Unit IV: Culture and Cultural Diffusion

Culture and

Cultural Diffusion

What is “CULTURE”?

• It is the learned behaviors, beliefs, patterns of interaction, music, food, art, and customs of a particular social, ethnic, or age group.

• It is the "personality" of a nation

• It is what makes Japan "Japanese", Norway "Norwegian" and the USA "American"

“GRACE’S LANGUAGE”

Government

Religion

Arts (music, dance, painting, books)

Customs & Traditions (Holidays)

Economy (Technology, Resources)

Social Organization (Families)

Language (The “glue” of culture!)

Multiple Choice

Which element of culture binds all other elements together like glue?

• Government

• Language

• Food

• Sports

• Religion

​Every culture develops its own unique style of music

​​Music

​Every culture has unique sports

Sports

You do not have to look far in Sioux Falls to see examples of cultural dishes!

​​Food

Can you identify the country?

Dance

​Families have similarities and differences in other cultures.

​​Families

​Cultures have unique wedding customs.

​​Weddings

​Cultural differences are evident in school systems.

Education

Brainstorm

• What are some similarities between cultures?

• What are some differences between cultures?

Cultural Similarities

• Do cultures develop similarities apart from each other?

• Do cultures somehow borrow from each other?

• If cultures borrow, how can two geographically distant cultures borrow from each other before modern technology? (cell phones, airplanes, internet)

Cultural Diffusion

• A process in which cultural traits are spread from one culture to another

• Can CD be intentional or unintentional?

• Can CD have both positive and negative consequences?

What are some

examples of

periods of
cultural
diffusion?

The

Gunpowder

Dynasties

A series of Muslim

dynasties in India, the

Middle East, and Eastern
Europe that conquered
large areas and created
cultures that combined
Muslim identities with

local beliefs

The

Renaissance

A time of “rebirth” and
explosion of creativity
that both drew from

classical Greek, Roman,
and Arabic culture and

spread throughout

Europe.

The

Reformation

A time of religious change that led to the development of many new sects of Christianity and the spread of new religious ideas throughout the western world.

Exploration

• A period of discovery where European monarchs funded explorers' missions to India, China and the "New World".
  
  * This led to the spread of food, ideas and diseases