Written by: Alia Ahmadi, Claire Casper, Analisa Conway, Melanie Duckworth, and Lauryn Grady UNIT THREE: CULTURAL PATTERNS AND PROCESSES

CULTURAL DIFFUSION

Cultural diffusion- The expansion and adoption of a cultural element, from its place of origin

WHAT THINGS SLOW OR PREVENT DIFFUSION? Time-distance decay : The declining degree of acceptance of an idea or innovation with increasing time and distance from its point of origin or source Now with faster travel and technology time- distance decay isn’t as prevalent as it once was. Cultural barriers : Prevailing cultural attitude rendering certain innovations, ideas or practices unacceptable or unadoptable in that particular culture.

TYPES OF DIFFUSION Expansion diffusion- idea or innovation spreads outward from the hearth – Contagious- spreads adjacently (ex. Ice bucket challenge) – Hierarchical- spreads to most linked people or places first (ex. Yoga pants) – Stimulus- idea promotes a local experiment or change in the way people do things (ex. McDonalds in India Relocation diffusion- movement of individuals who carry an idea or innovation with them to a new, perhaps distant location (ethnic neighborhoods)

LANGUAGES How did the words we speak today develop? Hello Bonjour Ciao Hallo Aloha Shalom Hola Konnichiwa

FORMATION OF LANGUAGES Language Divergence – when a lack of spatial interaction among speakers of a language breaks the language into dialects and then new languages - This is happening in Australia and New Guinea where neighboring tribes have deliberately attempted to alter their languages to make them as different as possible from the other tribes. This will eventually lead to new languages. Language Convergence – when people with different languages have consistent spatial interaction and their languages collapse into one - Sofades, Greece contains many Romani speakers. Sofades was in constant contact with the Greek language, so speakers became fluent in Romani and Greek. They then merged the languages, which is now referred to as Sofades Romani

LANGUAGE DIVISION Language families (Indo-European) Language branches (Germanic) Language groups (West Germanic) Languages (English) Dialects (Southern) Accents (Hey, ya’ll)

SPATIAL INTERACTION CREATES LANGUAGES Lingua Franca – a language used among speakers of different languages for the purposes of trade and commerce - Ex. English is the language of all air traffic controllers Pidgin Language – a language created when people combine parts of two or more languages into a simplified structure and vocabulary - Ex. Hawaiian Pidgin English Creole Language – a pidgin language that has developed into a more complex structure and vocabulary and has become the native language of a group of people - Ex. A child born into an environment where Hawaiian Pidgin English is widely spoken and acquires HPE as his/her first language

OFFICIAL LANGUAGES Official Language – a language that ties people together Risks - the language could be associated with colonial repression; riots could break out Benefits – it helps people communicate easier in trade and commerce; reflects the country’s history The United States has no official language

GLOBAL LANGUAGE Global / World Language – a language known and spoken in many countries throughout the world Will English remain a significant global language? – Yes : It is now the standard language of international business and travel. It is prominent in pop culture, computer and technology – No : Population growth is generally lower in English-speaking countries than they are in other areas. There is little evidence that says people will abandon their local language for English.

CULTURAL APPROPRIATION Culture Appropriation - the process by which other cultures adopt customs and knowledge and use them for their own benefit. – Researcher, Simon Harrison explains that cultural appropriation is a major concern for local cultures because people outside the local culture often privatize the cultural knowledge of a local culture, such as natural pharmaceuticals or musical expression, to accumulate wealth or prestige. – Local cultures can work to keep their customs and knowledge to themselves to avoid cultural appropriation. Commodification - the process through which something that previously was not regarded as an object to be bought or sold becomes an object that can be bought, sold, and traded in the world market. – Commodification affects local cultures in numerous ways since their material culture (jewelry or clothing) and nonmaterial culture (religion, language, and beliefs) can be commodified, which brings authenticity into question. – Examples: Herbal cures, Obama’s napkin, “traditional” Nepalese guides on spiritual journies. Authenticity: usually one image or experience is typecast as the "authentic" image and it is that image that a tourist desires. An "authentic" local culture does not fit into a single experience or image because it is so complex and not stereotyped.

CUSTOM ADOPTION Custom adoption: To adopt or take up another culture's routine practices and beliefs. – Similar to cultural assimilation which is the adoption by an individual of some or all aspects of a dominant culture and is a process of socialization. – Not all ideas can be readily and directly adopted by a receiving population; some are too vague, too unattainable or too different. Custom adoption can indirectly promote local experimentation and eventually change in ways of doing things. – Examples: Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican tradition. The difference between custom adoption and cultural appropriation is that appropriation is the selective adoption of cultural imports in which the ideas or things are adapted to customary life ways and accorded with alternating meanings. However, custom adoption is simply the adoption of another piece of culture in a process of socialization.

NEOLOCALISM

Neolocalism is the idea that a specific group or sect of society tries to, in a sense, return to their roots. They make a conscious effort to seek out through heritage and traditions. Once found, these traditions are reinstituted into daily lives. - Often a coping mechanism for dealing with modernization and globalization - Can have religious connotations (as in the case of the Hutterites and Amish) NEOLOCALISM

Neolocalism has lead to the founding of ethnic neighborhoods and zones. An ethnic neighborhood is a portion of a city or town that is inhabited by people of the same ethnic background who come together to practice their cultural traditions. Examples: - Hassidic Jews, members of an sect of Orthodox Judaism, have founded a neighborhood in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. - The North End of Boston is home to a large population of Italians and people of Italian descent. NEOLOCALISM AND DWELLINGS Hassidic Jews in Brooklyn Boston’s “Little Italy”

Neolocalism can inadvertently relate to commodification due to the novelty of cultural traditions. Example: - Amish furniture would seem normal to an Amish man or woman, but is sold to non-Amish Americans at high prices. - Chinatown is visited as a tourist sight in both New York and San Francisco. NEOLOCALISM AND COMMODIFICATION

LANGUAGE DIFFUSION HYPOTHESIS

Renfrew Hypothesis:  Proto-Indo-European was first in the Fertile Crescent.  The languages present in Europe diffused from Proto-Indo-European in Anatolia.  The languages present in North Africa and Arabia diffused from the Fertile Crescent’s Western Arc.  The languages present in Southwest Asia and South Asia diffused from the Fertile Crescent’s Eastern Arc. Conquest Theory:  Proto-Indo-European diffused east to west through Europe.  It was spread by the movement of people on horseback.  The language was taken up by European habitants along the way and has changed through its long existence. LANGUAGE DIFFUSION HYPOTHESES PROTO-INDO-EUROPEAN

Dispersal Hypothesis:  The languages that came from the original Proto-Indo-European language went east to Southwest Asia.  From there, they diffused around the Caspian Sea  Across the Russian-Ukrainian plains  Into the Balkans. Agricultural Theory:  Proto-Indo-European diffused from Anatolia through Europe to the west due to the movement necessitated by the creation of agriculture.  While some societies did not take to farming, the ones that did moved to the west (and north) about 11 miles (or 18 km) with each generation (25 years).  Farming made a higher availability of food, meaning the population rose.  These people continued across Europe, spreading Proto-Indo- European to places where people did not farm. LANGUAGE DIFFUSION HYPOTHESES PROTO-INDO-EUROPEAN

CONQUEST THEORY AGRICULTURAL THEORY

SOURCES Textbook- Human Geography: People, Places, and Culture, 10 th Edition