Unit 3 - Culture Flashcards
Culture
Definition: The shared practices and beliefs and values of a group of people. Example: Traditional clothing and music are part of a community’s culture.
Diffusion
Definition: The spread of ideas and practices or innovations from one place to another. Example: The popularity of sushi in Western countries illustrates cultural diffusion.
Gender Roles
Definition: The social expectations and norms associated with being male or female. Example: In some societies women are expected to be primary caregivers reflecting traditional gender roles.
Agriculture
Definition: The practice of cultivating land and raising crops or livestock for food and other resources. Example: Rice farming is a key form of agriculture in Southeast Asia.
Relocation Diffusion
Definition: The spread of cultural traits through the physical movement of people. Example: The spread of Italian cuisine to the U.S. through Italian immigrants.
Cultural Hearth
Definition: The place where a culture or innovation originates. Example: Ancient Mesopotamia is considered a cultural hearth for agriculture and writing.
Industry
Definition: Economic activities related to the production of goods or services. Example: The automobile industry is a major contributor to many national economies.
Expansion Diffusion
Definition: The spread of cultural traits or innovations from one area to another while staying strong in the origin area. Example: The adoption of smartphones worldwide.
Indo-European Language Family
Definition: A large language family including many languages spoken in Europe and South Asia. Example: English Spanish and Hindi are part of the Indo-European language family.
Religion
Definition: A system of beliefs and practices often centered around spirituality or a higher power. Example: Christianity and Islam are major world religions.
Contagious Expansion
Definition: Rapid and widespread diffusion of an idea or innovation. Example: The viral spread of memes on social media.
Universalizing Religion
Definition: A religion that seeks to convert people regardless of their cultural background. Example: Christianity actively spreads its beliefs worldwide.
Linguistics
Definition: The scientific study of language and its structure. Example: Linguistics examines how sounds form words and grammar in various languages.
Hierarchical Expansion
Definition: The spread of cultural traits from influential individuals or locations to others. Example: Fashion trends starting in major cities like Paris and spreading globally.
Ethnic Religion
Definition: A religion closely tied to a specific ethnic or cultural group. Example: Hinduism is considered an ethnic religion tied to Indian culture.
Sequent Occupance
Definition: The layered impact of different cultures over time on the same geographic area. Example: Rome’s history reflects sequent occupance through ancient ruins and modern buildings.
Stimulus Expansion
Definition: The spread of an idea even if the specific trait does not fully diffuse. Example: McDonald’s in India adapting its menu to local dietary restrictions.
Cultural Landscape
Definition: The visible imprint of human activity on the environment. Example: Terraced rice fields in China are part of the cultural landscape.
Traditional Architecture
Definition: Building styles that reflect a region’s cultural history and environment. Example: Adobe homes in the American Southwest.
Cultural Traits
Definition: Specific customs beliefs or practices that define a culture. Example: Greeting someone with a bow in Japan is a cultural trait.
Acculturation
Definition: The process of adopting cultural traits from another group while retaining one’s own culture. Example: Immigrants adopting the language of their new country.
Postmodern Architecture
Definition: A style of architecture that blends traditional and contemporary elements. Example: The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao Spain showcases postmodern design.
Cultural Expression
Definition: The way a culture is represented through art language or traditions. Example: Native American storytelling as a form of cultural expression.
Assimilation
Definition: The process where individuals or groups adopt the culture of another group losing their original identity. Example: Immigrants fully adopting the language and customs of their new country.
Syncretism
Definition: The blending of different cultural or religious traditions. Example: Voodoo is a syncretic religion combining African and Christian beliefs.
Land-Use Patterns
Definition: The ways in which land is utilized for agriculture industry or urban development. Example: Urban areas often have high-density residential land-use patterns.
Ethnocentrism
Definition: The belief that one’s own culture is superior to others. Example: Judging other cultures’ practices based on one’s own cultural norms.
Multiculturalism
Definition: The coexistence of multiple cultures in a society often promoting diversity and inclusion. Example: Canada embraces multiculturalism through policies supporting diverse cultural communities.
Ethnicity
Definition: A shared cultural heritage language or ancestry. Example: The Han Chinese ethnicity is the largest in the world.
Creolization
Definition: The blending of languages and cultures to form a new distinct culture. Example: Creole languages in the Caribbean developed from African European and indigenous influences.
Folk Culture
Definition: Traditional practices of small homogeneous groups in isolated areas. Example: Amish communities preserving their folk culture in the U.S.
Gender
Definition: The social and cultural distinctions associated with being male or female. Example: Gender roles influence clothing choices in many societies.
Lingua Franca
Definition: A common language used for communication between speakers of different native languages. Example: English is a global lingua franca in business and science.
Popular Culture
Definition: Widespread cultural elements influenced by mass media and consumerism. Example: Pop music and Hollywood movies are part of popular culture.
Workforce
Definition: The population of people available and able to work. Example: A country with a large skilled workforce attracts foreign investments.
Colonialism
Definition: The policy of acquiring and controlling territories for economic or political gain. Example: European colonialism shaped the borders and cultures of many African countries.
Christianity
Definition: A universalizing religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. Example: Christianity is the largest religion globally with followers in nearly every country.
Indigenous People
Definition: The original inhabitants of a region before colonization or displacement. Example: The Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand.
Imperialism
Definition: The policy of extending a country’s influence through diplomacy or military force. Example: British imperialism established colonies across Asia and Africa.
Cultural Convergence
Definition: The tendency for cultures to become more alike due to shared technology and globalization. Example: The global spread of fast food chains like McDonald’s.
Islam
Definition: A monotheistic universalizing religion founded by the Prophet Muhammad. Example: Islam is widely practiced in the Middle East North Africa and Southeast Asia.
Centripetal Forces
Definition: Forces that unite people and promote social cohesion. Example: A shared national language acts as a centripetal force.
Buddhism
Definition: A universalizing religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. Example: Buddhism emphasizes meditation and ethical living.
Centrifugal Forces
Definition: Forces that divide people or create conflict within a society. Example: Ethnic tensions within a country act as centrifugal forces.
Cultural Divergence
Definition: The restriction of a culture from outside influences. Example: The preservation of indigenous traditions in isolated areas.
Language Families
Definition: Groups of related languages derived from a common ancestral language. Example: The Romance languages belong to the Indo-European language family.
Sikhism
Definition: A monotheistic religion founded in Punjab India promoting equality and community service. Example: Sikhs gather for worship at a gurdwara.
Judaism
Definition: An ethnic monotheistic religion with origins in the ancient Hebrew tradition. Example: Judaism’s holy text is the Torah.
Dialect
Definition: A regional variation of a language with distinct pronunciation vocabulary and grammar. Example: The Southern dialect in the U.S. includes phrases like “y’all.”
World Religion
Definition: A major widely practiced faith with significant influence. Example: Islam Christianity and Buddhism are world religions.
Ethnic Culture
Definition: The cultural practices and traditions specific to a particular ethnic group. Example: Traditional Native American ceremonies are part of ethnic culture.
