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Cultural Diffusion and Convergence

Essential QuestionHow does the spatial diffusion of ideas, products, and traits lead to change, including cultural divergence and convergence?

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A process of spatial exchange in which ideas, products, cultural traits and even diseases spread from one place to another.◦ Diffusion: how something spreads

Types of Cultural Diffusion: spread of technology.

Europeans adopted gunpowder, the compass, and printing from China.

Cultural Diffusion and Types

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The exchange of products:◦ The Columbian Exchange: Europeans learned

new ideas and products. Native Americans obtain new animals and faced deadly diseases.

Types of Cultural Diffusion

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Spread of cultural traits: American movies, “pop” music, TV programs, “fast foods,” and casual dress styles have all spread around the world.

Types of Cultural Diffusion cont’d

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The spread of ideas.◦ Religions often spread their beliefs from one place

to another.◦ Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam.

Spread of Chinese Culture to Japan. Japan written language and Buddhism spread from China.

Types of Cultural Diffusion cont’d

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Pandemics: Spread of diseases.◦ Bubonic Plague in Europe. 1/3 of Europe

population killed in less than 10 years. Spread from China through rats on merchant ships.

Types of Cultural Diffusion cont’d

Has there been cases of Bubonic today?!? Globally, the

World Health Organization reports 1,000 to 3,000 human cases of plague every year.

On 2005-09-15, ABC News reported[3] that three mice infected with the bacteria responsible for bubonic plague apparently disappeared from a laboratory. The mice were unaccounted-for at the Public Health Research Institute University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and conducts bioterrorism research for the United States federal government.

                                                                                                          

     Worldwide distribution of plague infected animals 1998World distribution of plague, 1998, from CDC File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Contemporary cases

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Pandemics cont’d◦ Spread of smallpox, typhus and measles in the

Americas to Native American Indians. Brought to the new world when Spanish arrived in late 1400s.

Types of Cultural Diffusion cont’d

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Different cultures acquire common ideas, products, and traits becoming more similar.◦ Convergence means “to come together”◦ Examples:

The Columbian Exchange led to cultural convergence.

Globalization: the creation of a common global culture.

Cultural Convergence

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Democratic Ideas: In the 1980s and 1990s, democratic government spread to many new areas of the world, replacing military dictatorships and communist states.

English Language: English has become quite widespread as the international second language throughout the world.

New Technologies: Satellite TV Global Sports Competitions:

Winter/Summer Olympics; World Cup in soccer.

Cultural Convergence Examples

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Different parts of a cultural region are exposed to different influences and become dissimilar.◦ Divergence means

“separate.” Example: Roman

Empire divided into Western and Eastern Empires.

Cultural Divergence

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More Examples:◦ Islamic influences in India divided the region into

Hindu and Muslim.◦ Aztecs and Yaquis: Native tribes in Mexico at one

time spoke the same language, but became separate groups. Aztecs migrated to Central Mexico, spoke different

language and practice different religion from Yaquis.

Cultural Divergence cont’d

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Which of the following is the best example of cultural convergence?A. Different countries in Europe today have similar

standards of living and systems of government.B. Some Turkish “guest workers” in Germany cannot

read or write in German.C. People in the Sahel region of Africa are moving to

nearby regions to escape dry conditions from drought.

D. Some universities do not require students to study a foreign language.

ANSWER: A

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Which was a direct result of the initial contact between European cultures and Native American cultures in the 1490s?A. Most Spaniards migrated to the “New World.”B. Spanish settlers rejected Christianity for Native

American religious beliefs.C. New diseases arrived in the Americas from which

natives lacked immunity.D. Native Americans used Spanish settlers as a source

of cheap labor.ANSWER: C

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STOP

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How might history have been different if the cultures of Europe and the Americas had never come into contact?

What factors do you think have most helped American popular culture to spread throughout the world over the past 50 years?

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