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
How does Culture Spread?
• People move to a new
area and take their
culture with them –
examples includecrops, language,
traditions, building
styles
• 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
Known as
Relocation Diffusion
Expansion Diffusion
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
• ExamplesBirkenstocks,
Christianity, styles
of clothing, hiphop 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_schneid
er_the_surprising_spread_of_idol_tv
• More about Hissa Hilal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbtRDB
4RX5E
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR8_P
gts5Wg
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.
b.
c.
d.
relocation diffusion
hierarchical diffusion
contagious diffusion
stimulus diffusion
The center and place of origin of a cultural
tradition is called a
a. culture center
b. cultural complex
c. cultural trait
d. culture hearth
Spanish-language concentration in Little
Havana in Miami is an example of what type
of diffusion?
a.
b.
c.
d.
relocation diffusion
expansion diffusion
stimulus diffusion
hierarchical diffusion
The spread of AIDS is an example of what
type of diffusion?
a.
b.
c.
d.
relocation diffusion
expansion diffusion
stimulus diffusion
hierarchical diffusion
•
Define and Give an example of
–
–
–
–
Relocation Diffusion
Hierarchical Diffusion
Stimulus Diffusion
Contagious Diffusion (diseases not allowed)