some Palestinians from reaching workplaces

Question 18

Jerusalem

Answer 18

1) Considered holy because of Church of Holy Sepulchre, Dome of Rock, and Jewish Wailing Wall
2) Problem = temple mount has both al-Aqsa Mosque and Western Wall –> both sacred for Jews + Muslims

Question 19

Religious fundamentalism

Answer 19

1) strict and intense adherence to what fundamentalists define as basic principles of religion
2) oftentimes, changing cultural values conflict with traditional religious values

Question 20

India Hinduism + social equality

Answer 20

1) Dispute over caste systems
2) started off with brahmans, kshatriyas, vaisyas, shudras (farmer), dalits (untouchable)
3) castes split into thousands of subcastes
4) caste system has relaxed BUT consciousness of it exists –> govt plan to give untouchables more places in universities generated strong opposition

Question 21

Conflict between China + Buddhists

Answer 21

1) China wanted to destroy monasteries + make Buddhists nomads
2) Attempt to find next Dalai Lama BUT Chinese say he will be in Xizang (what they call Tibet) + accused Buddhist leaders of plotting to restore Tibet as independent country

Question 22

Ethnicity vs race vs nationality

Answer 22

1) Ethnicity = identity with a group of people who share cultural traditions of particular homeland or hearth (CULTURAL HERITAGE)
2) race = identity with group of people who share physiological trait, like skin color (SKIN COLOR)
3) nationality = identity with group of people who share legal attachment to a specific country (COUNTRY OF CITIZENSHIP)

Question 23

racism

Answer 23

belief that race is primary determinant of human traits and capacities + racial differences produce inherent superiority over other races

Question 24

Nationality vs ethnicity problems

Answer 24

1) Hispanic Americans –> America considers Hispanic a ethnicity so they can pick any race
2) Asian Americans = very few consider themselves Asian American, just identify with their country of origin for ethnicity

Question 25

Brazil

Answer 25

1) Classify people by skin color like brancos (whites), pardos (brown), pretos (blacks)
2) Brancos in South, Pardo in North, Pardos in northeast

Question 26

Conflict over nationality

Answer 26

1) UK = is it British or is it English, Welsh, Scots, Irish?

Question 27

Should Ethnicities declare national independence?

Answer 27

Yes:
1) if independent –> they can protect themselves from being dominated by others
2) their govt would support their interests more
3) people’s desire to organize with same ethnicity should be respected
NO:
1) ethnic groups intermingle in space so not realistic to separate them
2) peace requires ethnic groups to interact/cooperate
3) ethnic group espousing hatred could use power of state to inflict harm

Question 28

Ethnic Cleansing

Answer 28

1) purposeful policy designed by one ethnicity or religious group to remove by violent and terror inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or religious group

Question 29

Genocide

Answer 29

mass killing of group of people in attempt to eliminate the entire group from existence

Question 30

Significance of ethnic cleansing + genocide

Answer 30

1) changes spatial distribution of ethnicities + often through force/violence

Question 31

Genocide in WWII

Answer 31

1) Nazis deported + exterminated around 17 million people, ~6 million Jews, ~1 million kids
2) many ethnic Germans, Poles, Russians forced to migrate

Question 32

Rohingya Genocide

Answer 32

1) Predominantly Sunni muslims who were attacked by Myanmar government
2) Myanmar launched massive ethnic cleansing operation –> more than 1 million ethnically cleansed

Question 33

WWI ethnic cleansing

Answer 33

1) Formation of Yugoslavia to unite several Balkan ethnicities that spoke similar languages
2) problem = rivalries between ethnicities –> led to breakup of Yugoslavia into smaller countries

Question 34

Geographic evidence of ethnic cleansing

Answer 34

1) often have military equipment and personnel into village with no strategic value
2) round up all women in village, segregating men from women, kids, old people
3) men placed in detention camps or killed
4) force rest of people out of village + destroy vacated

Question 35

Effect of ethnic cleansing in Bosnia + Herzegovina

Answer 35

1) led to homogenous candidates in both Bosnia + Serbia
2) Creation of one continuous area of Serb domination

Question 36

Balkinzation vs Balkanized

Answer 36

1) Balkanized = small geographic area that could not successfully be organized into stable countries because it was inhabited by many ethnicities with complex, long standing antagonisms
2) Balkanization = process by which state breaks down through conflicts among its ethnicities

Question 37

effects of racism

Answer 37

1) feel anxious + scared of doing things
2) make people feel like they don’t belong or that they cannot be themselves

Question 38

Systemic Racism

Answer 38

1) Redlining = dividing cities into sections that are desirable or not for investment
2) generally blocked off entire black neighborhoods for investment –> blacks were not able to get loans or investment
3) for every $100 whites have blacks only have $5
4) implicit bias = prejudice people have that they are not aware of (white sounding names –> have 2X more calls for resumes)

Question 39

problem with systemic racism

Answer 39

1) no single person/entity responsible for it
2) important to understand your own biases + accept that legacy of slavery + Jim Crow still negatively affects people of color

Question 40

Colorblind racism

Answer 40

1) belief that racism no longer exists and that we all have equal opportunities
2) claim that they do not see color of people’s skin –> BUT colorblindness stops us from seeing historical evidence for racial inequality

Question 41

When did colorblind racism come into play

Answer 41

1) in 60s + 70s
2) problem = racism is not biologically based, like there are many more differences within racial groups than between them

Question 42

Classical vs systemic vs colorblind racism

Answer 42

Classical racism is overt and based on the belief in racial hierarchy.
Systematic racism is about the policies and practices that perpetuate racial inequality, even if unintentionally.
Color-blind racism downplays or ignores the significance of race and the impact of historical and current racial disparities.
(acknowledgement: CHATGPT)

Question 43

Cultural Racism

Answer 43

1) Same ethnicity, nationality, race in country so when others came into country –> big racist reaction
2) not based on race, but on differing cultures
3) criticizing religions, like hating on Muslims or Jews