Overview
This lecture covers essential concepts from Unit 3 of AP Human Geography, focusing on culture, cultural landscapes, diffusion, language, religion, and the effects of cultural interaction.
Culture: Types & Characteristics
- Culture is made up of material (physical objects) and non-material (beliefs, values) elements.
- Subcultures exist within larger cultures, each with distinct practices.
- Pop (modern) culture is diverse, individualistic, spreads rapidly, and evolves quickly.
- Folk culture is traditional, collective, resistant to change, and spreads slowly.
- Indigenous cultures are tied to specific regions, emphasizing tradition and community.
- Ethnocentrism judges other cultures by one’s own standards; cultural relativism evaluates cultures by their own standards.
Cultural Landscape & Sense of Place
- The cultural landscape consists of visible human impacts on the environment (architecture, land use, etc.).
- Traditional, modern, and post-modern architectures reflect different cultural values.
- Sequent occupancy shows how successive societies leave their mark over time.
- Sense of place arises from unique cultural and physical characteristics; placelessness is a lack of such identity.
- Placemaking involves communities transforming spaces for shared activities.
Regional Patterns & Forces
- Regional patterns of language, religion, and ethnicity shape the cultural landscape.
- Centripetal forces unite communities; centrifugal forces cause division.
Diffusion of Culture
- Diffusion is the spread of cultural traits, people, or phenomena.
- Relocation diffusion: physical movement of people spreads culture.
- Expansion diffusion: culture spreads outward from a hearth and includes contagious, hierarchical, reverse hierarchical, and stimulus diffusion.
- Historical causes include colonialism, imperialism, trade, and migration (e.g., creolization and diaspora).
- Contemporary causes include globalization, technological advancements, and urbanization.
Religion
- Universalizing religions (Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism) seek to expand and appeal to all people, often spreading through expansion and relocation diffusion.
- Ethnic religions (Hinduism, Judaism) are tied to specific groups/regions and mainly spread through relocation diffusion.
Language
- Proto-languages are the earliest forms; language families share common ancestors.
- Language branches and groups are subdivisions within families.
- Dialects reflect regional language variations; isoglosses mark boundaries of language use.
Effects of Diffusion
- Assimilation: minority cultures adopt dominant culture, often losing original identity.
- Acculturation: cultures adopt traits from others but retain unique identity.
- Syncretism: blending of different cultural traits into a new form.
- Cultural resistance and barriers can hinder diffusion due to religion, language, or stereotypes.
- Multiculturalism: coexistence of diverse cultures within a society (e.g., US, Canada).
Key Terms & Definitions
- Material Culture — physical objects significant to a culture.
- Non-material Culture — intangible beliefs, values, and customs.
- Cultural Landscape — visible human alterations to the environment.
- Sequent Occupancy — layers of cultural imprints over time in a place.
- Centripetal Force — factor that unites people.
- Centrifugal Force — factor that divides people.
- Relocation Diffusion — spread of culture via physical movement.
- Expansion Diffusion — spread through growing numbers in a region.
- Stimulus Diffusion — core idea spreads but is adapted locally.
- Creolization — blending of two cultures into a new one.
- Diaspora — dispersion of people from their homeland.
- Lingua Franca — common language for communication between speakers of different native languages.
- Assimilation — minority culture absorbed by dominant culture.
- Acculturation — adopting elements of another culture.
- Syncretism — merging of different cultural traits.
- Multiculturalism — coexistence of diverse cultural groups.
- Isogloss — boundary of distinct language use.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Complete and review the study guide.
- Take the Unit 3 practice quiz.
- Review language family hearths using the separate review document.
- Watch additional videos and use resources from the ultimate review packet for further study.