3.4 Types of Cultural Diffusion
4 min read•december 30, 2022
Danna Esther Gelfand
Danna Esther Gelfand
Cultural Diffusion
The definition of (noun) is the geographical and social spread of the different aspects of one culture to different ethnicities, religions, nationalities, regions, etc. is about the spreading of culture over time. There are many types of , and in this guide, we will go over the types and provide examples. The following study guides in this unit series go into additional examples of in specific historic and modern contexts.
Relocation Diffusion
occurs when people move from their original location to another and bring their innovations with them. Immigration from country to country, city to city, etc. As they relocate to a new location, they bring their ideas, and cultural traditions such as food, music, and more. As masses of individuals immigrate to a new environment, they bring along their cultural connections, influencing others in the new environments. can also be forced rather than chosen.
Examples
Many cultural components of Southern US architecture, cuisine, and music have African and Caribbean origins due to the forced relocation and enslavement of African people during the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Another example is the from when over two million persecuted Jewish people fled Eastern Europe between 1881 and 1914 to live in Britain or the United States.
Expansion Diffusion
is the spread of an idea through a population where the amount of those influenced grows continuously larger. There are three sub-types of : Stimulus, Hierarchical, and Contagious.
Contagious Diffusion
is defined as the distance-controlled spreading of an idea through a local population by contact from person to person. Similarly to a disease, it spreads rapidly from one source to another from person to person. Another way to think of it is like the spreading of a forest fire.
Examples of contagious diffusion
religions when people are in contact with belief systems especially universalizing religions such as Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam. Missionaries spread Christianity.
the globalization of social networking, and media platforms.
when videos or songs go viral, they contagiously diffuse like wildfire through the help of modern technological innovations. All memes exhibit !
Hierarchical Diffusion
is when an idea spreads by passing first among the most connected individuals, then spreading to other individuals. Think of the chain of command in businesses, and the government. There’s somewhat of a hierarchy in terms of the position of authority.
Examples of hierarchical diffusion
The Federal government such as the president, vice president, and cabinet members are the first to be informed of governmental matters before the general public and state government employees.
A business CEO is more informed on matters within their company before the spread of that information to employees and the general public.
You can also think about popular music first reaching urban centers, and city communities in New York, LA, and Chicago before gaining popularity among the wider public.
Stimulus Diffusion
is when an idea diffuses from its cultural hearth outward, but the original idea is changed by the new adopters. Almost all cultural diffusions will have some aspect of because of the ways culture adapts to new environmental, social, and political conditions.
Examples of stimulus diffusion
The McDonalds fast food chain originating in the US midwest has developed different menu items in different regions of the world.
The changing interpretations of religious texts as they are translated into other languages.
Maladaptive Diffusion
is the adoption of diffusing traits that are not practical or reflective of a region's environment or culture.
Examples of maladaptive diffusion:
the spread of grass lawns and monoculture crops which are both actively very harmful to the environment
the popularity of wearing blue jeans in any weather despite the impracticality of wearing them in the winter season
This image depicts the by specifically in the model of the adoption of technology. The stages include , (small groups of those that can afford), followed by (faster rate of adoption once price decreases), and lastly (rate of adoption slows down). The trend resembles the letter S therefore is called an S curve.
Watchlist: Fiveable Reviews on the meaning of cultural diffusion and the definition of culture
🎥Watch: What is Culture
"What is Culture" Key Questions:
What is the difference between folk (local) culture and popular culture?
What is the difference between and ?
What is so complicated about the topics of , appropriation, and ?
🎥Watch: Diffusion of Culture
- What is culture?
- Which types of regions are best used to help us understand culture?
- Can you explain the ?
- What is and how is it harmful?
- What is the difference between folk and popular culture?
- What are the different types of ?
🎥 Watch: AP HUG - All About Diffusion
"" Key Questions:
- What are the types of diffusion?
- What is the difference between and ?
- What are the types of ?
- what are the ?
- How does culture change due to diffusion?
- What are the different that result from the ?
🎥 Watch: Cultural Diffusion, Language, and Religion
How does culture spread?
How does language change over time?
How does religion affect the ?
