Unit 3 Vocab Flashcards
Vocabulary for Unit 3
Abrahamic
denoting any or all of the religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) that revere Abraham, the Biblical patriarch
Acculturation
when a minority ethnic group adopts the values and practices of the dominant culture, but still maintains major elements of their own culture
Amish
a group of traditionalist Christian church fellowships with Swiss German Anabaptist origins; known for simple living, plain dress, and reluctance to adopt many conveniences of modern technology
Anatolian Hearth Theory
theory for the origin and diffusion of Indo-European languages proposed by Colin Renfrew that states that diffusion started from an Anatolian hearth (modern Turkey) and spread with farmers whose agricultural practices made them more successful and therefore able to outnumber other language groups and spread into Europe and SW Asia; also known as Sedentary Farmer Thesis
Animism
the belief that inanimate objects or natural events have spirits and conscious life
Assimilation
the loss of native cultural characteristics to a dominant culture
Branch
a large, fundamental division within a religion
Buddhism
the teaching of Buddha that life is permeated with suffering caused by desire, that suffering ceases when desire ceases, and that enlightenment obtained through right conduct and wisdom and meditation releases one from desire and suffering and rebirth
Centrifugal force
divide a state (lead to balkanization/devolution, disrupt internal order, destabilize, weaken)
Centripetal force
unify a state (provide stability, strengthen, bind together, create solidarity)
Christianity
a monotheistic system of beliefs and practices based on the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as embodied in the New Testament, emphasizing the role of Jesus as savior
Church
a building used for public Christian worship
Colonialism
an attempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose its political, economical, and cultural principles in another territory
Creolization
process in which two or more languages converge and form a new language (used to describe languages in the Caribbean when slavery and colonization merged cultures)
Cultural convergence
the tendency for cultures to become more alike as they increasingly share technology and organizational structures in a modern world united by improved transportation and communication
Cultural divergence
ex:amish
the restriction of a culture from outside cultural influences
Cultural hearth
place from which an innovation originates
Cultural landscape
the cultural impacts on an area, including buildings, agricultural patterns, roads, signs, and nearly everything else that humans have created
Cultural relativism
the principle that an individual human’s beliefs and activities should be understood by others in terms of that individual’s own culture
Cultural traits
the specific customs that are part of the everyday life of a particular culture
Culture
the way of life of a particular people, especially as shown in their ordinary behavior and habits, their attitudes toward each other, and their moral and religious beliefs
Denomination
a division within a branch that unites local congregations in a single administrative body
Dialect
regional variation of a language with distinctive vocabulary, spelling and pronunciation
Diffusion
process by which a characteristic spreads across space from one place to another over time
Relocation diffusion
spread of an idea through physical movement of people from one place to another
Expansion diffusion
spread of a feature from one place to another in a snowballing process
Contagious diffusion
rapid, widespread diffusion of a characteristic throughout the population
Hierarchical diffusion
spread of an idea from individuals or centers of authority or power to others
Stimulus diffusion
spread of an underlying principle, even though a characteristic itself fails to diffuse
Ethnic culture
based on a shared understanding of history and territorial origins (regional and national) of an ethnic group or community, as well as on particular cultural characteristics such as language and/or religion
Ethnic religion
appeals primarily to one group living in one place
Ethnicity
identity with a group who share cultural traditions of a particular homeland
Ethnocentrism
tendency to evaluate other cultures against the standards of one’s own culture
Folk culture
culture traditionally practiced by a small, homogeneous, rural group living in relative isolation from other groups
Fundamentalism
the belief in the original form of a religion or theory, without accepting any later ideas
Gender
social differences between men and women, rather than the anatomical, biological differences between the sexes
Gender roles
conveys the idea that there are certain social expectations and rights associated with being a man or a woman
Heterogeneous
diverse in character or content; dissimilar
Hinduism
ethnic religion and the main religion of India which includes the worship of many gods and the belief that after you die you return to life in a different form
