AP Human Geography Flashcards: Introduction to Culture
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 10 cards to help you master important concepts.
If a person believes their society's architectural styles are superior to all others, which attitude are they demonstrating?
This person is demonstrating ethnocentrism by using their own culture's standards to judge another.
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If a person believes their society's architectural styles are superior to all others, which attitude are they demonstrating?
This person is demonstrating ethnocentrism by using their own culture's standards to judge another.
What are the core components of culture that are transmitted within a society?
The core components of culture transmitted by a society are its shared practices, technologies, attitudes, and behaviors.
What are two different attitudes one can have toward cultural differences?
Two different attitudes toward cultural differences are cultural relativism and ethnocentrism.
A geographer studies a society's unique land use patterns to understand their environmental adaptations, rather than comparing them to their home country's methods. What approach is this?
This approach is an example of cultural relativism, as the geographer is seeking to understand the practices within the context of that specific culture.
What elements do geographers study when analyzing a culture?
Geographers study the characteristics, attitudes, and traits that influence a culture.
What are cultural traits?
Cultural traits are the specific, individual elements or practices that are characteristic of a given culture, such as its food or architecture.
Define cultural relativism.
Cultural relativism is the attitude of viewing a culture's practices, beliefs, and values from the perspective of that culture itself, without judgment.
Define ethnocentrism.
Ethnocentrism is the attitude of judging another culture based on the standards and values of one's own culture.
What is culture?
Culture comprises the shared practices, technologies, attitudes, and behaviors that are transmitted by a society.
What are some examples of cultural traits?
Examples of cultural traits include food preferences, architecture, and land use.