Chapter 1 Section 4: How Culture Changes

Causes of Cultural Change 3 main ways that culture changes 1) Technology – is defined as the skills and tools people use. i.e. invention of wheel, paved roads Inventions lead to demands of certain resources i.e. steel for cars 2) Changing Environment – people are influenced by their surroundings i.e. the Plains Native Americans heavily relied on hunting Buffalo until settlers destroyed most of the buffalo population to make farm land 3) New Ideas – People are now conserving resources more than ever such as recycling. A new sense of the world has finite resources. Culture is adapted or borrowed to fit a different cultures needs

Diffusion The movement of ideas from one place to another It can occur peacefully or through war More than inventions can be exchanged such as ideas and religion i.e. Buddhism, iron plow, rock and roll Sometimes civilizations adopt ideas to make themselves stronger like Japan

Tradition and Change The concept of a “global village”, due to modern technology people are more connected than ever Ideas are exchanged quickly due to the internet, phones, fax machines, and transportation methods such as planes People all around the world can learn what happened thousands of miles away instantaneously Modern technology is changing cultures and sometimes have a negative impact of replacing traditional cultures

A Way of Life Changes The example of the Travelling People of Ireland They led a nomadic life – not settling an area permanently They are a subculture – a group of people within a society who share certain beliefs, values, and customs.

Understanding other Cultures Ethnocentrism – Judging other cultures by their own standards. Racism – the belief that one racial group is largely superior to another The difference between the two is that racism usually deals with controlling resources and political power The classical Greeks thought of themselves as a superior culture but did not judge outsiders by the color of their skin. Today, most cultures realize that racism is destructive and realize that culture is the main differences among people