AP Human Geography: Culture Flashcards

Culture

• Defined by the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a specific group.

Cultural Landscape

• Encompasses geographical areas showcasing interactions between cultural and natural resources.

Sequent-Occupance

• Concept that successive societies imprint their culture on a place, influencing the cumulative cultural landscape.

Carl Sauer

• Advocate for focusing on cultural landscapes within human geography.

Derwent Whittlesey

• Credited with coining the term sequent-occupance.

Irredenta

• Refers to regions linked historically or ethnically to one country but governed by another.

Irredentism

• Policy aimed at cultural or political expansion for national groups residing in neighboring countries.

Language

• A system of communication using sounds and symbols.

Franglais

• Incorporates English terms into the French language, demonstrating linguistic borrowing.

Culture Hearth

• The origin point of a major culture.

Civilization

• Describes societies in advanced developmental stages.

Cold War (1945-1991)

• Era characterized by high nuclear tensions and confrontations between the USA and USSR following WWII.

Dialect

• The specific language and vocabulary associated with a particular group.

Colonialism

• Involves one hegemonic power establishing settlements and imposing its cultural and economic systems in another country.

Hegemonic Power

• A dominant entity exerting control over others.

Imperialism

• Policy focused on extending authority and governance over other nations.

Balkanization

• The division of a region into smaller, often hostile, states or regions.

Ideograms

• Characters that convey meanings without indicating their phonetic sounds, as found in languages like Chinese and Korean.

Mesopotamia

• Historical region known for multiple ancient civilizations in present-day Iraq.

Mesoamerica

• Historical area of several ancient civilizations located in modern-day Mexico and Central America.

Ottoman Empire

• A Muslim empire that dominated southeastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa from the 16th to the 18th centuries.

Supranationalism

• Approach to decision-making within multinational political communities.

Carrying Capacity

• The maximum population size that an environment can support sustainably.

Cultural (Spatial) Diffusion

• The dissemination of ideas, knowledge, or innovations from their point of origin to new cultural areas.

Expansion Diffusion

• Innovation remains robust in its source area while spreading outward.

Contagious Diffusion

• Affects nearly all adjacent individuals.

Hierarchical Diffusion

• The main diffusion channel originates from a significant segment of the population.

Stimulus Diffusion

• An idea is not immediately adopted but does influence further developments.

Relocation Diffusion

• Involves the physical movement of individuals who carry ideas to new areas.

Migrant Diffusion

• The idea loses potency at the origin site during its spread.

Acculturation

• One culture significantly alters due to interaction with another, representing a one-way cultural transfer.

Transculturation

• Mutual cultural exchange of traits between closely interacting societies.

Syncretism

• The creation of a new culture resulting from the merging of two distinct cultures.

Time-Distance Decay

• The likelihood of innovation adoption diminishes with increased distance from its origin and time elapsed.