Human Geography Ch. 4.3 Explain the diffusion of popular culture and culture traits through space and time.

Time-Space Compression The sense that the world is getting smaller as a result of recent innovations in transportation and communication technology. Ideas, goods, and people can travel further is less time that at any time in human history

Time-Space Compression Travel times compared to the past Past Present Walking (20-30 miles/day) - Car (70 mph) Horse (50 miles/day) - Bullet train (125 mph) Crossing Atlantic by sailboat (8-12 weeks) - By cargo ship (7 days) - Jet (650 mph) Letter across USA by Pony Express (10 days) - FedEx (24 hrs)

Diffusion of Popular Culture Hierarchical Diffusion - ideas/innovations diffuse from the hearth to the most connected people and places Think fashion: Who adopts a fashion first? Last? What places lead in fashion? What places lag behind? Does everyone adopt the same fashion?

Law of Diffusion

Law of Diffusion Innovators: Originators of idea/innovation Early Adopter: Most connected and can afford Early Majority: Not as connected; can only afford as costs decline Late Majority: Less connected or can’t afford until costs decline Laggards: Least connected (small towns, rural areas) or can’t afford to cost declines sharply

Law of Diffusion - Fashion Innovators: Fashion designers Early Adopter: Celebrities, wealthy, popular (Giorgio Armani) Early Majority: Average person (Anne Taylor) Late Majority: Average person (J.C. Penney) Laggards: Least afford or least connected (Walmart, TJ Maxx)

Hearths of Popular Culture Can be places, businesses, and people More developed countries (USA, Japan, UK, France) Major Corporations (Time-Warner, Disney, Viacom) Major Cities Internet (Social Media, YouTube)

Hearths of Popular Culture - USA New York City Los Angeles Nashville Miami ???????

Hearths of Popular Culture - World Cities NYC London Tokyo Paris Milan

What determines connectedness? Size of populations Travel between location Economic activity (trade, business activity) Proximity (how close to each other) Level of development

The Gravity Model Explains the level of connectedness between population centers The shorter the distance and the greater the population, the greater the gravitational pull

The Gravity Model The greater the gravitational pull, the higher the levels of travel,, trade, and communication between the two. More connected = greater diffusion of popular culture

Manufacturing Popular Culture What is “popular” can be manufactured and then sold to the population, thus making an idea, or fashion, or song popular. Music companies that promote a song or artist over others Media corporations that decide which movies, celebrities, merchandise to promote Fashion houses that decide on the next year’s fashions Businesses that target segments of population with commercials/advertisements Individuals that create online videos/blogs that attract large numbers of followers

Manufacturing Popular Culture Popular culture can be created by corporations or individuals. For example....what is cool? Dress, music, media, food, slang Often created in order to “sell” a product

Manufacturing Popular Culture Michelle Phan Ninja

Reterritorialization When people of a place take an aspect of popular culture and modify to fit their own cultural context, thus making it their own (kind of like stimulus diffusion)

Reterritorialization - Hip Hop

Most Popular Sports - USA

Most Popular Sports - USA

Most Popular Sports - World

Most Popular TV Shows - USA