Vocabulary #1 Flashcards
What is Patriarchy?
A social system where men hold primary power in roles of leadership, authority, and property control.
What is Cultural Diffusion?
The spread of cultural beliefs, practices, and technologies between societies.
What is Monotheism?
The belief in and worship of one god.
What is Polytheism?
The belief in and worship of multiple gods.
What is Proselytizing?
Actively seeking to convert others to a religion or belief system.
What is Irrigation?
The artificial supply of water to land or crops to support agriculture.
What is a City-State?
A sovereign city that functions as an independent political unit.
What is Foraging?
The act of gathering wild plants and hunting animals for sustenance.
What is Codification?
The process of organizing laws, rules, or ideas into a systematic code.
What is Agriculture?
The practice of cultivating crops and domesticating animals for food and resources.
What is Pastoralism/Nomadic?
A lifestyle centered on raising livestock and often involving movement to find grazing lands.
What is Civilization?
A complex society characterized by cities, centralized government, social hierarchy, and culture.
What is Urbanization?
The growth and development of cities as populations shift from rural to urban areas.
What is Migration?
The movement of people from one location to another, often for survival or opportunity.
What is Hierarchy?
A system of organization where people or groups are ranked based on status or authority.
What is Mesopotamia?
An ancient region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, known as the ‘cradle of civilization.’
What is the Fertile Crescent?
A region in the Middle East with fertile soil and early agricultural development.
What is Monarchy?
A form of government with a single ruler, often a king or queen, who inherits their position.
What is Centralization?
The concentration of political or administrative power in a central authority.
What is Aristocracy?
A privileged class of people, often hereditary, holding significant power and wealth.
What is Corvée Labor?
Unpaid, forced labor imposed by the government or ruler, often for public works.
What is the Mandate of Heaven/Dynastic Cycle?
A Chinese belief that rulers have divine approval, which can be lost through misrule, leading to the rise and fall of dynasties.
What is the Civil Service Exam?
A test used in some societies, like Imperial China, to recruit government officials based on merit.
What is a Republic?
A form of government where representatives are elected to make decisions on behalf of the people.
What is Meritocracy?
A system where individuals gain power or positions based on ability and achievement.
What is Bureaucracy?
An administrative system with departments and officials managing government operations.
What is Infrastructure?
The physical and organizational structures needed for a society to function (e.g., roads, bridges, and systems).
What is Empire/Imperialism?
A large political unit or state under one ruler, often expanding through conquest or domination of other regions.
