Culture
What is culture?
Values, beliefs, traditions, behaviours and material objects that form a way of life of a society.
Language is key to understanding what?
Humans’ attitudes, beliefs and behaviours (culture).
What is ethnicity?
Identity with a group of people that share common cultural and/or shared ancestry.
Why are domesticated species seen as superior?
They’ve been engineered to be the best they possibly can be through selective breeding over a long time.
What is the global perspective of the environment?
Everything is related to everything else. You can’t change one aspect (of nature) without it affecting others.
What led to a major change in culture?
The Industrial Revolution, because it destroyed ties with the physical environment and focused on capitalistic production - focus on money and profit.
What are the two largest religions in the world?
Christianity and Islam.
What are the three myths of race?
1. One group is more evolved than another
2. There are separate human races
3. Race exists and can be classified by level of intelligence
When was the (first) agricultural revolution?
About 12 000 years ago.
What are the two main consequences of tropical rainforest removal?
Species extinction and global warming.
What are norms?
Rules and expectations through which a society guides the behaviour of its members.
What is lingua franca and what is the current lingua franca in the world?
Language used to communicate between people who have different native languages. English is the lingua franca.
What is phenotype?
A physical or chemical trait that can be observed or measured (skin colour, hair colour, height, etc.)
Why was domestication of plants and animals so important to human history?
It allowed for population growth, new social organization and beginnings of city centers.
What is the connection between human population and animal extinction?
As population increases, so does animal extinction.
What is multiculturalism?
A policy that promotes the right of ethnic groups to retain their distinct identity rather than be assimilated into dominant culture.
What is a toponym and why are they significant?
Toponym means place name. They are significant because they’re seen as the major link between language and landscape, as they often reflect first settlement
What is chain migration?
Movement from one place to another over time, promoted by social links (friends and family) resulting in an area of ethnic settlement.
What/when was the second agricultural revolution?
18th century with industrial revolution - needing to feed more people!
Briefly explain the greenhouse effect.
Certain gases in the atmosphere trap the sun’s heat. As we produce more of these gases, more heat is trapped, which results in global warming.
Compare folk and pop culture.
Folk: Traditional culture practiced by small, homogenous groups that are highly tied to generations and cultural transmission and knowledge is passed through speech and practice (doing).
Pop: Practices, beliefs and objects that are dominant in a society at a given time. Tends to spread quickly, is largely based on profits and is always changing.
Name the two types of religions and compare them.
Universalizing and ethnic. Universalizing is open to anyone, seeks converts, and is centered on a belief system. Ethnic is associated with a single group and is closely tied to culture or ethnicity, it is part of one’s identity.
Compare assimilation and acculturation.
Assimilation: Ethnic group is absorbed into larger society and loses own cultural identity.
Acculturation: Ethnic group is absorbed into larger society but maintains distinct cultural identity.
What was the Green Revolution?
1960s, increased technologies in agriculture which reduced famine and malnutrition in the less developed world.
Define sustainability.
Serving our present needs without compromising later generations for meeting their needs.