CHAPTER VI:

Lesson 1:Sources of Change and New Challenges to

Human Adaptation
FUNCTIONAL PATTERNS OF CHAN
GE AND ADAPTATION
Pure and Diluted Culture
The purity of culture can be undermined by the o
ngoing process of globalization.With globalization in
mind, a notion of pure culture suddenly disappears, a
nd the emergence of a 'Diluted Culture' becomes a re
levant one.This concept of diluted culture( or impure
culture) has a tinge of negativity in it. Dilution may co
nnote corruptions and pollutions.
Culture Osmosis and Patterns of Change
In Social Science Language, Culture Osmosis is the p
rocess of gradual, or unconscious assimilation of ideas kn
owledge practices along and across culture.

The Process Of Culture Change

Technol
ogy
Encount
Techn Culture A Culture B ered
ology
Culture
Technol
ogy

Innovation Diffusion and Assimilation

Acculturation
Culture Diffusion
When one culture begins to adapt elements of an
other, be it in manner, food, clothing, or agriculture pra
ctice, culture diffusion happens.

Innovation
This is the process of translating a new idea into so
mething that can create value. Social diffusion can be a
dapted as a way of spreading the innovator through va
rious channels.
Diffusion takes place in five steps
Knowledge
Persuasion
Decision
Implementation
Confirmation

Acculturation
It is a process where a minority adapts the cultural a
spects of the majority without losing into own tradition.

Assimilation
This refers to the process where some of the majorit
y community's cultural aspects are absorbed and the ho
me or minority's cultural aspects get mitigated or lost.
SOCIAL CONTRADICTION AND TENSION
The process of innovation, diffusion, assimilation, and accultur
ation are considered as functional because they do not lead to viol
ence and tension.
The entry of new ideas and technology , instead of leading to i
nnovation and diffusion , can disturb patterns and relationship bet
ween people and social classes and lead to class conflict.
Instead of acculturation or assimilation, an encounter of two di
fferent cultures can lead to inter-ethnic, more so if the dominant a
nd minority cultures have a history of conflict and their differences
appear so fundamentally irreconcilable.
Political violence can be result not only of ethnic conflict but als
o of class conflict.
Two of the more serious forms of political violence are revoluti
on and terrorism.
There has been an increasing relationship between political viole
nce and religion.With the decline of the role of class-based ideol
ogies such as Marxism that used to fuel class-based struggles ma
inly farmers and urban workers, religious fundamentalism has e
merged as a trigger for political violence.This strong connection
between religious fundamentalism and political violence is mainl
y due to three reason:

1. A negative view of modernity that sees it corrupting traditiona

l religions and causing human suffering
2.Hatred of Western States on fundamentalists accuse of exterm
inating and demeaning the true believers of their faith
3.Messianic, apocalyptic , and utopian ideas that believe righteo
us believers will prevail over modernity and the West
NEW CHALLENGES TO HUMAN AND SOCIAL CHANG
E
Two of the recent developments that provided h
uman societies opportunities to adapt to changes are
in the domain of global warming and climate change
and in transnational labor migration.

Global Warming and Climate Change

Global warming and climate change are environm
ental realities that have become a global concern.
To address the challenge, two mechanisms are availa
ble.One are referred to as mitigation mechanisms, w
here human societies, through their governments , c
ommit both to reduction in emmisions of greenhous
e gases by reducing their carbon emitting activities, a
nd to increasibg their carbon sequestration potential
by engaging in activities that would increase their for
est cover.
Adaptation mechanism entail the development of inn
ovative technologies and lifestyles that would lessen
the impact of, if not decrease the exposure and sensi
tivity, and increase the adaptive capacities of human
societies to the possible adverse effects of climate ch
ange.
Globalization, Transnational Migration, and OFW's
Globalization is the process that is different from and goes beyo
nd the process of trans nationalization of capital.Internationalizati
on of capita involves merely the relocation of certain production
processes to other countries, including developing countries.
Cultural and information flows lead to a globalization of the flo
w of ideas.Cultural flows are seen in the spread of locally-based c
ultural symbols such as American movies ,Japanese food, Korean
soap operas, and Thai messages.Information flows are enabled by
the internet, and other medium that enables the global transfer o
f information.
Capital flows are now also enabled by the globalization of financi
al institutions, as well as the globalization of the developmental p
rocess.
Global tourism is an important economic activity that is now a s
ource of revenue for countries.
Immigration, more permanent migration and has intensi
fied not only due to the relative openness of many coun
tries towards migrants, particularly those whose popula
tion are aging and would need a new labor force.

Economic migration which is the type where people mig

rate due to economic reasons, is the dominant type that
characterized the migration of Filipinos to the United St
ates, and later to Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

OFW's, who are also referred to as the migrant workers,

refer to persons who are to be engaged , are engaged, o
r have been engaged in an employment activity in a stat
e where he/she is not a legal resident.