AP Hug Unit 3.3 Study GuideAP Hug Unit 3.3 Study Guide

AP Human Geography | Unit 3.3 | Page 1

AP Human Geography

Unit 3.3: Cultural Patterns | Study Guide

Big Idea: Cultural traits such as language, religion, ethnicity, gender roles, and social norms are not spread evenly. They vary by place and change over time because of environment, history, politics, and interaction among groups. Geographers map these patterns and explain what causes them.

Key Vocabulary

Identity and Group Characteristics

• Ethnicity: Identity based on shared culture: ancestry, language, religion, customs, and homeland. Learned and cultural.

• Race: A social construct that groups people by perceived physical traits such as skin color. Not a biological category, but it shapes how societies treat people and organize space.

• Nationality: Legal membership in a nation-state. A person can have one nationality and several ethnic identities.

• Gender: Socially and culturally defined roles, behaviors, and identities. Differs from sex, which refers to biological characteristics.

• Sexuality: Attitudes, laws, and norms about sexual orientation and relationships vary widely across cultures and regions.

Cultural Rules and Attitudes

• Norms: Shared expectations for behavior in a group. Customs: Long-standing, repeated practices. Taboo: A behavior a culture strictly forbids.

• Ethnocentrism: Judging other cultures by the standards of your own and viewing yours as superior. • Cultural relativism: Evaluating a culture on its own terms, in its own context.

• Patriarchy: A social system where men hold most power and authority.

• Gender roles: Expected behaviors and responsibilities for men and women (work, family, education, public life). Vary by culture and change over time.

Patterns by Trait

Trait How It Varies Across Space Why / Example

Language Language families and dialects cluster in

regions

Isolation and migration produce dialects and

new languages

Religion Major faiths dominate certain regions, with

minority pockets

Hearths and diffusion routes; Islam across N.

Africa and the Middle East, Hinduism in India

Ethnicity Ethnic groups concentrate in homelands,

enclaves, or border zones

Chain migration, borders that cut across

ethnic groups

Gender roles Differ in education, work, and legal rights by

region and income level

Gender gaps often larger in lower-income

and more traditional regions

Sexuality norms

and laws Range from legal protection to criminalization Shaped by religion, politics, and global advocacy

AP Human Geography | Unit 3.3 | Page 2

Trait How It Varies Across Space Why / Example

Food, dress,

music

Reflect environment and local tradition, but

diffuse widely

Spices and crops tied to climate; fusion

cuisine through migration

Why Patterns Differ

• Physical environment: Climate and terrain shape food, clothing, housing, and livelihoods. • History and hearths: Where a trait began and how it spread through trade, conquest, and migration. • Politics and law: Governments can promote, restrict, or protect cultural practices, languages, and rights. • Economic development: Education and access to jobs often change gender roles and family structures. • Globalization and technology: Media and the internet spread new ideas, causing both convergence and resistance.

• Migration and interaction: Mixing of groups produces new cultural blends and sometimes conflict. Measuring Gender Patterns

• Geographers use indicators such as literacy and school enrollment rates, women in the labor force, women in government, maternal and infant health, and the Gender Inequality Index (GII). • Patterns usually show greater inequality in regions with less economic development and more traditional social structures, but each country has its own history, so avoid broad generalizations on the FRQ. Common Mix-Ups

• Ethnicity is not race. Ethnicity is cultural identity. Race is a social construct based on perceived physical traits.

• Ethnicity is not nationality. Nationality is legal citizenship. Ethnicity is shared culture. • Gender is not sex. Gender is social and cultural. Sex is biological.

• Ethnocentrism vs. cultural relativism: One judges others by your own standard. The other evaluates a culture in its own context.

• Norm vs. taboo: Norms are expected behaviors. A taboo is something strictly prohibited. Practice Questions

1. Distinguish between ethnicity, race, and nationality, and give one example of each. 2. Explain two factors that cause gender roles to differ from one region to another. 3. How might economic development change gender roles in a country over time?

4. Explain how migration can create ethnic enclaves while also changing the culture of the destination region. 5. Describe how ethnocentrism can lead to conflict between cultural groups.

6. Identify two indicators geographers use to measure gender inequality and explain what each shows. FRQ Tip: Be specific. Name the trait (e.g., religion, gender roles), a region or group, and a cause (migration, diffusion, politics, economic development). Avoid stereotyping, and use phrases like 'in many parts of' rather than describing whole regions as identical.