Cultural Traits and Change

Cultural Traits

• Cultural traits spread from one place to another over time through diffusion.
• Historically, diffusion occurred through imperialism, colonialism, and urbanization.
• Today, diffusion happens via mass media and the internet.
• Relocation diffusion is the spread of traits through the migration of people.
• Expansion diffusion is when ideas or cultural traits spread outwards from their origin.
• Expansion diffusion can be contagious (direct contact), hierarchical (from important to less important), or stimulus (adopting an idea, but using a different method).

Drivers of Cultural Change

• Colonialism, imperialism, military conquest, trade, migration, globalization, and urbanization are drivers of cultural change.
• European countries spread their cultures through imperialism in the 15th-16th and 17th-19th centuries.
• Military conquest can force cultural change, as the conquerors impose their way of life on the conquered.
• Trade brings people together, enabling culture to spread through interactions.
• Migration brings new elements (languages, religion, etc.) to new locations.
• Globalization, urbanization, and technological innovation influence contemporary cultural changes.

Cultural Exchange Processes

• Cultural convergence is where cultures start to share traits and mimic each other.
• Cultural divergence is when conflicting beliefs or barriers cause cultures to become less similar.

Impacts of Cultural Change

• Cultural change can trigger disagreements, conflict, or greater understanding and connection between groups.
• Acculturation is when people adopt traits from another culture while still keeping their own.
• Assimilation is a type of acculturation where one culture adopts most of another's customs, traditions, language, etc.
• Multiculturalism is when people in a shared space share traits and keep their own.
• Syncretism is when cultural traits from multiple places blend to create new customs, ideas, or values.

Explore the fascinating concepts of cultural traits and the various drivers of cultural change through this quiz. Understand how diffusion occurs and how globalization, imperialism, and trade influence the spread of cultures. Test your knowledge on the mechanisms of cultural evolution and their impact on society.