Cultural Concepts and Terms

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What is culture?

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The body of material possessions, customary beliefs, and social norms that constitute the tradition of a group of people. Includes language, religion, and social habits.

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Define culture trait.

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Specific characteristics, traits, or factors of a culture like material possessions, customary beliefs, and social norms.

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What is an artifact in terms of culture?

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Refers to the material possessions that are part of a culture, such as objects, tools, and buildings. It is one of the three main things that geographers study to understand culture.

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What is a sociofact?

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Refers to the social structure and institutions that influence and regulate human behavior within a society.

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Define mentifact.

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The central, enduring elements of a culture that reflect its values, beliefs, and ideas (non-material).

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What is material culture?

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The physical objects, resources, and spaces that people use to define their culture.

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Explain cultural relativism.

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The principle that an individual's beliefs and activities should be understood by others in terms of that individual's own culture.

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What is ethnocentrism?

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The belief in the inherent superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture, often involving judging other cultures.

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Define sequent occupance.

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The interaction of cultures over time within a single, shared space, often involving one ethnic group displacing the previous occupants.

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What is a cultural landscape?

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The visible imprint of human activity and beliefs on different places, shaped by the beliefs and culture of a group.