Global Studies - Damon - 2017

Local and Popular Culture

Types of Culture

• Local culture: small group of people with unique culture, does not change much over time

• Popular culture: widespread cultural ideas, change constantly

Challenge: Holding on to local culture in a time of rapid globalization

Examples of U.S. Popular Culture

Material Culture

Non-material culture

• Material (surface) culture: can be seen, heard, touched

• Nonmaterial (deep) culture: harder to know & learn

How Do Local Cultures Survive?

• They keep other cultures out and their own culture in– May physically isolate themselves

• They define a place or space as representing their culture– Ethnic neighborhoods– Festivals, parades, etc.

Example: Irish-American Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Celebration

U.S. Rural Local Culture Example:The Amish

U.S. Urban Local Culture Example: Ethnic Neighborhoods

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

Changing one’s culture to fit in with a different cultural group

Can be voluntary or forced

Cultural Assimilation

Forced Cultural Assimilation Example: American Indian Boarding Schools

1870s to 1970s“… forbidden to speak native languages, taught Christianity

instead of native religions …forced to abandon their Indian identity and adopt European-American culture.”

Cultural LandscapeA landscape changed by a cultural group

Opposite = Natural Landscape

Cultural DiffusionSpread of cultural ideas from one person

or group to another

Key Concepts Related to Cultural Diffusion

• Cultural hearth: location where cultural idea begins– Example: cultural hearth

of hip hop music = Bronx, New York

DJ Kool Herc, Founder of Hip Hop

• Distance decay: as distance from the hearth increases, likelihood of an idea spreading decreases

• Time-space compression: ideas spread quickly to places that are connected by transportation & communication

Diffusion of Innovation Model

Example: Diffusion of Smartphone

Types of Diffusion:Relocation DiffusionIdeas diffuse when people move

Example: Spanish language was spread by Spanish speaking people migrating to the Americas

Expansion Diffusion• Ideas diffuse without people moving

– 3 types:

• Contagious

• Hierarchical

• Stimulus

Example: Harry Potter popularity spread by word of mouth, promotion by media

Expansion Diffusion Type 1

Contagious DiffusionIdeas diffused by communication & media

Mannequin Challenge

Expansion Diffusion Type 2

Hierarchical DiffusionIdeas diffused through a hierarchy

From big cities to small towns

From “trendsetters” to “the average person”

Stimulus DiffusionBasic idea diffuses but is changed to fit local

culture

Germany - with beer!

India - no beef

Chile - with guacamole

Canada - lobster roll Japan - shrimp burger

Expansion Diffusion Type 2

Barriers to Diffusion

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

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

education, access to technology, etc.