Unit 1 Study guide Flashcards
Culture
A total way of life held in a common by a group of people. It is NOT biological, it is learned.
Material and Nonmaterial
Material- Physical and tangible objects. Example: clothing, art, tools
Nonmaterial- The intangibles. (Can’t touch) Examples: Beliefs, values, superstition, songs, tales
Site and Situation
Site- The physical characteristics of a place: ‘non-human’
Situation- The location of a place relative to other places.
What is a region?
A grouping of like places or the function union of places to form a spatial unit.
Three types of region and examples
Formal - An area which within most people share one or more distinctive characteristics. (measurable)
Functional- An area organized around a node or focal points
Vernacular- An area that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity.
Globalization?
Actions or processes that involve the entire world and result in making something world wide scope
Diffusion
- It spreads across space from one place to another that process
What are the consequences of globalization today?
- Cultural diffusion is rapid
- Independent states are weakened
- Cultural homogenization is encouraged
Types of diffusions
Relocation Diffusion- Simple movement. Example: Migrating, Philippines to U.S
Expansion Diffusion- Sharing ideas. Example: Hierarchical, contagious, stimulus
Contagious Diffusion- The innovation spreads out outward through direct. Person to Person.
Assimilation
The process by which a groups cultural features are altered to resemble those another.
Example: Immigrant adoption, new culture
Acculturation
The process of changes in culture that results from the meeting of two groups
Example:
Syncretism
Combination of elements of two groups into a new cultural
Example: Sikhism, Mestizo culture, Santeria, Tex-Mex Food.
How do people adjust to their environment? How do they modify their environment to meet
their needs?
Can you explain the concept of possibilism?
-Humans, not the physical environment are the primary active force.
- Any environment offers a number of different possibilities for cultures to develop
- Are guided by cultural geography
Example: walleye fishing, lawn mowing
What are some things that the cultural landscape reflects from the culture that inhabits a
specific area?
It reflects the needs, values, and attitudes towards the earth?
Can you provide several comparisons of the characteristics of folk culture versus popular
culture?
Folk- Usually a rural community, tradition controls, resistance to change
- I practiced by old-fashioned small groups living in relative isolation
Pop- Found in large, different societies that share certain customs.
What is the concept of placelessness? What are arguments in favor of, and against,
placelessness?
Be able to discuss the diffusion of food, clothing, music, sports, etc. per the textbook.
Be able to discuss the challenges related to electronic media and cultural diffusion
Be able to discuss the challenges in maintaining folk culture landscapes.
Be able to identify examples of environmental issues related to the pop culture landscape.
