UNIT 3 RELIGION

APHG Chapter 6: Religion

Key Issue 1: Where Are Religions Distributed? Pages 183-191
1 Define universalizing religion:
-A religion that actively seeks converts to its faith regardless of ethnic or cultural background. Examples
include Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism.
2 Define ethnic religion:
-A religion that primarily adheres to one specific ethnic or cultural group and is often closely tied to that
group's identity. Examples include Hinduism, Judaism, and Shintoism.
3 Define atheism:
-The belief that there is no God or gods.
4 Define agnosticism:
-The belief that the existence of God or gods is unknown or unknowable.
5 Give the percentage of the world’s Christian population belonging to each of Christianity’s three major
branches.
-Roman Catholic: around 50% Protestant: around 25% Orthodox: around 10-15%
6 Regarding Eastern Orthodox churches, how many separate churches are there, and which has the largest
membership?
-There are several separate churches within Eastern Orthodoxy, but the one with the largest
membership is the Russian Orthodox Church.
7 What percentage of Latin Americans are Roman Catholic?
-Around 69% of Latin Americans are Roman Catholic. Protestants comprise 28% of North Americans. List
8 the five largest denominations.
-Baptist Methodist Pentecostal Lutheran Presbyterian Complete the chart with names of smaller
branches of Christianity and their location of concentration.
Branch of Christianity Region of Predominance
England, New Zealand
Anglican
Australia Coptic Orthodox

Ethiopia
Egypt Ethiopian, Orthodox
Syria
Syrian Orthodox
India Maronite Lebanon

1. Half of the world’s Muslims live in the Middle East. The other half live in four countries outside the Middle East.
Name them. Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh

2. Give the percentage of each of Islam’s two greatest branches: Sunni & Shiite (Shia).

Sunni: around 85-90%

Shiite (Shia): around 10-15%

3. Only in four countries do Shiite Muslims number more than Sunni. What are they?
Iran, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Iraq
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4. Complete this chart dividing Buddhism into its three main branches.

Branch % of Global Buddhist Regions of Predominance

Population
Mahayan 56% China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam

Theravada 38% Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia

Vajrayana 6% Tibet, Bhutan, Mongolia

5. Why are Buddhists difficult to count?
Buddhists are difficult to count due to various reasons such as lack of central authority, syncretism with other
religions, and differing definitions of who is considered a Buddhist.
6. Where are Hindus concentrated? What percent of all Hindus live there?

7. Where are most of the rest?

8. Make a note or two (that seem of geographic interest) about each of the following ethnic religion listed below.
a. Confucianism:

b. Taoism:

c. Primal-Indigenous:

d. Animism:

e. Spiritism:

f. Judaism

1. Complete the following table comparing and contrasting the origins, diffusion, and distribution of folk and
popular culture .
Origins Diffusion Distribution
Folk Culture Landscapes became Folk culture is more
Traditionally dominated by folk likely to vary from
practiced primarily by culture and changed place to place at a
small, homogeneous relatively over time. given time.
groups living in
isolated rural areas.

Popular Culture Popular transportation place.

share certain networks, and other
connections modern technology.
culture is
This was
habits despite when
Found in large, based
it comes more likely
on rapid
differences in to
heterogeneous global
to vary from
societies that
other personal
simultaneous
characteristics.
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communication time
to time systems,
in a given

2. List the elements of the origin and characteristics of folk music.

Folk culture and music often has anonymous hearts where there are anonymous sources, unknown
dates, and unidentified originators.

3. List the elements of the origin and diffusion of popular music.

Popular culture typically soreads through a process of hierarchical diffusion. For example, in the late
twentieth century, Western dance music diffused rapidly in the United States to Europe.

4. List the elements of the origin and diffusion of soccer. Be sure to discuss the connection to folk and popular
culture.
It originated in England during the 11th century, and it was transformed into a part of global culture
during the beginning of the 19th century. It began changing as apart of a leisure hours, but it turned
into a spectator-player sport.

