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.