Key terms Flashcards
assimilate
To adopt the customs of the dominant culture in a society; to become fully integrated in a new society or country
animism
The belief that all natural objects (people, animals, plants, rocks, rivers, the sun, weather systems) have a spirit
ascetic
Someone who lives a severely restricted lifestyle and abstains from pleasure and indulgence (e.g. food, sexual relations, material comforts) in order to reach a higher spiritual state of being.
bureaucracy
Government officials and administrators who are not the rulers or elected leaders but are employed to carry out the administrative tasks of governing (e.g. tax collection, record keeping, accounting, law enforcement).
coerced labor
Work that is done through force or threats with little or no compensation, e.g. slavery, serfdom
commodity
A raw material or good that has economic value, e.g. gold, oil, silk, sugar
commerce
The buying and selling of goods on a large scale, e.g. trade between countries
conscription
Mandatory enrollment for military service; a draft
consolidate
To combine smaller things into a larger unit; to strengthen and unify
diaspora
The movement or mass migration of a large group of people from their country or homeland to other parts of the world. Diasporic communities often assimilate some of aspects of the culture in their new country but still retain some common cultural traits and connections with their homeland.
e.g. the African diaspora caused by the Atlantic Slave Trade; the Jewish diaspora caused by waves of persecution in the Middle East and Europe; the Chinese diaspora due to the pull of economic opportunity in other countries
diffusion
The spread of cultural or technological elements from one area or group of people to others.
This occurs due to increased contact between different groups of people often because of trade, war, or migration
diplomacy
The practice of conducting negotiations between countries and governments; the use of peaceful methods to resolve disputes rather than warfare
demographic
Population trends and characteristics — usually measured through statistics that indicate population increase, decrease, or change
domestication
The process of adapting a wild plant into one that can be cultivated for food, or taming a wild animal to live with or do work for humans
egalitarian
A belief or system that promotes social and economic equality
fortification
Defensive walls or structures built to guard against attack
hegemony
Exerting political control, dominance, or influence, especially by one country over many countries
hierarchy
a system of ranking or classifying people according to economic, social, or other characteristics to determine their status in society
imperial
Related to an empire
ideology
a system of economic or political beliefs and principles
inflation
A general increase in prices (and decline in the purchasing power of money)
infrastructure
the system of public works (roads, bridges, sewage, power supply) needed for a functioning society
indigenous
People or species that are native to a particular region; the original inhabitants before others arrived.
matrilineal
Tracing family descent through the mother’s line
patrilineal
Tracing family descent through the father’s line
patriarchy
A system or society in which men hold greater power within the family and in political and economic life
persecute
To treat someone badly or deny them rights, especially due to their ethnic or racial identity, religious or political beliefs, gender identity or sexual orientation
pastoralism
Making a living by raising, herding, and consuming the byproducts (meat, dairy) of domesticated animals (goats, sheep, cows, or horses) rather than farming crops.
Pastoral societies are nomadic, as they move seasonally to find vegetation for their herds to graze.
legitimize
to justify; to make something seem legally or morally right or reasonable
mobilize
To prepare large groups of people to take action; to prepare soldiers for war
monarchy
A political system in which ruling power is inherited through family descent (hereditary power)
monastic
related to monasteries, monks, and nuns; a way of life in which people live apart from society, renounce material pleasures, and dedicate their lives to religious practices
clerical
related to the clergy (ordained religious officials)
monetary
Related to money and its circulation within an economy
monumental architecture
Large-scale structures that are built both for practical purposes and to glorify, commemorate, or demonstrate the power of a ruler, religion, nation, or empire.
secular
Not religious (but not necessarily anti-religious)
sedentary
Staying or living in one place instead of moving to different places; opposite of nomadic
shamanism
A belief system based on the idea that certain individuals can access the spiritual world and provide prophecies, healing, and communication with ancestors
social welfare
Services or programs provided by the government to people in need with the goal of reducing social suffering or inequality
standing army
A permanent fighting force made up of trained, full-time soldiers (as opposed to part-time volunteer forces or militias)
staple
A type of good that is consumed on a regular basis and seen as a vital to everyday life
syncretism
The blending of different religions or cultures into a new form that has characteristics of both
subsistence
Producing the minimum food and shelter necessary to support life
venerate
To honor or worship
nomadic
A way of life in which people do not live in one place, but instead move around, often seasonally based on available food supply.
GDP
Gross Domestic Product - a measurement of the size of a nation’s economy (the goods and services produced in one year)
Pre-Columbian
History and civilizations of the Americas before the arrival of Europeans in the late 15th century.
discourse
Written or spoken communication or debate
enclave
An area or neighborhood in which there is a high concentration of people sharing the same ethnicity
meritocracy
a system in which promotion to positions in government is based on individual ability or achievement, rather than, say, family connections or wealth