Key Terms to Review (26)
"What is Culture"
: "What is Culture" refers to the exploration and understanding of culture, which is a complex system of knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, laws, customs and any other capabilities acquired by people as members of society.All About Diffusion
: Diffusion in geography refers to the spreading out or dissemination of something - usually information, ideas or innovations - from a central point across space over time.Commodification
: Commodification is the process by which something not previously considered an object to be bought or sold becomes one that has particular value within the marketplace.Contagious Diffusion
: This is a process through which a cultural trend or innovation spreads rapidly from its origin to all adjacent areas. It's like a viral phenomenon that quickly catches on.Cultural Appropriation
: Cultural appropriation is the adoption or borrowing of elements from another culture, particularly when a dominant culture takes from a minority culture without permission or understanding.Cultural Assimilation
: Cultural assimilation is the process by which individuals or groups of differing ethnic heritage are absorbed into the dominant culture of a society. It involves adopting the language, values, norms, behaviors, and institutions of the dominant group.Cultural Diffusion
: Cultural diffusion is the spread of cultural beliefs, social activities, and ideas from one group to another.Cultural Diffusion, Language, and Religion
: Cultural diffusion refers to the spread of cultural beliefs, social activities, language or dialects, and religious beliefs from one society to another.Cultural Landscape
: A cultural landscape is the visible reflection of a society, including their cultural beliefs and practices, on the physical environment. It's essentially how human activities modify and shape the natural world.Cultural Relativism
: Cultural relativism is the principle asserting that every culture must be understood on its own terms and evaluated in its own context, not compared to another culture.Cultural Responses
: Cultural responses refer to the ways in which individuals, communities, and societies adapt or react to changes in their cultural environment. This could be due to influences from other cultures, technological advancements, or environmental changes.Diffusion of Culture
: The diffusion of culture refers to how cultural beliefs, social practices, language, technology etc., spread from one place or group of people to another over time.Diffusion S Curve
: The Diffusion S Curve represents the rate at which an innovation spreads or diffuses through a population over time, typically following an 'S' shape pattern where initial growth is slow, followed by rapid uptake before slowing down again as saturation occurs.Early Adopters
: Early adopters are the second fastest category of individuals who adopt an innovation. They have a higher social status, more financial lucidity, advanced education, and interact with multiple social groups.Ethnocentrism
: Ethnocentrism is the belief in the inherent superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture. It often involves seeing one's own culture as the most important and correct and judging other cultures based on its standards.Expansion Diffusion
: This is a type of cultural diffusion where an idea or innovation spreads outward from its origin, remaining strong there while also spreading to other areas.Fiveable Reviews
: Fiveable Reviews refer to reviews of educational content provided by Fiveable - an online platform that offers study guides, live streams, trivia battles and review games to help students prepare for AP exams.Hagerstrand
: Torsten Hägerstrand was a Swedish geographer known for his work on migration patterns, cultural diffusion, and time geography. His theories often focus on spatial aspects of social phenomena.Hierarchical Diffusion
: This is a type of cultural diffusion where ideas spread from persons or nodes of authority or power to other persons or places down a hierarchy system.Historical Causes of Diffusion
: These are the historical events, processes or factors that have contributed to the spread of cultures, ideas, diseases etc. across different regions over time.Innovators
: Innovators are the first individuals to adopt an innovation. They are willing to take risks, have social relationships with other innovators, and have financial liquidity.Laggards/Late Adopters
: Laggards or Late Adopters are individuals or groups who adopt a new idea, product, or technology after the majority of society has already done so. They are typically skeptical about innovation and change.Majority Adopters
: Majority adopters are individuals who adopt an innovation after a varying degree of time has passed since the innovation was introduced. This time lapse is significantly longer than it was for innovators and early adopters.Maladaptive Diffusion
: Maladaptive diffusion refers to the spread of an idea or innovation that is not suitable for the environment in which it has been introduced. It can lead to negative consequences as a result of its implementation.Relocation Diffusion
: This is a type of cultural diffusion where people move from their original location to another, taking their cultural practices with them.Stimulus Diffusion
: This is when an idea spreads from its source to other places but is then changed by those who adopt this idea to better fit their own culture or environment.3.4 Types of Cultural Diffusion
4 min read•december 30, 2022
Danna Esther Gelfand
Danna Esther Gelfand
Cultural Diffusion
The definition of (noun) is the geographical and social spread of the different aspects of one culture to different ethnicities, religions, nationalities, regions, etc. is about the spreading of culture over time. There are many types of , and in this guide, we will go over the types and provide examples. The following study guides in this unit series go into additional examples of in specific historic and modern contexts.
