Global Studies 9 - Damon - 2014

Intro to Culture and Cultural Diffusion

Cultural LandscapesThe Human Imprint on the Earth’s Surface

Types and Elements of Culture• Local culture: group of people, small,

non-diverse, often rural

• Popular culture: NOT A GROUP OF PEOPLE, BUT A PHENOMENON, widespread, changes quickly

• Material culture: tangible cultural traits - art, housing, clothing, sports, dance, food, etc.)

• Nonmaterial culture: intangible cultural traits - beliefs, practices, values, etc.)

Material Culture

Non-material culture

Local Cultures

U.S. Rural Local Culture Example The Amish

U.S. Urban Local Culture Example: Ethnic Neighborhood

There are 3 Chinatowns in New York CIty. This one is in Manhattan.

Popular Culture

Culture RegionsAreas with common cultural traits

Example: Religion Regions

Culture RegionsExample: Language Regions

Culture Regions

Diffusion Isn’t Random: Starts With a Cultural Hearth

• Cultural hearth: geographic SOURCE of innovation or idea

• Example: Hearth of rock and roll = Memphis, Tennessee

Cultural DiffusionThe spread of ideas, innovations, etc.

from one person or group to another

• Distance decay: the farther from the hearth, the less likely an idea is to be adopted

• Time-space compression: ideas diffuse more quickly to places that are highly connected via transportation and communication networks

Diffusion of Innovation Model

Example: Diffusion of Smartphone

Relocation DiffusionIdeas spread by the movement of people from one

location to another

Example: Languages

Expansion Diffusion

• Ideas spread without the physical relocation of people– Contagious– Hierarchical

Expansion Diffusion Type 1

Contagious DiffusionIdeas spread by person to person contact,

media

Expansion Diffusion Type 2

Hierarchical DiffusionIdeas spread through a hierarchy

From big cities to small places

From “trendsetters” to “the average Joe”

Barriers to Diffusion

• Physical barriers– Oceans, mountain ranges, walls, etc.

• Cultural barriers– Language, religion, government, income level,

education level, technology access, etc.