Types of Diffusion [AP Human Geography Review Unit 3 Topic 4]

Summary

This Mr. Sin Channel video delves into the concept of diffusion in geography, explaining how cultural elements spread from one place to another. It differentiates between relocation diffusion, where people physically move, and expansion diffusion, which sees the trait spread to more people. The video further breaks down expansion diffusion into hierarchical, contagious, and stimulus diffusion, using examples like the Amish migration and McDonald's menu adaptations. It also discusses barriers to diffusion, such as cultural, political, and economic factors, and how technology has reduced physical barriers.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Diffusion is the process of spreading cultural elements, items, groups of people, or phenomena from one place to another.
• 🏠 The origin of a cultural element is known as the 'hearth', and diffusion can be categorized into relocation and expansion diffusion.
• 🚶‍♂️ Relocation diffusion occurs when a culture or group physically moves from one place to another, often leading to the hearth shrinking or dying off.
• 🌱 Expansion diffusion involves the spread of a cultural trait with an increase in the number of people adopting it, keeping the hearth strong.
• 📈 Hierarchical diffusion is a type of expansion diffusion where cultural traits spread from a central point, often top-down, like fashion trends or social media influencers.
• 🔄 Reverse hierarchical diffusion is when a cultural trait starts in a small community and spreads to larger ones, opposite to the usual top-down approach.
• 🌀 Contagious diffusion is characterized by the rapid spread of a cultural trait with little to no barriers, similar to how a viral video or meme spreads.
• 🔄 Stimulus diffusion involves the adaptation of a cultural trait as it spreads to different environments or cultures, such as McDonald's menu changes in different countries.
• 🚧 Barriers to diffusion can include cultural, political, geographic, and economic factors that restrict the spread of cultural traits.
• 🌐 Technological advancements have reduced the impact of physical barriers on diffusion, making it easier to connect with people worldwide.

Q & A

What is diffusion in the context of geography?

Diffusion is the spread of a cultural element, item, group of people, or phenomenon from one place to another.

What is the origin of a cultural element or group of people known as?

The origin of a cultural element or group of people is known as the 'hearth'.

How does relocation diffusion differ from expansion diffusion?

Relocation diffusion involves the physical movement of a culture or group of people without new individuals taking on the trait, whereas expansion diffusion sees the addition of more people practicing or taking on the cultural trait.

What is an example of relocation diffusion mentioned in the script?

The Amish people, who originated in Europe and migrated to the United States around the 1700s to escape persecution, is an example of relocation diffusion.

What are the different types of expansion diffusion?

The different types of expansion diffusion are hierarchical diffusion, contagious diffusion, and stimulus diffusion.

How does hierarchical diffusion typically occur?

Hierarchical diffusion often happens through systems, typically from some sort of power, often spreading from a top-down approach.

What is reverse hierarchical diffusion?

Reverse hierarchical diffusion occurs when a trait starts in a smaller community and spreads to a larger community.

What is contagious diffusion and how does it differ from hierarchical diffusion?

Contagious diffusion has little to no barriers, allowing the trait to expand away from the hearth in all directions, unlike hierarchical diffusion which spreads through a system of structures.

What is stimulus diffusion and how does it differ from other types of diffusion?

Stimulus diffusion involves the trait changing as it diffuses, but the underlying concept of the trait remains the same.

What factors can prevent or slow down diffusion?

Cultural barriers, political barriers, geographic barriers, and economic barriers can prevent or slow down diffusion.

How has technology impacted the barriers to diffusion?

Technological advancements have made physical barriers less of an obstacle for diffusion due to the internet, cheaper cell phones, and computers, making it easier to connect with people around the world.

What is the role of the 'hearth' in the process of diffusion?

The 'hearth' is the origin point of a cultural element or group of people. It often remains strong in expansion diffusion but can weaken and potentially die off in relocation diffusion as more people leave.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Understanding Diffusion in Cultural Geography

This paragraph introduces the concept of diffusion, which is the spread of cultural elements, people, or phenomena from one location to another. It explains that diffusion can be categorized into two types: relocation diffusion and expansion diffusion. Relocation diffusion occurs when a culture or group physically moves, often leading to a weakened original hearth area. Expansion diffusion sees an increase in the number of people adopting the cultural trait as it spreads from the hearth. Expansion diffusion is further divided into hierarchical diffusion, which spreads from a central authority or influential source to others, and contagious diffusion, which spreads quickly and without barriers. The paragraph also introduces stimulus diffusion, where the trait changes as it spreads to fit the local environment or culture.

05:01

🚧 Barriers to Diffusion

The second paragraph delves into the factors that can impede diffusion, such as cultural, political, geographic, and economic barriers. It highlights how language barriers can restrict the spread of ideas and how certain religious or cultural beliefs can slow down the adoption of specific traits. The paragraph also notes that technological advancements have reduced the impact of physical barriers, making it easier to connect globally. However, political, economic, and cultural barriers remain significant obstacles to diffusion. The video script concludes with an invitation for viewers to practice what they've learned by answering questions and to consider subscribing for more educational content.

