What is diffusion?

Diffusion is the spread of cultural aspects,

beliefs, ideas, and trends from one group to
another, which makes the world more
culturally diverse. There are four different
types of diffusion: contagious (expansion),
stimulus (expansion), hierarchical
(expansion), and relocation.

Contagious Diffusion
~ Contagious diffusion is the widespread diffusion of a
cultural characteristic or trend throughout the population.!
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~ Begins at a certain place, which is called the hearth.
From there, it radiates out to the rest of the population, who!
will continue to spread it, similar to the way a disease
would be spread.

Stimulus Diffusion
~Stimulus diffusion is the spread of an underlying
principle, even though a characteristic itself fails to
diffuse.!
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~The specific trait may be rejected for cultural
reasons, but the underlying concept or principle is still
accepted or changed.

Hierarchical Diffusion
~Hierarchical diffusion is the spread of an

idea or trend that starts with a person or node

of authority, such as a socially elite person, a
political leader, or a celebrity.

Relocation Diffusion
Relocation diffusion is the spread of an idea
through the physical movement of people
from one place to another.