Cultural Diffusion

The process by which an element of culture (or an idea or innovation) is transmitted from one individual or group to another.

- How culture spreads

What Types of Culture Spread?

• Popular Culture (Pop Culture)

• Folk Culture

POP CULTURE

FOLK CULTURE

• People move to a new area and take their culture with them – examples include- crops, language, traditions, building styles

Known as

Relocation Diffusion

• Information about an innovation may spread through a society – examples include - iPhones, new music styles, religious ideas, trends…often mass media is involved —

Known as

Expansion Diffusion

How does Culture Spread?

Relocation Diffusion

3 Types of Expansion Diffusion

• Contagious Diffusion

• Hierarchical Diffusion

• Stimulus Diffusion

Contagious Diffusion

• Diffusion that spreads like a disease – but not necessarily applying only to diseases!

• Uniformly affects all individuals and areas outward from the source region

• Doesn’t really matter who you are or what you do to be exposed to the idea

Contagious Diffusion

• Examples – influenza, viral on the internet, agriculture (like hybrid seeds), Buddhism (but not all religions), breaking news

Hierarchical Diffusion

• The spread of an idea from persons or “nodes” of authority or power to other persons or places

• Often spreads from big city to big city – may or may not stick in the little towns in between

• Could spread from celebrities/powerful people as trend setters

Hierarchical Diffusion

• Examples- Birkenstocks, Christianity, styles of clothing, hip-hop music

Stimulus Diffusion

• A general idea spreads and stimulates imitations/adaptations/improvements

• Examples – creation of a unique Cherokee written language, Beta vs. VHS, Macs, Siberians domesticated reindeers (after seeing domesticated cattle)

What type of Diffusion?

• https://www.ted.com/talks/cynthia_schneider_the_surprising_spread_of_idol_tv

• More about Hissa Hilal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbtRDB4RX5E

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR8_Pgts5Wg

Cultural Hearths

•An area where cultural traits develop and from which the cultural traits diffuse.

• Examples?•Religions….•Foods…•Music & Entertainment

•Where is the culture hearth of BBQ?

How fast does culture spread?

• Types of Diffusion are not speed specific – no type of diffusion is particularly fast or slow

• Diffusion of innovations– 3% - innovators– 13% early adopters

68% majority– 16% laggards

• What concept from the class does this relate to?

• Rap music first appeared in New York in the 1970’s. Later, it spread to large cities with vibrant African-American populations – such as Los Angeles, Oakland, Chicago, and Detroit – without being absorbed by the smaller cities and rural areas in between. This type of spatial diffusion is called

a. relocation diffusionb. hierarchical diffusionc. contagious diffusiond. stimulus diffusion

The center and place of origin of a cultural tradition is called a

a. culture centerb. cultural complexc. cultural traitd. culture hearth

Spanish-language concentration in Little Havana in Miami is an example of what type of diffusion?

a.relocation diffusionb. expansion diffusionc.stimulus diffusion d. hierarchical diffusion

The spread of AIDS is an example of what type of diffusion?

a.relocation diffusionb. expansion diffusionc.stimulus diffusion d. hierarchical diffusion

• Define and Give an example of– Relocation Diffusion– Hierarchical Diffusion– Stimulus Diffusion– Contagious Diffusion (diseases not allowed)