Cultural diffusion
Cultures that once seemed securely anchored to particular places have now spread across the planet.
Globalisation has the power to move cultures around on a global scale. We can call this geographical process cultural diffusion.
Cultures that were once imagined to be isolated have been challenged by competing cultures, perhaps creating political tensions. Sometimes the global dispersal of cultural traits enables cultures to fuse into a hybrid form, creating exciting new cultural traditions. Alternatively, this global disperal can result in a culture clash, where people seek to defend their cultures against perceived external threats.
Cultural geographers use the term displacement to refer to a culture that has found a new locality.
Globalisation has the power to move cultures around on a global scale. We can call this geographical process cultural diffusion.
Cultures that were once imagined to be isolated have been challenged by competing cultures, perhaps creating political tensions. Sometimes the global dispersal of cultural traits enables cultures to fuse into a hybrid form, creating exciting new cultural traditions. Alternatively, this global disperal can result in a culture clash, where people seek to defend their cultures against perceived external threats.
Cultural geographers use the term displacement to refer to a culture that has found a new locality.
What is culture? Culture is not the preserve of those who enjoy art galleries and opera. We all have culture.
Culture is about shared meanings. People who live in the same place often share a common understanding of a multitude of things that, when added together, can be described as the culture of a particular place. For example, in some places mourners will share an understanding that white clothes are worn to a funeral. Whilst in other parts of the world, black is more likely to be worn as a sign of respect for the deceased. In an increasingly globalised world, more of us are seeking to participate in 'other' cultures - either by travelling vast distances, or by seeking alternative cultures that might exist locally. |
Green is for losers
Photo: The Economist
When China's stock market crashes, the world turns green. Unlike most stock markets around the world, red means prosperity, while green is for losers. The example of China's Stock market, illustrates how much we take cultural diffusion for granted. Sometimes it is when a culture has not globalised that we notice the extent of cultural diffusion. |
We all have culture and Cultural Geography does not focus simply on elite cultures. We all have cultural traits that can include so many form as diverse as:
