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Human Geography Key Concepts and Themes

Apr 24, 2025

Human Geography Study Notes

Key Concepts

  • Religion and Language are core components of culture.
  • Cultural Landscape Questions: Includes analysis of maps, especially religion and Indo-European maps.
  • Key FRQ Topics:
    • Origins of Indo-European languages.
    • Differences and diffusion of ethnic and universalizing religions.
    • Sino-Tibetan branch.

Culture

  • Definitions:
    • Habit: Individual repeated act.
    • Custom: Group repeated act.
    • Culture: Collection of customs.
  • Material Culture: Tangible aspects like clothing, architecture, food.
  • Nonmaterial Culture: Intangible aspects like beliefs, values, and norms.
  • Folk Culture: Small, homogeneous, rural, isolated, environment-adaptive.
  • Pop Culture: Large, diverse society, globally distributed, environment-altering.

Sequential Occupancy

  • Groups add their distinctiveness to occupied locations over time.
    • Indigenous cultures -> Colonial cultures -> Postmodern cultures.

Acculturation vs. Assimilation

  • Acculturation: Two-way cultural exchange.
  • Assimilation: Immigrant culture is replaced by host culture.
  • Cultural Appropriation: Adoption of customs for profit or misrepresentation.

Language

  • Diffusion: Relocation and spatial interaction.
  • Convergence and Divergence: From spatial interaction or lack thereof.
  • Language Structures:
    • Family: Common ancient ancestor.
    • Branch: Common ancestor with archaeological evidence.
    • Group: Recent common origin.
  • Romance and Germanic Languages: Based on Latin and Old Norse respectively.
  • Indo-European Theories:
    • Nomadic Warrior Thesis: Spread through conquest.
    • Sedentary Farmer Thesis: Spread with agriculture.

English Language Origin

  • Germanic Invasion: Influences from Angles, Saxons, Jutes.
  • French Influence: William the Conqueror's invasion.

Linguistic Concepts

  • Lingua Franca: Bridge language for different native speakers.
  • Official vs. Working Languages: Used in government vs. organizations.
  • Informal Language: Mix of English with other languages.
  • Dialect and Pidgin: Variations and simplified language mixes.
  • Mutual Intelligibility: Easier understanding between dialects.

Religions

  • Major World Religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism.
  • Christian Branches: Roman, Orthodox, Protestant.
  • Buddhist Branches: Mahayana, Theravada, Vajrayana.
  • Islam Branches: Sunni, Shia.
  • Universalizing vs. Ethnic Religions
    • Universalizing: Global, founder-centric.
    • Ethnic: Local, environment-centric.

Religious Practices and Structures

  • Buddhist Temples, Christian Churches, Mosques, Hindu Shrines.
  • Religious Calendar Systems: Lunar, solar, lunisolar.

Other Religious Concepts

  • Atheism and Agnosticism: Belief in or questioning of god's existence.
  • Monotheism vs. Polytheism: Single god vs. multiple gods.
  • Syncretic Religions: Combining multiple traditions.
  • Autonomous vs. Hierarchical Religions: Different organizational structures.
  • Religious Burial Practices: Cremation, burial, exposure rituals.

Political and Religious Structures

  • Theocracy: Governance through deity authority.
  • State Religions: Official religion without authoritative binding.