Understanding Key Social Concepts

Important Terms to Know

• Economic: Deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services
• Cultural: Relates to the beliefs, values, customs, and traditions of a group of people
• Political: Concerned with the organization and exercise of power in a society
• Social: Covers the interactions and relationships between individuals and groups in a society
• Cause: The reason or reasons for something happening
• Consequence: The effect or result of something
• Way of Life: The customs, beliefs, and attitudes that characterize a group of people
• Physiographic Region: Areas with similar landforms, climate, and resource patterns
• Dwelling: The type of house or shelter people live in
• Linguistic Group: People who speak the same language or a closely related language group
• Subsistence Activity: The methods by which people provide for their basic needs
• Demographic: The study of characteristics of human populations, such as size, distribution, and growth patterns.

Bering Strait Theory

• The Bering Strait Theory describes the migration of early humans from Asia to North America, approximately 30,000 to 12,000 years ago.
• Early Inhabitants traversed the Bering land bridge during the glacial period when the land bridge connected Siberia and Alaska.
• These early settlers spread and adapted to the environments they settled in.

Algonquian Way of Life

• Way of life: Nomadic, following game, hunting, fishing, and gathering food.
• Social organization: Patriarchal society
• Dwellings: Wigwams
• Political Organization: Band chief, leadership based on qualities like courage and hunting skill.

Iroquois Way of Life

• Way of life: Sedentary, practicing agriculture (three sisters: corn, beans, and squash).
• Social Organization: Matriarchal society, women hold considerable power and authority in decision making.
• Dwellings: Longhouses
• Political Organization: Village council, composed of appointed men by clan mothers

Inuit Way of Life

• Way of life: Nomadic, following animal herds (seals, walruses, whales), hunting and gathering.
• Social Organization: Patriarchal society
• Dwellings: Igloos in winter, tents in summer
• Survival tools: Parkas, dogsleds

Physiographic Regions

• Iroquoian: St. Lawrence River Lowlands, fertile soil
• Algonquian: Canadian Shield and Appalachian Mountains
• Inuit: Arctic, harsh, frozen regions

Roles of Men and Women

• Iroquois Men: Hunted, built longhouses, defended the community.
• Iroquois Women: Gathered food, practiced agriculture, took care of children.
• Algonquian Men: Fished, hunted, built homes, canoes, and tools.
• Algonquian Women: Gathered, did domestic work, cared for children, prepared furs.

Passing of Knowledge

• First Nations did not have a written language. Elders played a key role in preserving knowledge and traditions through storytelling, myths, and legends.

Alliances and Rivalries

• Alliances: Partnerships between groups for mutual benefit.
• Rivalries: Conflicts between groups over resources or territory.

European Explorations

• The fall of Constantinople in 1453 disrupted trade routes.
• Europeans sought new routes to Asia, leading to explorations of the Americas.
• The French established colonies, and the fur trade became crucial.

The Seigneurial System

• A method of land division in a colony in New France, creating parcels of land for farming and population growth along waterways.
• Characteristics: Narrow strips of land perpendicular to the St. Lawrence River.

The Fur Trade

• Fur trade: Indigenous people hunted for fur, traded with French.
• Role of European Goods: French traded European goods for furs, which were processed and resold for significant profit.

This quiz explores essential terms related to economics, culture, politics, and society. Test your knowledge on how these concepts are defined and interrelated, covering everything from cause and consequence to demographic studies. Perfect for students looking to solidify their understanding of key sociological ideas.