Cultural Diffusion

1. Cultural Diffusion • Culture is always ____________________________. • There are two main reasons for this: ____________________ and __________________. • Innovations are ________________________/improvements to existing processes/goods/etc… • The place where an innovation develops/originates from is known as a ________________. • One very important innovation in human settlement patterns and a very common hearth is the complex way of life that developed as humans began to develop urban settlements known as________________________________________. • From these civilizations and other human settlement patterns cultural often diffused to other areas of the world. • Diffusion is the process by which a cultural characteristic (material or non-material) _____________________ across space from one place to another. • Geographers recognize two main types of diffusion: __________________________ and ______________________________ diffusion.

2. A) Relocation Diffusion is the spreading of culture through the ___________________ movement of people. • ______________ Diffusion is another term for this process. • B) Expansion Diffusion is the spreading of cultural features from one place to another in an __________________________________ process. It takes three main forms: • 1)__________________________ Diffusion which is the spreading of a cultural item or trait from persons or places of high status, authority, or power. • 2)___________________________ Diffusion is the rapid, widespread diffusion of a cultural characteristic throughout a population. Similar to the spreading of an infectious disease. Ideas shooting through the internet demonstrate this diffusion.

3. 3)_________________________Diffusion is the spreading of an underlying idea or principle. It An example might be a piece of technology in one industry becomes adopted by others for their product/service. • In todays world the forms of Expansion Diffusion occurs much more _________________ due to ___________________________________. • As any type of diffusion occurs, people have the choice to adopt those parts of culture or not to. Two main terms that groups have taken in adopting cultural forms are: • 1)__________________________ is the process of adopting some of the cultural traits of another cultural group, yet maintaining elements of their original culture. Examples would be an immigrant speaking English at their workplace and in public, while at home they speak their native language or the Amish developing a modern business model for selling furniture, while still making it in their traditional way. • 2)__________________________ is the process by which people acquire the culture and habits of the dominant group. Their original culture is often lost or not practiced anymore. Examples : The idea of the Great American Melting Pot or from Star Trek when the Borg conquer different groups they say, “You will be Assimilated.”

4. Some cultural/ethnic groups stay united even when separated from their country of origin. They often form ethnic _______________________ or neighborhoods in their new country. An example would be Chinatown in San Francisco. Is this an example of acculturation or assimilation? Why? Any other famous ethnic enclaves you can think of? Enclave can be used in a different sense as well --- look at the diagrams below: (Source ---http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enclave_and_exclave) C is A's enclave and B's exclave C is an exclave of B, but not an enclave of A since it also shares a border with D

5. TWO IMPORTANT TERMS TO KEEP IN MIND AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THIS UNIT: 1)________________________ is identity with a group of people who share CULTURAL traditions of a particular homeland or hearth. 2)________________________ is identity with a group of people who share biological ancestors and genetic traits. These terms can be very confusing as they are often misused or misunderstood. Ethnicity is the key to geographers because it’s characteristics can be tied to _____________________, whereas Race is tied to biology.