by Maureen Leung

Created on: August 09, 2011

Culture loss happens when contemporary culture replaces traditional culture.  It is difficult to prevent culture loss as society continues to change. Individuals are not able to use traditional culture to adapt a new way of life.  Instead, they have to learn and adapt new culture of the society in order to survive.  As a result, traditional culture eventually will disappear.  To explain how society loses its culture, one must look into factors that lead to culture loss.

Invention

Invention replaces the old way of life.  Humans use their creative side to create something amazing to make life easier than before.  Also, they invent things to solve problems.  Invention of new technologies leads to a new way of life. For instance, when new technologies are invented, people will learn how to use those technologies to adapt a new way of life.  For instance, people used typewriters to type in the past.  Then, when computer was invented, workforces and schools started to use computer. As a result, people were strongly recommended knowing how to use computer instead.  Since then, computer has replaced typewriter.

Diffusion

Diffusion is borrowing ideas, traits, or things between cultures without firsthand contact.  For instance, most Chinese people who eat sushi have never been to Japan. However, people make contact through trade, intermarriage, and war. These ways of contacting and exchanging information and production increase the introduction of a new culture to other countries.  It also promotes changes in the world.  As changes take place in society, people will learn, adapt, and adopt an alternative culture in order to survive. As a result, traditional culture will die out. For instance, when globalization and industrialization were introduced to the world, they had replaced many agrarian and horticultural cultures.  Since then, many people have been moving to the cities to find to work.  They no longer live with their elders and relatives.  Instead, they leave their elders and relatives behind.

Stimulus Diffusion

Stimulus diffusion is when people use ideas or concepts from other culture to invent new ideas or concepts.  For instance, before the 4th century AD, Japan had no writing system.  During the 4th century AD, the Chinese writing system spread to Japan.  The Japanese recognized the Chinese writing system and adopted it.  They learned how to read Chinese. 

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