Reflections of Cultural Beliefs & Idenities (College Board AP® Human Geography)

Attitudes toward ethnicity, gender, and Indigenous communities influence how space is thought about and used in societies

These differing attitudes shape: 

• city planning

• religious and sacred spaces

• neighborhood layout 

Gender refers to the differences in how men and women are treated in a culture

For example, attitudes toward women would influence whether public places are gender-specific or inclusive

Similarly, increases in women in the workforce might change the layout of office buildings to include daycare or increase public transport options

Ethnicity indicates belonging to a social group that has a common national or cultural tradition

Ethnicity is based on shared cultural characteristics, including:

• language

• ancestry

• religion

Ethnicity should not be confused with race or nationality

• Hispanic, Middle Eastern, and Jewish are examples of ethnicities

Ethnic neighborhoods are neighborhoods, districts, or suburbs which are culturally distinct from a larger surrounding area

• New migrants often move to ethnic neighborhoods to be close to people from their country of origin

• Many ethnic groups conduct most of their daily activities within ethnic neighborhoods, conducting business and leisure activities in their first language, eating their Indigenous cuisine, and practicing their religion in local houses of worship

Ethnic enclaves are highly concentrated clusters of people from the same culture

• Chinatown in New York and Little Havana in Miami are examples of ethnic enclaves

• These areas are characterized by the language, cultural practices, food, and religion of the dominant ethnic groups 

• Ethnic enclaves serve as a place for migrants to feel more comfortable, as cultural customs and social networks are maintained 

• At the same time, ethnic enclaves allow for cultural diffusion to the wider community

  • Many people who are not themselves Chinese eat in Chinatowns all over the United States, diffusing Chinese cuisine beyond the borders of the enclave

Indigenous communities are culture groups that constitute the original inhabitants of a territory

Indigenous cultures are usually distinct from the dominant national culture, which is often a result of colonial occupation

Indigenous cultures include members of an ethnic group characterized by unique cultural traits, such as language, religion, and ceremonies

Indigenous languages are at risk of extinction due to assimilation into the dominant national culture as a result of colonization and globalization

• Indigenous languages are most likely to survive in geographically isolated areas

• Indigenous languages were preserved more often in Africa than in the Americas

  • This is due to larger communities in Africa and the use of the languages for daily activities

  • American Indigenous communities were significantly decreased due to disease

  • Also, most activities take place using English, rather than local Indigenous languages

  • Many Indigenous communities, including in the United States, have made concerted efforts to preserve their language and teach it to younger generations

  • Indigenous languages are also preserved in toponyms 

Examples of Indigenous communities include:

• Native Americans in the United States, such as the Cherokee Nation

• First Nations peoples in Canada, such as the Inuit

Some Indigenous communities suffered from forced assimilation through the use of boarding schools in the United States and Canada

• In these schools, Indigenous children were removed from their communities, taught English, and forbidden to dress in their traditional attire

• In this way, the U.S. and Canadian governments attempted to destroy Indigenous cultures