Homogeneous
of the same kind; alike
Imperialism
the practice of a country extending its power and influence over other countries, typically through the use of military force, economic coercion, or cultural domination
Indigenous
people or objects native to a certain region or environment
Indo-European
a family of several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major languages of Europe, Iran, and northern India
Islam
a universalizing religion based on the teachings of the prophet Mohammed which stresses belief in one god (Allah), Heaven and Hell, and a body of law written in the Quran
Isogloss
word-usage boundary; shows which words/phrases are unique to particular regions
Judaism
a monotheistic ethnic religion of Jews having its spiritual and ethical principles in the sacred Torah and in the Talmud
Kurgan Hypothesis
theory for the origin and diffusion of Indo-European languages proposed by Marija Gimbutas that states that the diffusion started with the Kurgan people from the Russian steppes (4300 BC), nomadic herders that used domesticated horses to conquer much of Europe and South Asia between 3500 and 2500 BC, bringing their language with them; also known as the Nomadic Warrior Thesis
Language
system of communication through speech, a collection of sounds a group of people understands to have the same meaning
Language branch
languages related through a common ancestral language that existed several thousand years ago; differences not as old or as extensive as with language families
Language family
collection of languages related through common ancestral language that existed before recorded history
Language group
languages within a branch with a common origin in the relatively recent past and few differences in grammar and vocabulary
Lingua franca
language that facilitates communication or trade between people who speak different native languages; the original lingua franca was a language used to facilitate trade among the linguistically diverse inhabitants of the Mediterranean (Italian, French, Spanish, Greek, Arabic…)
Material culture
the tangible, physical items produced and used by members of a specific culture group and reflective of their traditions, lifestyles and technologies
Mosque
the traditional Muslim place of worship; architecturally, it often features a minaret, or onion-shaped dome, on top
Multiculturalism
the coexistence of several cultures in one society, with the ideal of all cultures being valued and worthy of study; a multicultural society can result when people from many different countries migrate to one place, or an empire conquers many countries
Nonmaterial culture
anything that comprises culture that cannot be physically touched (e.g., language and religion)
Pagoda
a tower in eastern Asia usually with roofs curving upward at the division of each of several stories and erected as a temple or memorial
Pidgin language
mixture of a lingua franca and a second language, no native speakers
Placemaking
the process of creating quality places that people want to live, work, play, and learn in
Popular culture
found in large, heterogeneous societies that cover large areas and share certain habits despite differences in other personal characteristics
Postmodern architecture
decries the modern architectural emphasis on efficiency and industry; instead tries to design buildings that are visually pleasing to human beings and provide modern humans with a link to their past
Religion
a system of beliefs and practices that attempts to order life in terms of culturally perceived ultimate priorities
Sacred site
the geographic intersection between the divine and the mortal
Sect
a small group that has broken away from a denomination
Sense of place
a characteristic that some geographic places have and some do not, while to others it is a feeling or perception held by people; often used in relation to those characteristics that make a place special or unique, as well as to those that foster a sense of authentic human attachment and belonging
Sequent occupancy
the notion that successive societies leave their cultural imprints on a place, each contributing to the cumulative cultural landscape
Shia
the branch of Islam whose members acknowledge Ali and his descendants as the rightful successors of Muhammad
Sikhism
the doctrines of a monotheistic religion founded in northern India in the 16th century by Guru Nanak and combining elements of Hinduism and Islam
Sunni
a branch of Islam whose members acknowledge the first four caliphs as the rightful successors of Muhammad
Synagogue
the building where a Jewish assembly or congregation meets for religious worship and instruction
Syncretism
is the merging of various characteristics into a new culture
Taboo
a restriction on behavior imposed by social custom
Terroir
the contribution of a location’s distinctive physical features to the way food tastes
Universalizing religion
attempts to be global, to appeal to all, not just those of one culture or place
