CULTURAL (SPATIAL) DIFFUSION(spread of ideas, innovations) – two
models
Expansion – ideas spread to new places as different cultures adopt idea
Has “Contagious” & “Hierarchical” Subtypes
Relocation – ideas spread to new places as culture groups migrate there
Perc
en
tag
e o
f P
op
ula
tion
Th
at
Ad
op
ts t
he I
dea o
r In
novati
on
MajorityAdopters (early and late)
Innovators
Time
S-Curve of Adoption of Innovations(non-spatial diffusion model)
Laggards
Spatial Models of Cultural Diffusion
South Africa
Namibia
Netherlands
England
Australia Won 1987, 1999, 2003
West Indies (combined team) Won 1975, 1979
PakistanWon 1992
Sri Lanka Won 1996
India Won 1983
Bangladesh
Canada
New Zealand
Zimbabwe
Kenya
Pakistani cricketer
2. The fusion of two distinctive cultural traits into a unique new hybrid trait is called syncretism
1. The two-way blending of cultures that results from increased interaction is called cultural convergence
Diffusion - Two related Diffusion - Two related conceptsconcepts
Religion: Diffusion and Landscape
Classification of ReligionsPaths and Types of DiffusionSacred Spaces on the Landscape
Religionsystems of formal or informal worship, faith, ritual … influences cultural landscapes –values and attitudes, rhythms of everyday life, calendar events, consumption of food/drink …
Classification of ReligionsUniversalizingUniversalizing:: claim to the “universal truth” –
seen as applicable to all humans
Seek to convert new members; open to all people
Spread mainly by expansion diffusion (any sub-type)
EthnicEthnic:: associated with a particular culture; membership by birth or identity with that ethnic group
Not evangelical (don’t actively seek to convert new members)
Spread mainly by relocation diffusion from origin area
Examples: Christianity, Islam, Buddhism
Examples: Hinduism, Judaism, Sikhism, East Asian religions, folk and traditional (tribal/Animist) practices
Approximate Membership of Selected Religions (estimated number, in millions, as of 2003)
Christianity (total all forms) 2,025
Islam (total all forms) 1,215
Hinduism 820
Chinese folk religions (syncretic) 390
Buddhism (total all forms) 360
Other Asian religions (various syncretic) 125
Sikhism 25
Judaism 20
All other ethnic/tribal religions (hundreds)265
Non-Religious and Atheist 1,100
Principal World Religions
Religious Regions of Lebanon
Small-scale world religion maps fail to show local details
Understanding religion regions is key to several current conflicts
Innovation and Diffusion of World Religions
Note hearth areas and diffusion paths of four largest religions (contrast Hinduism to 3 universalizing religions)
Diffusion Paths of Christianity
Spread mainly by hierarchical process, then by contagious expansion in Europe … then by relocation & expansion to European colonies
Diffusion Paths of Islam
Spread mainly by expansion diffusion through 17th century through Asia, North Africa. Now world’s fastest growing religion; spread by both expansion and relocation diffusion.
Jepara, southern Sumatra
Melang, Java
Grand Mosque, Banda Aceh, northern Sumatra
MOSQUE STYLES IN
INDONESIA
Diffusion Paths of Different Forms of Buddhism
Origin in Northern India; different forms spread by expansion and hierarchical diffusion outward; blended in East Asia (syncretism). Hinduism later reclaimed dominance in India.
Examples of Religion on the Cultural Landscape
Places of worship
Shrines, pilgrimage sites
Cemeteries, mausolea
Sacred spaces
Stonehenge, southern England (Druid site)
Sacred Spaces Sites of special religious significance (experiences, events)Hallowed grounds that are preserved across generationsFor believers, places endowed with divine meaning
Paha Sapa Kin Wiyopeya Unkiyapi kte sni yelo!!We never sold the Black Hills!!
(Lakota expression)
Shrine at Lourdes, southern France
Cathedral at Chartres, France
Methodist-Congregationalis
t (Protestant) church,
southwest Quebec, Canada
St. Basil’s
(Russian Orthodox), Red
Square, Moscow
Mid-City Cemetery
New Orleans
Recoleto Cemetery
Buenos Aires
Jewish cemete
ry, Chicag
oTemple Beth El (1973), Bloomington Hills, Mich.
Synagogue, Jewish quarter, Prague
(13th century)
Western (Wailing) Wall, Jerusalem
Buddhist stupa, Thailand
(Hemispherical shape is typical, but different
forms of Buddhism use differing types and
levels of ornamentation.)
Statue of Buddha
Hindu temple,
Northern India
Taj Mahal (Agra, India) – Islamic mausoleum
Hindu cremation ceremony,
India
Friday prayers, Grand Mosque, Mecca, Saudi Arabia: The Hajj
Memorial Spaces How similar to, and how different from, “sacred
space”?
Memorial Spaces
Monuments, memorials, shrines, museums, and preserved sites used to commemorate and sanctify the past
From D. Alderman (2000): “Public commemoration is a socially directed process: before historical events and figures can be regarded as memorable, people must judge them worthy of remembrance and have the influence to get others to agree.”
“Places of memory make history visible and tangible. … Memorial sites shape how we interpret and value the past.”
“Memorial landscapes are in a constant state of redefinition as governments rise and fall, as the heritage and cultural tourism industry continues to expand, and as marginalized populations seek public recognition.”
From O. Dwyer (2000): “The narrative content of these memorials reflects the types of archival materials that survive, the intentions of their producers, and contemporary politics regarding [historical events]. In turn, through their symbolic power and the large number of visitors who travel to them, these landscapes play a role in contemporary America’s ... politics.”