UNIT 3 LESSON: CULTURE &
GLOBALIZATION
STUDENT WILL BE ABLE…
Aspects of culture such as assimilation and acculturation and
the role that technology/globalization plays in assimilation.
DIFFUSION
Remembering the concepts of diffusion are key to
understanding culture. It is about how things to different
places.
 Diffusion: “movement of people, ideas, or things form one
location outward toward other locations where these items are
not initially found” (Domosh, 2010).
 This is how religion, food preferences, sports, housing
preferences, or all of those cultural traits get to different places.
DIFFUSION CONT. (TWO BIG TYPES)
 Relocation Diffusion: “Occurs when individuals or groups with a
particular idea or practice migrate from one location to another, there by
brining the idea or practice to their new homeland” (Domosh, 2010).
 Traits of folk culture are typically spread through relocation diffusion
because of limited interaction with others/outside.
 Expansion Diffusion: “spread throughout a population, from area to area,
in a snowballing process, so that the total number of knowers or users
and the areas of occurrence increase” (Domosh, 2010).
 This is what pop culture will typically use; media will spread it pretty
quickly; but think of a “viral video” or something people are sharing
rapidly.
TYPES OF EXPANSION DIFFUSION (YEAH, WE DIDN’T
DISTINGUISH BEFORE, BUT NOW WE ARE)
 Hierarchical Diffusion: “ideas leapfrog from one important person to a another or
from one urban center to another.”
 Example: Sushi Restaurants originally were in Japan, but then spread to New
York City, Los Angeles, and other large cities.
 Contagious Diffusion: “Involves the wavelike spread of ideas in a manner of
a contagious disease, moving throughout space without regard to
hierarchies” (Domosh, 2010).
 Example: HIV/AIDS originally was spread through hierarchical diffusion (large
cities), but then it turned into contagious diffusion. Relocation also turn into
contagious.
 Stimulus diffusion: “specific trait is rejected, but the underlying idea is
accepted” (Domosh, 2010).
 Example: Siberians didn’t domesticate cattle, but took the concept and
domesticated reindeer.
GLOBALIZATION
 Globalization: “refers to a world increasingly linked, in which
international borders are diminished in importance and a worldwide
marketplace is created” (Domosh, 2010).
 Technology has facilitated this process; initially faster more reliable
transportation. (Always make sure you clarify what kind of
transportation when asked; cars, planes, trains, etc.)
 The internet (which is discussed at length in Rubeinstein) has also
played a huge role in creating relationships and linkages between
places.
JOHN BORCHERT (NOT IN THE TEXTBOOK)
OR: BORCHERT’S EPOCH’S OF TRANSPORTATION
 We will spend more time with Borchert when we do urban, but I
mention the Epoch’s of Transportation so that when you are thinking
about a time/place and diffusion, you put it in the context of
transportation and hopefully visual better…
 Stage 1: Sail and Wagon Period 1790-1830
 Stage 2: Iron-Horse Period 1830-1870
 Stage 3: Steel Rail Period 1870-1920
 Stage 4: Auto-Air-Amenity period 1920-1960
 Stage 5: High Technology Epoch
FOLK V. POP CULTURE & GLOBALIZATION
 Negative of globalization is that it erodes the uniqueness of a place,
creating a sense of “placelessness” or no place really being distinct.
 Acculturation: “process by which one culture group undergoes a major
modification by adopting many of the characteristics of another.”
 A good way to remember acculturation is the hard “C’s”. Acculturation is a
rough process, where a lot of times a behavior is forced on someone else and is
more like creating salad with distinct parts.
 Example: In things Fall Apart they were forced into the British government
system.
 Assimilation: “The social process of merging into a composite culture,
losing separate ethic or social identity.”
 A good way to remember this one is the smooth “S’s”. It’s a smother transition
and you can’t distinguish. It’s soup vs. salad.
 Example: Things Fall Apart, the son who choose to be a Christian.
 https://www.
youtube.com
/watch?v=nL
TjpGeEZVY