Frontier Culture Museum - Geography terms

1. FRONTIER CULTURE
MUSEUM: FIELD STUDY
by hanna heishman

2. ASSIMILATION
the state of being
assimilated; people of
different backgrounds
come to see
themselves as part of
a larger national family
Unseen in this picture, is the
carpenter’s name inscribed onto the
wood. This carpenter changed his name
when he immigrated to America from
Germany to sound more authentically
American.

3. ACCULTURATION
Nathan is displaying acculturation by using a warm hat that is not native to his
culture.
Definition: cultural modification of an individual, group, or
people by adapting to or borrowing traits from another
culture

4. CULTURAL ADAPTATION
Definition: Culture
adaptation is the gradual
changes within a culture or
society that occur as people
from different backgrounds
participate in the culture and
share their perspectives and
practices.
These pictures are demonstrative of
cultural adaptation because the Frontier
Culture Museum needed mud to make
their African houses, but sadly did not
have this resource. Thus, they adapted
and made a mud pit which enabled them
to create the houses.

5. CULTURAL DIFFUSION
Definition: Cultural
diffusion is the mutual
penetration of cultural traits
and complexes from one
society to another by
touching them. The channels
of cultural diffusion are
migration, tourism,
missionary activity, trade,
warfare, scientific
conferences, trade shows and
trade fairs, exchange of
students and professionals
and other.
These two coexisting cultures will learn
from each other, and meld their cultural
practices for the most efficient way of living

6. SEQUENT OCCUPANCE
Definition: The
succeeding stages of
human inhabitation
over time on one site.
Each stage is seen as
being established by
its predecessor,
although the sequence
will almost certainly
be interrupted by
What still remains of this structure shows that it was
outside forces. previously a household with a fireplace.

7. ADAPTIVE STRATEGIES
This family is adapting to their limited space by using all of their space
effectively - to the point that they have pigs in the front yard!
Definition: The unique way in which each culture uses it's particular physical
environment; those aspects of culture that serve to provide the necessities of life -
food, clothing, shelter, and defense

8. BUILT ENVIRONMENT
The term “built environment” refers to the human-made surroundings that
provide the setting for human activity, ranging in scale from personal shelter
and buildings to neighborhoods and cites, and can often include their
supporting infrastructure, such as water supply or energy networks.

9. FOLK CULTURE
Definition: Those cultural products
and practices that have developed
over time within a particular
community or socially identifiable
group, and that are communicated
from generation to generation and
amongst people who tend to be
known to one another.
Weaving was a profitable past time in this
household, and it was common in their culture.

10. FOLK FOOD
Definition: Regionally-
specified foods
These herbs represent folk-food because
they are specifically found in unique
localities.

11. FOLK HOUSE
Definition: Regionally-
appropriate housing.
This is an example of folk-housing because it is constructed with materials
that are found in the region, and are appropriate to the hot climate.

12. MATERIAL CULTURE
A term used to describe the
objects produced by human
beings, including buildings,
structures, monuments, tools,
weapons, utensils, furniture, art,
and indeed any physical item
created by a society. As such,
material culture is the main
source of information about the
past from which archaeologists
can make inferences. A
distinction is often made
between those aspects of culture
that appear as physical objects
and those aspects that are non-
material

13. POPULAR CULTURE
Definition: cultural
activities or
commercial
products reflecting,
suited to, or aimed
at the tastes of the
general masses of
people.
This man’s clothing is for more than just utility - it is
reflective of the culture he belongs to.

14. URBAN
Definition: In,
relating to, or
characteristic of
a city or town:
"the urban
population".
This picture indicates a rural population being manipulated into an urban
setting. “Urban” denotes “built up”

15. RURAL
Definition: In,
relating to, or
characteristic of
the countryside
rather than the
town: "remote
rural areas"
This picture is indicative of a rural lifestyle. Rural
lifestyles require individuals to raise their own food
because of lack of proximity to places that could
manufacture goods.

16. MIGRATION
Definition: the
movement of
persons from
one country or
locality to
another.
The pins in the map represent the home
of individuals that migrated to Virginia.

17. POPULATION DENSITY
Definition:
Population density
is a measurement of
population per unit
area or unit volume.
It is frequently
applied to living
organisms, and
Limited space caused this family of four to have particularly to
to use space effectively - this bed doubles as a humans.
bench. This is the effect of crowded living that
results from high population density.