Keywords

💡Diffusion

Diffusion refers to the spread of a cultural element, item, group of people, or phenomenon from one place to another. It is the central theme of the video, which discusses how various cultural traits and practices spread across different regions and societies. The script uses examples like the Amish migration and the spread of fashion trends to illustrate different types of diffusion.

💡Hearth

The Hearth is defined as the origin of a cultural element, group, or item. It is the starting point for diffusion. The video explains that as diffusion occurs, the Hearth may either remain strong, as in the case of expansion diffusion, or weaken and potentially die off, as seen in relocation diffusion.

💡Relocation Diffusion

Relocation Diffusion occurs when a culture or group of people physically moves from one place to another without the cultural trait spreading to new individuals. The video uses the historical migration of the Amish from Europe to the United States as an example, highlighting how the Hearth can shrink as people leave and move to new locations.

💡Expansion Diffusion

Expansion Diffusion is characterized by the spread of a cultural trait, item, or group of people that results in an increase in the number of people practicing or adopting the trait. The video distinguishes it from relocation diffusion by emphasizing the growth in the number of practitioners, such as the spread of cultural practices from a strong Hearth.

💡Hierarchical Diffusion

Hierarchical Diffusion is a type of expansion diffusion that often occurs through systems, typically from a position of power. The video explains this concept with the example of fashion trends starting in global cities and then diffusing to smaller settlements, or how social media influencers can popularize games like Fortnite.

💡Reverse Hierarchical Diffusion

Reverse Hierarchical Diffusion is a subtype of hierarchical diffusion where the spread of a cultural trait starts from a smaller community and expands to a larger one. The video contrasts this with the typical top-down approach of hierarchical diffusion by providing an example of a small business that grows and expands into a large urban city.

💡Contagious Diffusion

Contagious Diffusion is a type of expansion diffusion characterized by the rapid spread of a cultural trait without significant barriers. The video likens it to the spread of a viral video or meme, emphasizing how quickly it can become widespread throughout society.

💡Stimulus Diffusion

Stimulus Diffusion is a unique type of expansion diffusion where the cultural trait changes as it spreads. The video uses McDonald's as an example, explaining how the core concept remains consistent but adapts to local cultures and environments, such as menu items and store layouts, as it diffuses globally.

💡Cultural Barriers

Cultural Barriers are factors that can prevent or slow down diffusion. The video mentions language barriers and religious or cultural rejection of certain traits as examples of cultural barriers that can restrict the spread of ideas or practices between different communities.

💡Political, Economic, and Geographic Barriers

These barriers can also impede diffusion. The video points out that while physical barriers are becoming less significant due to technological advancements, political, economic, and geographic barriers remain significant obstacles to the spread of cultural elements.

💡Technological Advancements

Technological Advancements are noted in the video as factors that have reduced the impact of physical barriers on diffusion. The internet, cheaper cell phones, and computers have made it easier to connect with people worldwide, thus facilitating the spread of cultural traits and ideas.

Highlights

Diffusion is the spread of a cultural element, item, group of people, or phenomenon from one place to another.

The origin of a cultural element is known as the heart.

Diffusion occurs as people interact, move, or participate in the global economy.

Diffusion can be categorized into relocation diffusion and expansion diffusion.

Relocation diffusion happens when a culture or group physically moves.

Expansion diffusion sees the addition of more people practicing the cultural trait.

Hierarchical diffusion often spreads from a top-down approach.

Reverse hierarchical diffusion starts in a smaller community and expands to a larger one.

Contagious diffusion has little to no barriers and spreads quickly in all directions.

Stimulus diffusion involves the trait changing as it diffuses.

Cultural barriers can prevent diffusion, such as language or religious restrictions.

Political, geographic, and economic barriers can also restrict diffusion.

Technological advancements have reduced the impact of physical barriers on diffusion.

The biggest obstacles to diffusion are now political, economic, and cultural barriers.

The Amish are an example of relocation diffusion, migrating from Europe to the United States.

Fashion trends and social media influencers exemplify hierarchical diffusion.

McDonald's menu and store layout changes represent stimulus diffusion.

