Unit 3 Flashcards
Culture
Everything
Culture Hearth
Area in which a unique culture or trait develops
Globalization
Increased integration of the world economy
Horizontal Diversity
Each traditional culture has its own language and customs
In a culture, people are very homogenous
Vertical Diversity
Modern urban societies are different from each other
Global popular culture is very similar
Cultural Landscape
The visible reflection of a culture
Also the built environment
Encompasses any human alteration to the landscape
Wide range of things
Sacred Sites
Specific sites that have religious significance
Include places like Jerusalem and Mecca
Shinto believe certain rocks and trees have spirits in them
Christianity (cl)
Many crosses
Hinduism (cl)
Sights and sounds of processions
Buddhism (cl)
Places to meditate
Judaism (cl)
Synagogues
Islam (cl)
Time for praying
Shinto (cl)
Emphasis on preserving nature
Centripetal Forces
Those that unify a group of people or a region
Common language or religion
Shared history and heritage
Just and fair legal system
People gravitate toward others who share their beliefs, customs, interest, and backgrounds
Centrifugal Forces
Those that divide a group of people or a region can pull apart societies, nations, and states
Ethnic conflict, racism, injustice can sow division
Fundamentalism
An attempt to follow a literal interpretation of a religion
Believe that people should follow tradition lifestyles and strict standards
Majority of fundamentalists are concentrated near the hearth
Cultural relativism
The concept that a groups’ beliefs and practices should be understood from another culture’s perspective
Using this, we can understand why other cultures would eat fried insects as an American
Ethnocentrism
Believing your culture is more important and superior to other cultures
See others by stereotypes
Can lead to misinterpretations and centrifugal forces which can even lead to violence and discrimination
Cultural Aporpriation
The action of adopting traits, elements, or icons of another culture
Sometimes used out of context or disrespectfully
Some say it is respectful and admirable and other say it is oppressive and discriminatory
Relocation Diffusion
The spread of culture and/or cultural traits by people who migrate and carry their cultural traits with them
At times, the areas where migrants settle continue a trait after it has lost influence in the hearth
Expansion Diffusion
The spread of cultural traits outward through exchanges without migration
Contagious Diffusion
Occurs when a cultural trait spreads continually outward from its hearth through contact among people
Hierarchical Diffusion
The spread of culture outward from the most interconnected places or from centers of wealth and influence
Cultural traits spread first form one powerful person, city, or class to another
Reverse Hierarchical Diffusion
A trait diffuses from a group of people with lower status to a group of higher status
Some go from small, rural communities to larger urban areas
Stimulus Diffusion
When an underlying idea from a cultural hearth is adopted by another culture by they modify or reject one trait
Imperialism
Broader term that includes a variety of ways of influencing another country or group of people by direct conquest, economic control, or cultural dominance
Colonialism
Particular type of imperialism where people move and settle on another country
European colonialism strongly influenced the diffusion of languages and religion
Most relevant to the current political map
Animism
The belief that nonliving objects possess spirits
Was practiced by many native and indigenous people
Europeans forced colonial subjects to become Christian
English as a Lingua Franca
English has a wide spatial distribution
Most English speakers use it as a lingua franca to make communication easier
Pidgin Language
A language formed when two different languages have a lot of interaction through trade
Creole Languages
Language formed by two or more mixing and developing more structure
Most common is Haitian Creole
Swahili in East Africa
Trade between Arab merchants and Bantu people resulted in Swahili
Time-Space Convergence
The greater connection that results from improvements in transportation
Makes places less culturally distinct
Provides another way of thinking about geography as not just physical space but also of relative distance
Because of this the earth feels smaller and more connected
Demonstrates how a person’s sense of time and space vary greatly with different factors
Cultural Convergence
Cultures are becoming similar to each other and sharing more cultural traits
Cultural homogenization results in cultural change
Is also a threat to traditional cultures
Cultural Divergence
Idea that a culture may change over time as the elements of time, distance, physical separation and modern technology create divisions and changes
A culture’s isolation can halt diffusion
Romance Languages
Latin speakers were geographically isolated
The language diverged into many distinct regional languages known as Romance languages
Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian, and Romanian
Isoglosses
Boundaries between variations in pronunciations or word usage
In Texas, near Dallas, “dry creek” gets replaced by “arroyo”
Adages
Saying that attempt to express a truth about life
Different dialects include distinct adages
Sikhism
Founded in the Punjab region where Sikhs enjoy a lot of religious freedom
Stresses serving others, honesty, hard work and generosity
Place of worship is a gurdwara
Most holy place is the Golden Temple
Acculturation
An ethnic group moves to a new area and adopts some values and practices of that new culture, but they maintain elements of their native culture
Assimilation
When an ethnic group can no longer be distinguished from the receiving group
Syncretism
The fusion or blending of two distinctive cultural traits into a new unique hybrid trait
Results in new practices, beliefs, and innovations in a society
Glocalization
Form of syncretism that involves the creation of products or services for the global market
Multiculturalism
The coexistence of several cultures in one society with the idea of all cultures being valued and worthy of study
Interaction between cultures enriches the lives of all
Nativism
Coexistence of cultures can also bring conflict
People with different values, beliefs, and customs often clash
Conflict can become harsh
Anti-immigrant attitudes can form among the cultural majority and sometimes bring violence
Can also reflect a general dislike of people from other countries
Xenophobia
