Cultural diffusion
• The process of spreading cultural traits from
one place to another.
• Cultures change at different speeds across
time and place.
• Can move in real space and cyber space
Cultural diffusion is facilitated by:
• Migration
• Spread of news, ideas, fashions through mass
media, trade and travel
• Growth of global brands – McDonalds, Coca
Cola/
• Internet – mass communication
• Increased transport. Facilitates spread of
people and products.
Language
Dress
Technologies.
Images
Aspects
of
culture
Beliefs
Music
Food
Customs
• Globalisation on cultural landscapes related to
the connectedness of that landscape to global
networks
• Places that have been bypassed by globalised
cultural flows can be referred to as ‘black
holes’.
Explain how migration and the spread
of empires could facilitate cultural
diffusion
Migrants bring cultural traits
Country of migrant
destination
Migrants pick up cultures from
destination
Flows occur through visits
home,
Permanent moves home
Communication via phone,
letter, ICT and sending goods
home.
Country of migrant
origin
• Large migration rates to the UK and other
Western European countries has led to the
formation of diaspora populations
• Growing cultural hybridity – cultures that are
intermixed
Outcomes:
• Shops and goods to provide for migrants e.g.
Polish food shops in Tunbridge wells
• Places of worship catering for a variety of
languages (Catholic churches offer weekend
mass in Polish)
• High birth rates – more children with English
as a second language / bilingual children
Mass Tourism and cultural diffusion
• Growth in all regions especially Middle East and
Asia.
• Africa tourism rose by 6% between 2000-2007
• Large scale tourism results in varying degrees of
cultural diffusion
• Some destinations – only enclaves are affected.
Others, the impacts are more widespread.
International tourist
flows controlled by
countries in the core
Tourist flows controlled
by international /
national firms in the
periphery
Attr
acti
on
Tourist flows to the
marginal tourist areas in
the periphery
Head office
of tour
operators,
airline, hotel
chains
Britton’s enclave model
of tourism
Tourist
industry
offices in
capital city
Resort
enclave
Resort
enclave
Resort
enclave
Attraction
Attraction
Attraction
Attraction
Traditional cultures of many communities in the developing
world have suffered because of the development of tourism
•
•
•
•
Loss of locally owned land
Abandoned values and practices by local people
Displacement to make way for tourist developments
Alcoholism and drug abuse as they become available for
tourists
• Increased crime and prostitution e.g. ‘sex tourism’ an issue
in some places (Bangkok)
• Loss of affordable housing as visitors buy second homes.
Describe the role of TNCs and the
media in spreading consumer
culture
Key terms:
Consumer culture
Mass media
Cultural commodification
Brand image
Brand identity
Consumer wants and needs
What are your favourite brands?
Media
TNCs
Seeking to increase:
Sales
Market share
Global Spread
Consumers
Creating successful
product images
Transforming ‘wants’ into
‘needs’
Identifying ‘target’
consumer groups
Accept or reject product
presentations
Having needs satisfied
What do we mean by
consumer culture?
The choices made by consumers
(those who exchange finances for
a particular good or service)
based upon their psychological
attachment to a brand or product
rather than economic reason.
What strategies are TNCs using to spread
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfzaxVVANl8
consumer culture?
Ways of spreading consumer culture…
• Sponsorship of sporting competitions / mega events eg FIFA World
Cup or Olympic Games. Increase audience by television and media
coverage.
• Ownership or sponsorship of venues eg Coca Cola Park, Jo’burg, SA.
• Newspaper advertising – subconscious messages, use of imagery.
• Tapping into enhanced environmental concern eg Free Range.
• Using increase in network connectivity and change in lifestyles eg
provision of WiFi and working areas. Become part of lifestyle.
• Use other ‘trends’ as a vehicle for promotion eg Reebok using
‘CrossFit’ to promote their trainers.
Define: commodity Something that can be bought
or sold.
How can the introduction of branded
commodities into a location influence cultural
diffusion?
WHERE IS THIS?
Image and identity
• Brand image - the consumer perceptions
about the brand
• Brand identity – everything the company
wants the brand to be seen as: features,
attributes, benefits, performance, quality…..
Advertising and marketing tries to achieve
correlation between brand image and identity.
Advertising and marketing
• Based on repetitive themes of happiness, youth,
success, status, luxury, fashion and beauty
• Social contradictions and class differences are
masked and workplace conflicts are not shown.
• TNCs use advertising and marketing to sell a
culture
Home learning
• Examine the spatial and temporal pattern of
adoption of two different branded
commodities on a global scale
• Watch the first 30 mins of the secrets of the
superbrands video
• Read the PDF and answer the questions on
the McDonald’s and Coca Cola worksheets