Relocation Diffusion
occurs when people move from their original location to another and bring their innovations with them. Immigration from country to country, city to city, etc. As they relocate to a new location, they bring their ideas, and cultural traditions such as food, music, and more. As masses of individuals immigrate to a new environment, they bring along their cultural connections, influencing others in the new environments. can also be forced rather than chosen.
Examples
Many cultural components of Southern US architecture, cuisine, and music have African and Caribbean origins due to the forced relocation and enslavement of African people during the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Another example is the from when over two million persecuted Jewish people fled Eastern Europe between 1881 and 1914 to live in Britain or the United States.
Expansion Diffusion
is the spread of an idea through a population where the amount of those influenced grows continuously larger. There are three sub-types of : Stimulus, Hierarchical, and Contagious.
Contagious Diffusion
is defined as the distance-controlled spreading of an idea through a local population by contact from person to person. Similarly to a disease, it spreads rapidly from one source to another from person to person. Another way to think of it is like the spreading of a forest fire.
Examples of contagious diffusion
religions when people are in contact with belief systems especially universalizing religions such as Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam. Missionaries spread Christianity.
the globalization of social networking, and media platforms.
when videos or songs go viral, they contagiously diffuse like wildfire through the help of modern technological innovations. All memes exhibit !
Hierarchical Diffusion
is when an idea spreads by passing first among the most connected individuals, then spreading to other individuals. Think of the chain of command in businesses, and the government. There’s somewhat of a hierarchy in terms of the position of authority.
Examples of hierarchical diffusion
The Federal government such as the president, vice president, and cabinet members are the first to be informed of governmental matters before the general public and state government employees.
A business CEO is more informed on matters within their company before the spread of that information to employees and the general public.
You can also think about popular music first reaching urban centers, and city communities in New York, LA, and Chicago before gaining popularity among the wider public.
Stimulus Diffusion
is when an idea diffuses from its cultural hearth outward, but the original idea is changed by the new adopters. Almost all cultural diffusions will have some aspect of because of the ways culture adapts to new environmental, social, and political conditions.
Examples of stimulus diffusion
The McDonalds fast food chain originating in the US midwest has developed different menu items in different regions of the world.
The changing interpretations of religious texts as they are translated into other languages.
Maladaptive Diffusion
is the adoption of diffusing traits that are not practical or reflective of a region's environment or culture.
Examples of maladaptive diffusion:
the spread of grass lawns and monoculture crops which are both actively very harmful to the environment
the popularity of wearing blue jeans in any weather despite the impracticality of wearing them in the winter season
This image depicts the by specifically in the model of the adoption of technology. The stages include , (small groups of those that can afford), followed by (faster rate of adoption once price decreases), and lastly (rate of adoption slows down). The trend resembles the letter S therefore is called an S curve.
Watchlist: Fiveable Reviews on the meaning of cultural diffusion and the definition of culture
🎥Watch: What is Culture
"What is Culture" Key Questions:
What is the difference between folk (local) culture and popular culture?
What is the difference between and ?
What is so complicated about the topics of , appropriation, and ?
🎥Watch: Diffusion of Culture
- What is culture?
- Which types of regions are best used to help us understand culture?
- Can you explain the ?
- What is and how is it harmful?
- What is the difference between folk and popular culture?
- What are the different types of ?
🎥 Watch: AP HUG - All About Diffusion
"" Key Questions:
- What are the types of diffusion?
- What is the difference between and ?
- What are the types of ?
- what are the ?
- How does culture change due to diffusion?
- What are the different that result from the ?
🎥 Watch: Cultural Diffusion, Language, and Religion
How does culture spread?
How does language change over time?
How does religion affect the ?
