Historic Causes of Diffusion

These flashcards cover key concepts related to the historic causes of cultural diffusion, imperialism, neocolonialism, language diffusion, and the impacts of language as a tool for governance and communication.

What are the factors that led to the diffusion of culture throughout the world?

Colonialism, imperialism, trade, official language, lingua franca, and creolization.

What is imperialism?

The dominance of one political community over another, influencing the weaker community to serve the dominant power’s interests.

What is neocolonialism?

The practice of using capitalism, business globalization, and cultural imperialism to influence a country instead of direct military or political control.

Define colonialism.

The process of using military force to conquer and settle another territory, whether it is occupied or unoccupied.

What resulted from European powers imposing their language and religion on colonized indigenous people?

New forms of communication and cultural traits among the peoples.

What is a Pidgin Language?

An extremely simplified non-native language used by speakers of two different languages.

Can you give examples of Pidgin languages?

Papua New Guinea's mixture of English and Papuan languages, and Spanglish, a combination of Spanish and English.

What is a Creole Language?

A pidgin language that develops into a new combined language with native speakers, often in contexts of colonization or slavery.

List some examples of Creole Languages.

Afrikaans, Cajun/Louisiana Creole, and Haitian.

What is a Lingua Franca?

A common language used for communication between speakers of different languages, especially in business and trade.

What is the world's primary Lingua Franca?

English.

Which language is a major Lingua Franca in China?

Mandarin.

What is an official language?

A language used by the government for laws, reports, signs, and other public objects.

What are some positive effects of having an official language?

Creates unity in diverse states, improves communication, and reduces printing costs.

What are some negatives of having an official language?

May marginalize or isolate other languages, often serving the interests of a powerful majority.

What does a geographic analysis strategy involve?

Discussing how each source represents a historic influence on cultural patterns.

How many spoken languages are there in the world?

Approximately 6,900 spoken languages.

What percentage of the world's population speaks one of the top ten languages?

3 out of 7 billion people.

What was the share of global economic power of the top three countries in 2010?

Approximately 6.3%.

What are the implications of imperialism on language diffusion?

Languages of colonizers often imposed on colonies, resulting in linguistic blending and emergence of new languages.