Culture The way of life of a group of people who share beliefs and similar customs

2 Kinds of culture: Material culture – things people make; food, clothing, art, architecture, technology Nonmaterial culture – things that are necessary for society, but not objects – religion, language, government systems, patterns of behavior, education systems & attitudes about the roles of men & women

Cultural Diffusion Spreading of knowledge, skills, and ideas from one group or individual to another. Examples: trade, migration, war

Cultural Convergence Occurs when skills, arts, ideas, habits, and institutions of one culture come in contact with those of another culture. Things blend

Cultural Divergence When there are restrictions on a culture from outside influences. Repressive governments often restrict Movement into and out of the country Transportation & communication (radio transmissions, newspapers, internet, etc.) into a country

Culture Hearths Where civilizations began and spread. Mesopotamia – between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, Iraq Nile River Valley – along Nile River, Egypt Indus River Valley – along Indus River, Pakistan Shang – along the Yellow River, China Also – Ganges (India) and Mesoamerica (Mexico) a little later.

Social Groups A group that works together to meet the basic needs (food, water, and shelter) of a society. The most important social group is the family.

Major elements of culture Language is #1 unifying force Government Economics Social groups

Language Families Diverse languages with similar roots. We share the same language family – Indo European as Germany, Mexico, and most of India. See map page 81

Acculturation Adapting some traits from other cultures into your own culture

Ethnic Groups People who share a common language, history, and place of origin (or a combination of these traits)

5 major religions – sometimes called 5 “Great” religions. Buddhism Christianity Hinduism Islam Judaism

World Religions See map on page 82

Ethnocentrism Belief in the superiority of one’s own ethnic group. When taken to extreme – can be racism.

Migration Movement of people from place to place

Push Factors Factors that would promote migration AWAY from an area (famine, war, poverty)

Pull Factors Factors that would promote migration TO an area (jobs, better schools, family)

Population Distribution Pattern of human settlement – where do people actually live Main factor in distribution is geography Population DENSITY does not take into consideration uneven settlement patterns.

Culture Region An area that includes many different cultures that have certain traits in common (economic systems, religion, government systems, and social groups) See map on page 83 for our text. We will use: US & Canada Europe & Russia Latin America Southwest Asia & North Africa Africa South of the Sahara South Asia East and Southeast Asia Oceania

Civilization Highly organized, city-based society with and advanced knowledge of farming, trade, government, art, and science.

Agricultural / Neolithic Revolution 10,000 years ago, humans began growing crops on permanent settlements.

Industrial Revolution Late 1700s AD – industrialization and mass production. Factories and machines replaced agriculture. Started in Britain because of availability of iron ore, coal, and workers

Information Revolution End of the 1900s (20th Century) Computers began to make it possible to store huge amounts of information and send it instantly around the world Computers aided humans in jobs

Demographics Study of human population statistics

ZPG – Zero Population Growth When birth rates and death rates are equal. This is the goal of developed nations.

Doubling Time The amount of time it will take for a population to double in size At current rate – the world will have 12 billion by 2050