Cultural Diffusion
Cultural Diffusion
Aims of this lesson:
To be able to describe cultural traits in terms of
language, customs, beliefs, dress, images, music,
food and technology.
To examine the diffusion of cultural traits
resulting from the international movement of
workers, tourists and commodities.
What is Culture?
• the tastes in art and manners that are favored
by a social group
• Or
• a particular society at a particular time and
place; "early Mayan civilization"
Where have we come from?
• Early Culture Hearth Locations
• The seven original culture hearths are: 1) The Nile
River Valley
2) The Indus River Valley
3) The Wei-Huang Valley
4) The Ganges River Valley
5) Mesopotamia
6) Mesoamerica
7) West Africa
Over to you …
• Produce notes on the diffusion of one
selected cultural trait by the international
movement of workers, tourists and
commodities. You will then share you work
with the other members of the H/L group.
• Choices: Language, Customs, Beliefs, Dress,
Images, Music, Food & Technology.
• Are we approaching a single, dominant 'global
culture'? Is such a thing desirable?
Language
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_preser
vation
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinct_language
Customs
• Japan
• http://www.traveletiquette.co.uk/EtiquetteJa
pan.html
• Australia
• http://www.techrepublic.com/software/thecustoms-and-traditions-of-the-aboriginalnatives-of-north-western-australia-11mobile/1773439
Beliefs
• http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/fait
h/article3890080.ece
Dress
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8657027.stm
Music
• http://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/20/busine
ss/worldbusiness/20iht-radio.t_1.html
• English music in France.
Food
• McDonaldsization
• You may want to use your information from
Sitges for this section of the work.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonaldization
• Look particularly at the ‘Aspects’ section.
Exam Practice
• Put your three pieces of work together and
use the information to complete this exam
style question:
• Examine the international diffusion of three
cultural traits. [15 marks]