VOCAB
What is Cultural Relativism?
The practice of evaluating a culture by its own standards rather than judging it by another culture’s standards.
What is sense of place?
The emotional attachment and meaning people associate with a particular location based on their experiences and culture.
What is lingua franca?
A common language used between people who do not share the same native language, to communicate.
What is a language dialect?
A regional variety of a language distinguished by vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation.
What is assimilation?
The process by which a minority group completely adopts the culture of a dominant group and loses its original identity.
What is ethnocentrism?
The belief that one’s own culture is superior to others, often leading to judging other cultures from that perspective.
What is placemaking?
The process of designing and organizing spaces to reflect the identity, culture, and needs of the people who use them.
What is colonialism?
The process by which a country establishes control over a foreign land and its people, often exploiting its resources and imposing its culture.
What is Indo-Eurpoean language family?
The world’s largest language family, including languages such as English, Spanish, Hindi, and Russian, all derived from a common ancestral language.
What is syncretism?
The blending of elements from different cultures to create a new cultural trait.
What is linguistic?
Related to language or the study of language.
What is hierarchical diffusion?
The spread of ideas or traits through power structures or influential people/places (like celebrities or large cities).
What is imperialism?
The extension of a country’s power through military, political, or economic control over other territories.
What is a toponym?
The name given to a place, often reflecting cultural or historical influences.
What is multiculturalism?
A society in which multiple cultures coexist while maintaining their distinct identities.
What is sequent occupancy?
The idea that different cultural groups have occupied and left their mark on a place over time, each adding to the cultural landscape.
What is stimulus diffusion?
The spread of an idea where it adapts or changes to fit a new culture while keeping some original traits.
What is globalization?
The increasing interconnectedness of people, economies, and cultures across the world.
What is a universalizing region?
A religion that seeks converts and is open to all people, regardless of ethnicity or nationality.
What is contagious diffusion?
A rapid, widespread diffusion of a trait or idea through direct contact, like a virus spreading person-to-person.
What is an indigenous community?
A group of people native to a particular place, with long-standing cultural traditions and ties to that land before outside groups arrived.
What is creolization?
The blending of two or more cultures to create a new, distinct culture.
What is time space convergence?
The shrinking of distance between places due to improved transportation and communication technologies.
What is acculturation?
The process of adopting some cultural traits of another group while maintaining one’s original culture.
What is relocation diffusion?
The spread of ideas, traits, or people through physical movement from one place to another.