Essential Question
How does the spatial diffusion of ideas, products,
and traits lead to change, including cultural
divergence and convergence?
1

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.
2

The exchange of products:
◦ The Columbian Exchange: Europeans learned new
ideas and products. Native Americans obtain new
animals and faced deadly diseases.
3

Spread of cultural traits: American movies,
“pop” music, TV programs, “fast foods,” and
casual dress styles have all spread around the
world.
4

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.
5

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.
6

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 1998
World 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
7
8
9

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.
10

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.
11
12




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.
13

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.
14

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.
15

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
16

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
17
STOP
18


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?
19