AP Human Geography UNIT 3: Culture
AP FRQ technique/method
- Use PEE when the question asks for a paragraph response — “Explain”
- No need for PEE when question is define or describe (short response)
(Week 8)
6.1 Introduction to culture
Diffusion = spread of an idea/characteristic — out of the heart
Hearth (in real life = fireplace) = In AP Geo, it means the beginning of something, the
heart/center of something from where things spread.
Culture = product + process (it is changing) = refers to the beliefs, values, practices,
behaviors, and technologies shared by a society and passed down from generation to
generation.
- Popular = widespread behaviors, beliefs, and practices of ordinary people in
society at a given point in time. → small changes
- Traditional = long-established behaviors, beliefs, and practices passed down
from generation to generation. → fundamental
Cultural traits = characteristics combined to make a culture.
- Artifacts = physical cultural objects → cultural objects
- Mentifacts = ideas, beliefs and values of the culture (could be a religion) →
cultural objects and cultural practices
- Sociofacts = the ways the culture organizes society (could be religion) →
cultural practices
- NB: mentifacts and sociofacts can influence each other
Local VS Popular cultures Architecture Land-use
Folk/Local cultures = materials from physical agricultural
small, homogenous groups environment (ex: snow, distinctiveness: unique
of people, often living in mud, stone, bricks, wood, attributes to a specific
rural areas (isolated), grass) location = people and place
unlikely to change inspire cultural influences
and feelings
Popular/Global cultures = manufactured materials urban and suburban
large heterogeneous (from factories) → placelessness: loss of
1
, AP Human Geography UNIT 3
groups of people, often mechanization uniqueness in a place =
living in urban areas (ex: glass, steel, cement) does not inspire strong
(interconnected through cultural or emotional ties.
globalization (internet)) - uniform landscape
Cultural norms = shared standards and patterns that guide the behavior of a group of
people
Cultural relativism = unbiased way of viewing another culture. goal: promote
understanding of the cultural practices that are not typically part of one's own culture.
leads to the view that no culture is superior than another
≠
Ethnocentrism = judging other cultures in comparison to one’s own culture. leads to the
view that one’s own ethnic/cultural group is superior than others.
Taboos = behaviors heavily discouraged by a culture (ex: taboos about eating certain
foods)
Top part: these are the way that they are because of the bottom part (hidden aspects
of culture) → remember a few examples from the bottom part.
Atoll: top of the crater of an underwater volcano which is visible above water
2
AP FRQ technique/method
- Use PEE when the question asks for a paragraph response — “Explain”
- No need for PEE when question is define or describe (short response)
(Week 8)
6.1 Introduction to culture
Diffusion = spread of an idea/characteristic — out of the heart
Hearth (in real life = fireplace) = In AP Geo, it means the beginning of something, the
heart/center of something from where things spread.
Culture = product + process (it is changing) = refers to the beliefs, values, practices,
behaviors, and technologies shared by a society and passed down from generation to
generation.
- Popular = widespread behaviors, beliefs, and practices of ordinary people in
society at a given point in time. → small changes
- Traditional = long-established behaviors, beliefs, and practices passed down
from generation to generation. → fundamental
Cultural traits = characteristics combined to make a culture.
- Artifacts = physical cultural objects → cultural objects
- Mentifacts = ideas, beliefs and values of the culture (could be a religion) →
cultural objects and cultural practices
- Sociofacts = the ways the culture organizes society (could be religion) →
cultural practices
- NB: mentifacts and sociofacts can influence each other
Local VS Popular cultures Architecture Land-use
Folk/Local cultures = materials from physical agricultural
small, homogenous groups environment (ex: snow, distinctiveness: unique
of people, often living in mud, stone, bricks, wood, attributes to a specific
rural areas (isolated), grass) location = people and place
unlikely to change inspire cultural influences
and feelings
Popular/Global cultures = manufactured materials urban and suburban
large heterogeneous (from factories) → placelessness: loss of
1
, AP Human Geography UNIT 3
groups of people, often mechanization uniqueness in a place =
living in urban areas (ex: glass, steel, cement) does not inspire strong
(interconnected through cultural or emotional ties.
globalization (internet)) - uniform landscape
Cultural norms = shared standards and patterns that guide the behavior of a group of
people
Cultural relativism = unbiased way of viewing another culture. goal: promote
understanding of the cultural practices that are not typically part of one's own culture.
leads to the view that no culture is superior than another
≠
Ethnocentrism = judging other cultures in comparison to one’s own culture. leads to the
view that one’s own ethnic/cultural group is superior than others.
Taboos = behaviors heavily discouraged by a culture (ex: taboos about eating certain
foods)
Top part: these are the way that they are because of the bottom part (hidden aspects
of culture) → remember a few examples from the bottom part.
Atoll: top of the crater of an underwater volcano which is visible above water
2
