Cultural Diffusion
IB HL
Culture
• Shared meanings which people who belong to
the same community, group, or nation use to
help them interpret and make sense of the
world.
• These meanings include language, religion,
customs, tradition, and ideas about place.
• Cultures cannot be fixed but change and shift
historically.
Culture
• Culture is a process embodied in the material
and social world.
• Culture gives us a sense of “who we are”,
“where we belong”, a sense of our own
identity, and identity with others.
• Cultures are how identities are formed.
A Global Culture?
• The world is changing fast and new
technologies means the world is becoming
more global and interconnected.
• The increased speed of transport and
communications and the growth of
international migration have changed
everyday lives.
• The power of global financial markets has
increased.
Music
• Cultural expression.
• Not dependant on written or spoken
language.
• Production, distribution, and consumption of
music have a particular geography.
• The music industry is dominated by the UK
and USA.
• Migrations of people have had cultural
impacts on music.
TV
• Originally produced for domestic audiences
within national boundaries.
• TV channels are now globally disseminated.
• USA, France, Germany and the UK are the
main exporters of TV programmes.
• Brazil, Mexico, Egypt, Hong Kong, and Spain
are increasing their output.
Sport
• Forms of cultural expression.
• Football (REAL football) is the most obvious.
• Inclusion of sports in the Olympic Games
educates people.
• TV allows people to view various sports in
different parts of the world.
Tourism
• Mainly dominated by “rich” people.
• It is exploitative.
• Sex tourism???
• Dependency in some countries to exploit women.
• Allows people to experience other cultures.
Activities
• Using Geography For The IB Diploma P144-152,
answer the following…
1. What are cultural traits?
2. What customs exist within Mexico City and what are your
opinions on them?
3. Why are differences in dress between cultures less
prominent than they were in the past?
4. How have TV, Sport, and Tourism lead to cultural
diffusion?
5. Using Figure 6 (P152), what does the graph show and
what may be the reasons behind it?