Glossary
Cultural Hearth
A geographic origin point where new ideas, innovations, and cultural traits emerge and diffuse from.
Example:
Ancient Mesopotamia, with its early advancements in writing and agriculture, served as a significant cultural hearth for many subsequent civilizations.
Cultural Relativism
The principle of understanding and evaluating a culture based on its own standards, rather than judging it by the standards of another culture.
Example:
An anthropologist studying a remote tribe's unique marriage rituals with an open mind, seeking to understand their internal logic, is practicing cultural relativism.
Culture
The shared material traits, behaviors, beliefs, and norms that characterize a group of people.
Example:
The unique blend of food, music, and traditions in New Orleans represents its vibrant culture.
Culture Complex
A combination of related cultural traits that are characteristic of a particular group or society.
Example:
The culture complex of American football includes specific rules, equipment, fan rituals, and a dedicated season.
Custom
A repetitive act performed by a group, to the extent that it becomes characteristic of the group.
Example:
The tradition of exchanging gifts during the winter holidays is a widely observed custom in many cultures.
Ethnocentrism
The belief in the superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture, often leading to the judgment of other cultures based on one's own cultural standards.
Example:
A tourist who criticizes local customs as 'primitive' simply because they differ from their own is exhibiting ethnocentrism.
Folk Culture
Culture traditionally practiced by small, homogenous, rural groups living in relative isolation from other groups.
Example:
The traditional weaving patterns and storytelling of an isolated indigenous tribe are examples of folk culture.
Habit
A repetitive act performed by an individual.
Example:
Waking up early every day to go for a run is a personal habit.
Material Culture
The physical objects that a culture creates and uses, representing tangible aspects of their way of life.
Example:
Ancient pottery, traditional clothing, and unique architectural styles are all forms of material culture.
Non-Material Culture
The intangible ideas, beliefs, values, norms, and practices that define a culture.
Example:
A society's language, religious beliefs, and moral codes are key components of its non-material culture.
Pop Culture
Culture found in large, heterogeneous societies that shares certain habits despite differences in personal characteristics.
Example:
The global spread of K-Pop music and fast-food chains like McDonald's are prime examples of pop culture diffusion.
Taboos
Restrictions on behavior imposed by social custom or religious belief, often related to food or actions.
Example:
In some cultures, eating certain animals like pigs or cows is considered a taboo due to religious prohibitions.