5. Label popular sports with the countries in which they are the most popular.

Key Issue 2: Where Are Folk and Popular Material Culture Distributed? Pages 116-125
1 In Western countries where popular culture predominates, clothing styles generally reflect global trends rather
than particular local customs
1. How does clothing style (in this case, shoes) indicate the influence of the environment on folk culture?
Clothing style, such as shoes, can indicate the influence of the environment on folk culture by showcasing
practical adaptations to local conditions. For instance, in areas with rugged terrain or harsh weather, people
might opt for sturdy and weather-resistant footwear
2. Can you think of other restrictions on clothing styles in developed countries, perhaps in schools?
dress codes that dictate acceptable lengths of skirts, bans on certain types of clothing with explicit
images or messages, and requirements for uniforms in some educational institutions..
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3. What are three facts about clothing styles associated with popular culture? Restrictions on clothing styles in
developed countries, particularly in schools, may include Three facts about clothing styles associated with
popular culture include: they are often influenced by global fashion trends, they tend to change rapidly over
time, and they are widely accessible through mass production and distribution channels.
4. Food preferences are strongly influenced by ___cultural traditions, socioeconomic factors, and historical
practices.___________________________________.

5. List three different examples of food habits and the unique folk cultures each illustrates.
The tradition of eating kimchi in South Korea reflects the cultural significance of fermented foods. The practice of serving
couscous in North African countries like Morocco demonstrates the importance of grains in local diets. Consumption of
lutefisk in Norway highlights the preservation techniques developed in regions with cold climates.
6. Indicate some food taboos, along with the cultures that practice them, in the chart below.

Food Taboos
Cultures/Regions Foods/Reasons
Hindu culture
beef is taboo due to the veneration of cows.

pork is taboo due to religious dietary

Islamic culture, restrictions.

certain animals may be taboo to eat based on

Indigenous cultures spiritual beliefs.

7. Consumption of large quantities of snack foods and alcoholic beverages are characteristic of popular culture.
Explain how each of these food preferences are expressed regionally, according to culture.
Consumption of large quantities of snack foods and alcoholic beverages as characteristic of popular culture can
be expressed regionally through the types of snacks preferred (e.g., potato chips in the United States, samosas
in India) and the varieties of alcoholic beverages consumed.

8. Do your food preferences match the predominant ones in your region?

depending on individual tastes, cultural background, and exposure to diverse culinary traditions.

9. In what sense are building materials of folk housing unique?

Building materials of folk housing are unique because they are locally sourced and reflect regional resources and
craftsmanship.

10. Give three examples of how religious values or belies may influence folk housing. Orientation of houses towards
Mecca in Islamic cultures. Presence of religious symbols or iconography on the exterior or interior of homes.
Design elements reflecting religious rituals or practices, such as separate spaces for prayer or meditation

11. Fred Kniffen, a cultural geographer, has identified three source regions for American folk housing styles: New
England, Middle Atlantic and Lower Chesapeake. List the housing styles he identified with each region.
a. New England (4 styles) – Cape Cod, Saltbox, New England Colonial, Garrison.

b. Middle Atlantic (1 dominant style) – House

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c. Lower Chesapeake – Tidewater.

12. Complete the chart below to indicate the decade(s) during which each housing style was dominant and a fact
about the particular style of house.
For Geo-Bucks: Look at your house or a friend’s house if you have an apartment, which housing style is closest to this
one? Take a picture and post it on Facebook with the style identified and me tagged in the post. 
1. Provide three examples of cases in which religions, or religious practices, have blended.
Religions Which Have Blended Location

Victorian

2. How is its distribution very different from other ethnic religions?

3. What was the diaspora?

4. How were most Jews treated as they lived among other nationalities?

5. What is the origin of the term ghetto?

Key Issue 3: Why Do Religions Organize Space in Distinctive Patterns? Pages 200-211
1. In what two ways do religious structures often stand out in a landscape?

