Rubenstein Ch. 4 (Global/Local Culture)

acculturation

when an individual or less dominant culture adopts some of the traits of a more dominant culture

artifacts

concrete (material) human creations that reflect values, beliefs, and behaviors

assimilation

the dominant culture completely absorbs a less dominant culture whereby the immigrants lose their native customs, including religion and language

contagious diffusion

the rapid, widespread diffusion of a feature or trend throughout a population

cultural diffusion

the expansion and adoption of a cultural element, from its place of origin to a wider area

cultural landscape

the modification of natural landscape by human activities

culture complex

the group of traits that define a particular culture

culture hearth

the areas where civilizations first began and subsequently radiated the customs, innovations, and ideologies that culturally transformed the world

culture region

a region defined by similar culture traits and cultural landscape features

culture trait

the specific customs that are part of the everyday life of a particular culture, such as language, religion, ethnicity, social institutions, and aspects of popular culture

custom

a repetitive act of a group, performed to the extent that it becomes characteristic of the group

environmental determinism

the emphasis that the physical environment, especially the climate and terrain, actively shapes cultures, so that human responses are completely molded by the environment

ethnocentrism

is the practice of judging another culture by the standards one's own culture

expansion diffusion

the spread of a feature or trend among people from one area to another in a snowballing process

folk culture

Folk culture is cultural traits such as dress modes, dwellings, customs, and institutions of usually small, traditional communities traditionally practiced by a small, homogeneous, rural group living in relative isolation from other groups

habit

a repetitive act that a particular individual performs

hierarchical diffusion

the spread of an idea, innovation, or trend from and important node or person of authority or power to other persons or places of less significance

material culture

the art, housing, clothing, sports, dances, foods, and other similar items constructed or created by a group of people

non-material culture

the beliefs practices, aesthetics, and values of a group of people

popular culture

pop culture is cultural traits such as dress, diet and music that identify and are part of today's changeable, urban-based, media-influenced western societies found in a large, heterogeneous society that shares certain habits despite differences in other personal characteristics

possibilism

the belief that cultural heritage is at least as important as the physical environment in shaping human behavior

relocation diffusion/ migrant diffusion

the spread of a feature or trend through bodily movement of people from one place to another

stimulus diffusion

the spread of an underlying idea, innovation, or principle even though a specific object fails to diffuse or a specific characteristic is rejected

taboo

A restriction on a behavior imposed by a social custom

terroir

the sum of the effects of the local environment on a particular food item; the contribution of a location's distinctive physical features to the way food tastes

uniform landscape

the spatial expression of a popular custom in one location that will be similar to another

Maladaptive diffusion

Diffusion of a process with negative side effects, what works well in one region may not in another