Concepts of Culture - AP Human Geography

Some cultural geographers divide the world into a series of macro-cultural regions. The “Slavic” culture is found predominantly in Eastern Europe and Russia. Other "macro-cultural" regions include Anglo-America, Western Europe, South Asia, and East Asia.

The “Conquest Theory” was developed to explain the dominance of the Indo-European language family. More than half of the world’s population speaks some form of an Indo-European language. According to the Conquest Theory this is because the original speakers of this language group spread westward, rapidly overpowering previous inhabitants of much of Europe and Asia. The people of this region then, several hundred years, spread outwards around the world conquering new territories and spreading their languages to new continents.

The continent of Africa is fairly evenly divided between Islamic (in the North of the continent) and Sub-Saharan African. The Islamic macro-cultural region also includes much of the Middle East. Although it is true that the continent of Africa is divided between a Muslim dominated north and a Christian dominated south, “Christian” is not the name of a macro-cultural region that is frequently used by cultural geographers.

All of these are considered macro-cultural regions of Asia except “Central Steppe.” The Central Steppe is a term that could theoretically be used to describe the Great Plains, or “steppes,” of Central Asia (such as Mongolia), but most of this territory falls under the broad category of “Sino-Japanese.”

An ethnic island or enclave is an area predominantly populated by a single ethnicity, sometimes in contrast to a city's overall demographic makeup. Forced segregation would mean that populations are legally separated, while a gendered space would divide along gender lines, rather than ethnic or cultural ones.

The Caste System is an important aspect of Hindu and Indian culture, although its impact has faded slightly in the past half-century. Historians disagree as to how embedded in Indian society the Caste System was before the arrival of the Mughals and the British, but what is not debated is the impact that the Caste System has had on the lives of common Indian people. The Caste System states that all Indians are born into a “caste” or social grouping, such as “priest,” “warrior,” or “untouchable.” The “caste” an Indian is born into can determine what jobs he can get, what social groups he can move in, where he can live, and how he is treated by others.

“Environmental determinism” is a theory of cultural geography that states that cultural traditions, and the differences between various cultures, are informed by environmental concerns. This had racial connotations during the age of European colonialism. It suggests that people in hotter and more challenging climates (most of the world, compared to Europe) possess cultures that are inherently different, and inferior, than European culture. This was used as an academic support for European colonialism.

Sometimes national literacy rates can be very deceiving when trying to study the literacy of individual countries. In some countries the experience of the people living in one part of the country could not be more culturally distinct from the experience of the people living in another part. Brazil is one such country. In the south, where Rio de Janiero and Sao Paulo are located the literacy rates are fairly close to ninety six percent; however, in the northeast, the poorest region of the country, literacy rates are closer to eighty percent. China has much less variable rates of literacy, but is nonetheless significantly variable by region. In developing countries with a large population that is spread over a large geographic area large variations in literacy are extremely common.

Cultural traditions are cohesive collections of ideas and customs that are unique or specific to certain regions. They can often be “syncretic” which means that they freely incorporate and mix cultural traits from a variety of sources. It is easy to remember this if you think of “syncretic” as being like “synthesize” which means to mix things into a cohesive whole unit.

Cultural traditions are a unified collection of ideas and customs that are unique or specific to certain societies or regions of the world. They are often called “syncretic” which means a mix of cultural traits from a variety of sources, or “dynamic” which means subject to change over time. You could say that a “dynamic” tradition is likely to change in the future but this is not as close to the correct meaning as the other answer choice.

The Caste System is a part of Indian and Hindu culture that affixes an individual within a certain social group, from birth. The group an individual is a part of can affect anything from the type of work he can get, where he can live, whom he can marry, and how other people treat him. A Hindu can move up the Caste System by living virtuously and attaining good karma. After several lifetimes of good karma a Hindu can achieve eternal salvation and emerge from the cycle of life.

"Eugenics" is a set of beliefs and practices aimed to improve the genetic quality of human populations through selective breeding and sterilization. "Genetics" refers simply to inherited traits or characteristics or the study of such traits. "Abstinence" refers to the practice of foregoing sexual intercourse.

Environmental determinism is the theory that the environment determines, plays a decisive role, or causes social and cultural development. "A region's culture can be affected" is not as strong a characterization as a theory of determinism requires, and is in fact the theory of environmental possibilism. "Regional sociocultural development will affect local environmental conditions" gets the theory backwards, suggesting that culture determines the environment, while environmental determinism is a theory of cultural development, not economic development.

The Caste System is an important aspect of Hindu and Indian culture, although its impact has faded slightly in the past half-century. Historians disagree as to how embedded in Indian society the Caste System was before the arrival of the Mughals and the British, but what is not debated is the impact that the Caste System has had on the lives of common Indian people. The Caste System states that all Indians are born into a “caste” or social grouping, such as “priest,” “warrior,” or “untouchable.” The “caste” an Indian is born into can determine what jobs he can get, what social groups he can move in, where he can live, and how he is treated by others.

“Environmental determinism” is a theory of cultural geography that states that cultural traditions, and the differences between various cultures, are informed by environmental concerns. This had racial connotations during the age of European colonialism. It suggests that people in hotter and more challenging climates (most of the world, compared to Europe) possess cultures that are inherently different, and inferior, than European culture. This was used as an academic support for European colonialism.

Sometimes national literacy rates can be very deceiving when trying to study the literacy of individual countries. In some countries the experience of the people living in one part of the country could not be more culturally distinct from the experience of the people living in another part. Brazil is one such country. In the south, where Rio de Janiero and Sao Paulo are located the literacy rates are fairly close to ninety six percent; however, in the northeast, the poorest region of the country, literacy rates are closer to eighty percent. China has much less variable rates of literacy, but is nonetheless significantly variable by region. In developing countries with a large population that is spread over a large geographic area large variations in literacy are extremely common.

Cultural traditions are cohesive collections of ideas and customs that are unique or specific to certain regions. They can often be “syncretic” which means that they freely incorporate and mix cultural traits from a variety of sources. It is easy to remember this if you think of “syncretic” as being like “synthesize” which means to mix things into a cohesive whole unit.

Cultural traditions are a unified collection of ideas and customs that are unique or specific to certain societies or regions of the world. They are often called “syncretic” which means a mix of cultural traits from a variety of sources, or “dynamic” which means subject to change over time. You could say that a “dynamic” tradition is likely to change in the future but this is not as close to the correct meaning as the other answer choice.

The Caste System is a part of Indian and Hindu culture that affixes an individual within a certain social group, from birth. The group an individual is a part of can affect anything from the type of work he can get, where he can live, whom he can marry, and how other people treat him. A Hindu can move up the Caste System by living virtuously and attaining good karma. After several lifetimes of good karma a Hindu can achieve eternal salvation and emerge from the cycle of life.