2. For what two reasons does a church, the physical structure, play a more critical role than in other religions?

3. Why do many Christian churches vary in architectural style?

4. How is a Muslim mosque viewed differently than a Christian church?

5. Identify four specific, visible features of a typical mosque.

6. What is the religious purpose of a Buddhist pagoda?

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7. How was pilgrimage a part of the development of pagodas?

8. Formal worship in a pagoda is not typical. Where does it usually take place?

9. What is a pilgrimage?

10. Read the section about Holy Places and make notes on three case studies: Buddhism, Islam & Hinduism.
Holy Sites
Buddhist

Islamic

Hindu

11. How are Hindu temples different than both churches and mosques?

12. List three typical visible features of a Hindu temple.

13. Give at least three examples of how religions have incorporated characteristics of cosmogony.

14. What is the solstice?

15. Why do different Christian branches celebrate Easter on different days?

16. How is this similar to Buddhism’s major holidays?

17. Define hierarchical religion:

18. List the Roman Catholic hierarchy, indicating geographic region and leader who heads it.

19. Why are parishes in Latin America so much larger than in Europe?

20. Describe an autonomous religion:

21. In the absence of a hierarchy, what is the only formal organization of territory in Islam?

22. What holds Islam together?

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23. Complete the chart below to categorize other religions and denominations.

Autonomous Religions Hierarchical Religions

Key Issue 4: Why Do Territorial Conflicts Arise Among Religious Groups? Pages 212-221
1. In what ways did the Taliban government of Afghanistan raise conflicts with Western/modern ideas after it took
control of the country in 1996?

2. What aspect of Hinduism has clashed with Western/modern ideas?

3. What western groups criticized this aspect? Why?

4. How has the Indian government responded to this issue?

5. In Russia/Soviet Union, how did each of the following attempt to limit the influence of religion, specifically the
Eastern Orthodox Church?
Czar Peter the Great:

Communism:

6. What happened, and is continuing to happen, in each of the following regions of the Russian Empire/Soviet
Union since the fall of Communism in the 1990s? Complete the chart below by adding THREE more countries to
each category and then describing what is going on at the present time in that region.
Historic Catholic Regions Historic Muslim Regions
Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, … Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, …
Currently… Currently…
1 1

2 2

3 3

1. How has global diffusion of popular social customs had an unintended negative impact on women in India?
norms in India, disadvantaging women.

2. What are the two ways in which popular customs have an adverse effect on the natural environment?
Popular customs harm the environment through pollution and habitat destruction.

3. What is a uniform landscape?

a standardized physical environment.
4. How and why is this concept utilized by fast-food restaurants?
Fast-food restaurants use uniform landscapes for consistent branding and customer experience.
5. How is the playing of golf and golf courses an example of a popular custom that is not generally in harmony with
the local environment? Golf courses disrupt local environments through habitat destruction and resource
consumption.
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6. Summarize major sources of waste and how each is recycled (make a chart and/or bulleted list)
Waste sources include organic, paper, plastics, glass, and electronic waste, recycled through various processes.

Palestinian Perspective Israeli Perspective

7. Complete the chart below regarding Jerusalem

Judaism’s Jerusalem Islam’s Jerusalem

1. Define lingua franca: language that is adopted as a common langueges between speackers

2. Define pidgin language: a simplified form of a lang between speakers whom native languages are different.

3. How has expansion diffusion occurred with English? Give three examples. – because of the movement of people
and colonization that was carried out by the British empire.

4. Does the United States have an official language? Why or why not? -they do not but most people speak English

5. Discuss how the French language is important in Canada. -Quebec government made use of French ,mandatory
in daily activities by remaining towns, river, and mountains.

6. Why is much of the internet in English? Why might this be problematic?

-English was the dominant language of the internet during the 1990s. this might be problematic because English
is essential for internet users around the world
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Style Decades(s) Facts

Minimal simple design and functionality.
Traditional
1930-1950

Ranch single-story with a long, low profile.

House 1950-1970

Split-Level staggered floor levels for distinct living areas.

1950-1970