AP Human Geography – Unit 2 Premium
Study Guide
Topic: Cultural Patterns & Processes
Expanded Version for Exam Prep
By: [Your Name / Seller Tag]
Key Terms & Detailed Explanations
Culture: The body of customary beliefs, material traits, and social forms that together
constitute the distinct tradition of a group of people. Example: The Maasai people of Kenya
and Tanzania maintain distinct clothing, rituals, and social structures.
Cultural Trait: A single element of normal practice in a culture, such as language, religion, or
clothing. Example: Wearing a kimono in Japan is a cultural trait.
Cultural Hearth: The area where a cultural trait or innovation originates. Example:
Mesopotamia is considered a hearth for early urban civilization.
Cultural Diffusion: The spread of cultural traits from one place to another, through
relocation or expansion diffusion.
Relocation Diffusion: The spread of an idea through physical movement of people. Example:
Migrants bringing cuisines from their home country to a new country.
Expansion Diffusion: The spread of a cultural trait through a population in an area. Includes
hierarchical, contagious, and stimulus diffusion.
Hierarchical Diffusion: Spread of an idea from persons or nodes of authority to others.
Example: Fashion trends from major cities spreading to smaller towns.
Contagious Diffusion: Rapid, widespread diffusion of a characteristic throughout the
population. Example: Viral TikTok dances.
Stimulus Diffusion: Spread of an underlying principle even if the exact trait does not diffuse.
Example: Fast food adapts locally; McDonald’s in India serves vegetarian options.
Language Family: A group of languages related through a common ancestor. Example: Indo-
European language family.
Language Branch: Languages related through a common ancestor existing several thousand
years ago. Example: Romance languages (Spanish, French, Italian).
Dialect: Regional variation of a language. Example: British English vs. American English.
Study Guide
Topic: Cultural Patterns & Processes
Expanded Version for Exam Prep
By: [Your Name / Seller Tag]
Key Terms & Detailed Explanations
Culture: The body of customary beliefs, material traits, and social forms that together
constitute the distinct tradition of a group of people. Example: The Maasai people of Kenya
and Tanzania maintain distinct clothing, rituals, and social structures.
Cultural Trait: A single element of normal practice in a culture, such as language, religion, or
clothing. Example: Wearing a kimono in Japan is a cultural trait.
Cultural Hearth: The area where a cultural trait or innovation originates. Example:
Mesopotamia is considered a hearth for early urban civilization.
Cultural Diffusion: The spread of cultural traits from one place to another, through
relocation or expansion diffusion.
Relocation Diffusion: The spread of an idea through physical movement of people. Example:
Migrants bringing cuisines from their home country to a new country.
Expansion Diffusion: The spread of a cultural trait through a population in an area. Includes
hierarchical, contagious, and stimulus diffusion.
Hierarchical Diffusion: Spread of an idea from persons or nodes of authority to others.
Example: Fashion trends from major cities spreading to smaller towns.
Contagious Diffusion: Rapid, widespread diffusion of a characteristic throughout the
population. Example: Viral TikTok dances.
Stimulus Diffusion: Spread of an underlying principle even if the exact trait does not diffuse.
Example: Fast food adapts locally; McDonald’s in India serves vegetarian options.
Language Family: A group of languages related through a common ancestor. Example: Indo-
European language family.
Language Branch: Languages related through a common ancestor existing several thousand
years ago. Example: Romance languages (Spanish, French, Italian).
Dialect: Regional variation of a language. Example: British English vs. American English.
