cultural diffusion
Quick Summary
Cultural diffusion is the process by which customs, beliefs, tools, and other cultural traits spread from one people or region to another. This exchange is a fundamental aspect of cultural adaptation and change. For diffusion to occur, a cultural trait must offer some perceived advantage or utility to be adopted by a new group.1
The degree of isolation between societies, often influenced by physical barriers, plays a significant role in how easily diffusion can happen. Throughout history and across the globe, evidence of cultural diffusion is abundant. Examples include the spread of amber from the Baltic to the Mediterranean, or the movement of copper objects and macaw feathers across different regions of North and Central America. Even concepts like the horse, introduced by Spanish explorers, spread to Native American tribes before they encountered Europeans. Similarly, widely consumed items like tobacco, corn, and coffee are products of cultural diffusion.1
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culture areaInnovation and diffusion, particularism and relativismBy the close of the 19th century, enough data had been amassed that it was clear that certain objects and ideas associated with “civilization”—the wheel, metalworking, patrilineality, monogamy, monotheism, and the like—were unevenly distributed over space and time. This appeared to…
Read MoreBy the close of the 19th century, enough data had been amassed that it was clear that certain objects and ideas associated with “civilization”—the wheel, metalworking, patrilineality, monogamy, monotheism, and the like—were unevenly distributed over space and time. This appeared to…
Read More- concept formationPiaget’s observations
…poorly understood, yet practically all cultural heritage is explicitly taught. Better knowledge of how to instruct and of the role of imitation in transmitting cultural concepts is needed. In addition, some linguists believe that language itself guides how concepts will be formed; if a language has no words for a…
Read More…poorly understood, yet practically all cultural heritage is explicitly taught. Better knowledge of how to instruct and of the role of imitation in transmitting cultural concepts is needed. In addition, some linguists believe that language itself guides how concepts will be formed; if a language has no words for a…
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cultural anthropologyThe grand diffusionistsDiffusion, or the spreading of culture traits, in their view, was the prime force of human development, and all cultural development could be traced to a few inventive centres. Because they termed these original centres Kulturkreise, (or “cultural clusters”), they were also known as the…
Read MoreDiffusion, or the spreading of culture traits, in their view, was the prime force of human development, and all cultural development could be traced to a few inventive centres. Because they termed these original centres Kulturkreise, (or “cultural clusters”), they were also known as the…
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Leo FrobeniusHe advocated the idea of cultural diffusion and arranged areas of the same cultural distribution into what he called Kulturkreise (cultural clusters, or cultural complexes). This concept was further extended by Fritz Graebner.
Read MoreHe advocated the idea of cultural diffusion and arranged areas of the same cultural distribution into what he called Kulturkreise (cultural clusters, or cultural complexes). This concept was further extended by Fritz Graebner.
Read More- Alexander Goldenweiser
In particular, he suggested that cultural diffusion is not a mechanical process but, rather, depends in part on the receptiveness of cultures to proffered traits.
Read MoreIn particular, he suggested that cultural diffusion is not a mechanical process but, rather, depends in part on the receptiveness of cultures to proffered traits.
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