Key Terms to Review (26)
"What is Culture"
: "What is Culture" refers to the exploration and understanding of culture, which is a complex system of knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, laws, customs and any other capabilities acquired by people as members of society.All About Diffusion
: Diffusion in geography refers to the spreading out or dissemination of something - usually information, ideas or innovations - from a central point across space over time.Commodification
: Commodification is the process by which something not previously considered an object to be bought or sold becomes one that has particular value within the marketplace.Contagious Diffusion
: This is a process through which a cultural trend or innovation spreads rapidly from its origin to all adjacent areas. It's like a viral phenomenon that quickly catches on.Cultural Appropriation
: Cultural appropriation is the adoption or borrowing of elements from another culture, particularly when a dominant culture takes from a minority culture without permission or understanding.Cultural Assimilation
: Cultural assimilation is the process by which individuals or groups of differing ethnic heritage are absorbed into the dominant culture of a society. It involves adopting the language, values, norms, behaviors, and institutions of the dominant group.Cultural Diffusion
: Cultural diffusion is the spread of cultural beliefs, social activities, and ideas from one group to another.Cultural Diffusion, Language, and Religion
: Cultural diffusion refers to the spread of cultural beliefs, social activities, language or dialects, and religious beliefs from one society to another.Cultural Landscape
: A cultural landscape is the visible reflection of a society, including their cultural beliefs and practices, on the physical environment. It's essentially how human activities modify and shape the natural world.Cultural Relativism
: Cultural relativism is the principle asserting that every culture must be understood on its own terms and evaluated in its own context, not compared to another culture.Cultural Responses
: Cultural responses refer to the ways in which individuals, communities, and societies adapt or react to changes in their cultural environment. This could be due to influences from other cultures, technological advancements, or environmental changes.Diffusion of Culture
: The diffusion of culture refers to how cultural beliefs, social practices, language, technology etc., spread from one place or group of people to another over time.Diffusion S Curve
: The Diffusion S Curve represents the rate at which an innovation spreads or diffuses through a population over time, typically following an 'S' shape pattern where initial growth is slow, followed by rapid uptake before slowing down again as saturation occurs.Early Adopters
: Early adopters are the second fastest category of individuals who adopt an innovation. They have a higher social status, more financial lucidity, advanced education, and interact with multiple social groups.Ethnocentrism
: Ethnocentrism is the belief in the inherent superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture. It often involves seeing one's own culture as the most important and correct and judging other cultures based on its standards.Expansion Diffusion
: This is a type of cultural diffusion where an idea or innovation spreads outward from its origin, remaining strong there while also spreading to other areas.Fiveable Reviews
: Fiveable Reviews refer to reviews of educational content provided by Fiveable - an online platform that offers study guides, live streams, trivia battles and review games to help students prepare for AP exams.Hagerstrand
: Torsten Hägerstrand was a Swedish geographer known for his work on migration patterns, cultural diffusion, and time geography. His theories often focus on spatial aspects of social phenomena.Hierarchical Diffusion
: This is a type of cultural diffusion where ideas spread from persons or nodes of authority or power to other persons or places down a hierarchy system.Historical Causes of Diffusion
: These are the historical events, processes or factors that have contributed to the spread of cultures, ideas, diseases etc. across different regions over time.Innovators
: Innovators are the first individuals to adopt an innovation. They are willing to take risks, have social relationships with other innovators, and have financial liquidity.Laggards/Late Adopters
: Laggards or Late Adopters are individuals or groups who adopt a new idea, product, or technology after the majority of society has already done so. They are typically skeptical about innovation and change.Majority Adopters
: Majority adopters are individuals who adopt an innovation after a varying degree of time has passed since the innovation was introduced. This time lapse is significantly longer than it was for innovators and early adopters.Maladaptive Diffusion
: Maladaptive diffusion refers to the spread of an idea or innovation that is not suitable for the environment in which it has been introduced. It can lead to negative consequences as a result of its implementation.Relocation Diffusion
: This is a type of cultural diffusion where people move from their original location to another, taking their cultural practices with them.Stimulus Diffusion
: This is when an idea spreads from its source to other places but is then changed by those who adopt this idea to better fit their own culture or environment.
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