Unit 3 Review for AP Human Geography Exam

Introduction

• Culture: Shared practices, technologies, attitudes, and behaviors in a society.
• Visible and invisible aspects (Iceberg analogy).
• Culture affects and shapes human environments and spreads through diffusion.

Cultural Iceberg

• Tip of the Iceberg (visible aspects): Language, clothing, behavior, land use, built environment.
• Below the Iceberg (invisible aspects): Thought patterns, cultural rules.
• Example of dress: American vs. Saudi Arabian women.

Cultural Traits

• Categories: Food preferences, architecture, land use.
• Examples of each:
  • Food: Singapore influenced by Southern Chinese heritage.
  • Architecture: Adobe homes in the Southwest, suburban uniformity.
  • Land Use: Grass lawns in Nevada.

Attitudes Toward Cultural Differences

• Cultural Relativism: Evaluating cultures by their own standards.
• Ethnocentrism: Evaluating cultures by one's own standards; often leads to xenophobia.

Cultural Landscape

• How people modify their physical environment to reflect culture.
• Categories:
  1. Agricultural and Industrial Practices
  2. Religion
  3. Linguistic Characteristics
  4. Evidence of Sequent Occupance
  5. Traditional and Postmodern Architecture

Examples

• Agricultural Practices: Cornfields in the Midwest, rice paddies in Southeast Asia.
• Religious Structures: Churches, mosques, temples, synagogues.
• Sequent Occupance: Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.
• Postmodern Architecture: Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.

Culture and Space

• The relationship between cultural values and land occupation.
• Ethnicity, gender, and indigenous communities.

Cultural Interaction and Change

• Placemaking: Modifying the environment.
• Sense of Place: Emotional and meaningful connections to locations.
• Language, ethnicity, and religion as influencing factors.
• Centripetal vs. Centrifugal forces.

Cultural Diffusion

• Cultural Diffusion: Spread of cultural traits from one place to another.
• Types:
  1. Relocation Diffusion
  2. Expansion Diffusion
     • Contagious Diffusion
     • Hierarchical Diffusion
     • Stimulus Diffusion

Examples

• Relocation Diffusion: Catholicism in Latin America.
• Contagious Diffusion: Spread of slang words.
• Hierarchical Diffusion: Spread of hip-hop music.
• Stimulus Diffusion: Maharaja Mac in India.

Historical Processes of Diffusion

• Colonialism and Imperialism.
• Trade routes, e.g., Silk Roads.
• Lingua Franca and Creolization of language.

Contemporary Processes

• Globalization: Increasing interdependence worldwide.
• Urbanization: Movement to cities and cultural exchange.
• Influences: Media, technology, politics, economics.

Effects of Cultural Diffusion

• Cultural Convergence: Cultures becoming more similar.
• Cultural Divergence: Maintaining distinct cultural traits.

Language and Religion

• Language Family, Branch, and Dialects.
• Religion diffusion methods: Universalizing (e.g., Christianity), ethnic (e.g., Hinduism).

Outcomes of Cultural Encounters

• Acculturation: Adopting traits while maintaining own culture.
• Assimilation: Fully adopting another culture (forced or voluntary).
• Syncretism: Blending cultural traits to create new ones.
• Multiculturalism: Maintaining distinct cultural identities within a community.

Conclusion

• Review videos and AP Human Geography guide to prepare for the exam.