Transcripts

hello there geographers and welcome back

to the Mr sin Channel today we are going

to be reviewing everything you need to

know about diffusion as always if you

find Value in this video consider

subscribing and check out my other AP

Human Geography resources in the

description down below diffusion is the

spread of a cultural element item group

of people or phenomenon from one place

to another to start we have to look at

the origin of a cultural element group

of people or item which is known as the

heart over time as people interact with

other people move to different areas or

participate in the global economy we see

diffusion occur diffusion can be broken

down into two broad categories

relocation diffusion and expansion

diffusion relocation diffusion happens

when a culture or group of people

physically moves from one place to

another this type of diffusion does not

involve new individuals taking on the

trait that is being spread the number of

people participating in this culture or

believing in a certain idea stays the

same since diffusion is happening due to

migration we will often see the Hearth

start to shrink and possibly die off

this is because the Hearth becomes

weakened as more people leave the Hearth

and relocate to the new place an example

of relocation diffusion would be the

Amish who originated in Europe but began

to migrate to the United States around

the 1700s to escape persecution

originally settling around Pennsylvania

the Amish eventually started to migrate

West in order to find cheaper land and

avoid urban sprawl and the influence of

modern culture now expansion diffusion

on the other hand does does see the

addition of more people practicing or

taking on the cultural trait here the

Hearth often remains strong as the

cultural trait group of people or items

expand outwards from the heart when

trying to remember the difference

between relocation and expansion

diffusion just think about the numbers

if we are seeing the same number of

people practicing the culture as

diffusion happens it's most likely going

to be relocation diffusion but if we are

seeing more people practicing the

culture as diffusion happens causing the

amount of people to increase it's most

likely expansion diffusion now expansion

diffusion can be broken down into

different types of diffusion the first

type of expansion diffusion is

hierarchical diffusion this type of

diffusion often happens through systems

typically from some sort of power

oftentimes the trait will spread from a

top- down approach for example fashion

trends often start in global cities and

diffuse to other major areas and

eventually make its way down to the

smaller settlements or we could also

look at how news and ideas and products

can fused through social media

influencers for example games like

fortnite Among Us Fall Guys Apex or war

zone became popular after major social

media influencers started playing them

when a major content creator started

playing a game Their audience would see

how much fun the game was and start to

play it as well eventually they would

talk to their friends and get them to

join in and the game would spread

through Society now sometimes we can see

hierarchical diffusion go from a smaller

Community to a larger Community Instead

This is known as reverse hierarchical

diffusion an example of reverse

hierarchical diffusion could be a small

business starting off in a small town

over time as it grew it expands

throughout the region and eventually

makes its way into a large urban city

notice this is different than our

fashion example which started off in the

large urban area and worked its way down

one other thing to remember too when

talking about hierarchical diffusion is

that the trait is only spreading to

certain individuals in a society the

diffusion happens through a system of

structures and does not spread to

everyone at once if the diffusion of the

trait does not go through a system of

structures and spreads quickly and

everywhere it is much more likely that

it's an example of contagious diffusion

which is our next type of expansion

diffusion this type of diffusion has

little to no barriers which allow the

trait to expand away from the Hearth in

all directions when thinking about this

diffusion think about a viral video or

meme before you know it everyone has

seen it or is talking about it if you

need help remembering contagious

diffusion just think about someone

making a cup of coffee peeling an orange

or lighting a strong smelling candle at

first only the people near the Hearth of

the smell can smell the coffee candle or

orange but before you know it the smell

will have diffused through the entire

room and everyone will be able to smell

it the last type of expansion diffusion

is stimulus diffusion and this one is a

little bit different here the trait is

changing as it diffuses now it's

important to note that the underlying

concept of the trait is staying the same

what happens is as diffusion occurs we

see the trait take on different aspects

of the environment or culture it is

diffusing too for example if you look at

McDonald's around the world you will

notice that the menu changes for almost

every country each store often also has

its own unique store layout and exterior

to better fit in with the surrounding

place the concept of the McDonald's is

the same but different elements of it

have changed in order to account for the

different people and cultures where the

store is located so we can see that as

diffusion occurs McDonald's adapts and

changes some of its traits but it still

is McDonald's at the end of the day as

you can see diffusion can occur in a

variety of different ways but what would

stop something from diffusing well

diffusion could be prevented due to

cultural barriers for example if there's

a language barrier between two places it

will be more difficult to spread an idea

between the two places or if the

religion or culture rejects certain

traits or does not approve of certain

traits there may be more restrictions to

those traits causing them to diffuse

slower for example the access to

contraceptives may be restricted in a

community that is more religious and

does not approve of that we can also see

political barriers Geographic barriers

or even economic barriers restrict

diffusion such as migration which would

reduce individuals from different places

interacting with one another one thing

to note that due to technological

advancements physical barriers are

becoming less and less of an obstacle

for diffusion thanks to the internet

cheaper cell phones and computers it's

easier than ever to connect with people

around the world in fact today the

biggest obstacles to diffusion are often

now political economic and cultural

barriers so that's diffusion now comes

the time to practice what we've learned

answer the questions on the screen and

when you're done you can check your

answers in the description of this video

or in the comment section down below as

always don't forget to hit that

subscribe button if you found value in

the video and check out my ultimate

review package for more help with your

studies the packet covers everything you

need to know for AP human geography and

it's a great resource that can help you

get an A in your class and a five on

that National exam as always I'm Mr sin

thank you so much for watching and I'll

see you next time on line