WEEK 2 CULTURE CHANGE

WEEK 2

 CULTURE CHANGE

OBJECTIVES
1. Understand the ideas of what , when and why the culture change.

      2.  Discuss how language, culture and society are inter-related.
      3.  Identify and describe the process of change in culture- diffusion, assimilation, acculturation, culture loss and maintainance. 
      4.  Analysis issues related to the language, culture and society.

WHAT ACTUALLY CHANGES WHEN CULTURE CHANGE?

By the 1940’s, anthropologists began to realize that ideas, tools and other artifacts generally are not invented or change in isolation. They are the product of particular cultural settings. Cultures are organic wholes consisting of interdependent components. Invention often occur in response to cultural change.

Likewise, invention can affect all cultural institutions. Beginning in the 1950’s for instance, televisions in American homes affected how and when members of families interacted with each other. Less time was available for direct conversation. The size of houses in more affluent areas of the US are now usually 2-3 times larger than they were in the 1950’s.As a consequence, family members often have their own rooms and become more isolated.

By the early 1960’s, it was evident to some anthropologists that cultures do not exist in isolation. When culture change, they can have major impacts on environment. Similarly, when environment changes, there are likely to be impacts on culture. For example, global warming at the end of the last ice age, 10 000 years ago, very likely was a major contributing factor leading to the invention of agriculture.

PROCESS OF CHANGE

Three general sources of influence or preassure that are responsible for both change and resistance to it:       1.Forces at work within society
 2.Contact between societies
 3.Changes in the natural environment.

DIFFUSION, ACCULTURATION AND TRANSCULTURATION
1.  Diffusion: the movement of things and ideas from one culture to another
2.  Acculturation: What happens to an entire culture when alien traits diffuse in on a large scale and substantially replace traditional cultural patterns.
3. Transculturation: What happens to an individual when he/she moves to another society and adopts the culture.

CAUSES OF CULTURAL CHANGE
 Invention- creating new cultural elements
Discovery- involves recognizing and understanding more fully something in existence.