Psychology 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 83: Ice Bucket Challenge, Cultural Lag, Culture Shock
2 Oct 2016
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Culture Lag and Culture Shock
• Culture lag is the fact culture takes time to catch up with technological innovations, resulting in
social problems. Common in societies because material culture changes rapidly, while non-
material culture tends to resists change.
o Material culture refers to physical and technological aspects of our daily lives, like food
and houses, and phones and non-material culture (symbolic culture does’t ilude
physical objects, like ideas/beliefs/values, which tend to resist change.
o Examples:
▪ Many Technology (material culture) outpace cultural adaptation examples
▪ Cars first invented no laws to govern driving (no speed limits, no guidelines,
lanes, stop signs, stop lights, etc). Very dangerous when cars first started
entering roads but laws soon written to fix problem.
▪ Computer and emails invented, and businesses took time to use technology.
• Culture Shock – feelings of disorientation, uncertainty, or even fear when they encounter
unfamiliar culture practices. Ex. Moving countries, move social environments, or travels to
another type of life (urban to rural).
o In foreign places, weather, language, landscape, food, values and customers, way
business conducted differently, stores open/close at different times, food can be
completely different. Everything you are used to is no longer in place.
o As a result of culture shock may feel sad, lonely, homesick, confused, etc, and have
questioned your decision to move to this new place.
o Ex. of culture shock: When people from Islamic countries (like Algeria) visit countries in
Western Europe (Spain/Italy). Individuals from Islamic countries might experience
culture shock when unmarried couples are kissing/holding hands in public and women
are wearing what they consider revealing clothing. This would be a culture shock
because they are experiencing things different from (in this case frowned upon) in own
cultures
Diffusion
• Diffusion is the spread of an invention or discovery or ideas from one place to another. Spread
of ideas such as Capitalism, democracy and religious beliefs have brought change in human
relationships around the world.
o Spread of music, phone technology, computer hardware/software have made a
difference in how people connect with others across the globe.
• Involves expansion of ideas across the globe
• Can occur in many ways.
o Exploration, military conquest, missionary work, mass media, tourism, internet.
• Ex of Diffusion: Food in America seen all around the world – McDonalds in Asia. Nike in Japan or
Australia. Spanish is one of fastest growing languages. Or the ALS ice bucket challenge.
• Diffusion between cultures has occurred throughout history but today it can happen faster
because of social media/internet.
• Culture Assimilation: Cultural assimilation is interpenetration and fusion of ethnic
minorities into the dominantculture.
Mass Media
• Mass media = dissemination of information, and how information is transmitted within a
culture. Includes print media (books, music, newspaper and magazines) and digital media (TV,
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Document Summary
Culture lag and culture shock: culture lag is the fact culture takes time to catch up with technological innovations, resulting in social problems. Moving countries, move social environments, or travels to another type of life (urban to rural). In foreign places, weather, language, landscape, food, values and customers, way business conducted differently, stores open/close at different times, food can be completely different. Individuals from islamic countries might experience culture shock when unmarried couples are kissing/holding hands in public and women are wearing what they consider revealing clothing. This would be a culture shock because they are experiencing things different from (in this case frowned upon) in own cultures. Diffusion: diffusion is the spread of an invention or discovery or ideas from one place to another. Involves expansion of ideas across the globe: can occur in many ways, exploration, military conquest, missionary work, mass media, tourism, internet, ex of diffusion: food in america seen all around the world mcdonalds in asia.
