Global Connections: Cultures & Society

Diaspora refers to people living outside their homeland. These groups spread their cultures in the places where they are living but remain loyal to their homelands. Diaspora from India, for example, have come to the United States in great numbers. Albanian Kosovars moved from Kosovo during the Kosovo War in the 1990s and found homes in Switzerland, Germany, and Turkey. They continue to support their families remaining in Kosovo in several ways, including sending money to relative. They also maintain a connection with family and return for visits.

Culture is the beliefs, values, and ways of life associated with a specific group of people. It may include religious beliefs, the ways holidays are celebrated, and how children are educated. Certain types of food are associated with different cultures. For example, sushi is associated with Japanese cultures, and pierogies are associated with Polish culture (and other cultures from Eastern Europe).

To diffuse means to spread over a large area. Cultural diffusion is the spreading of a culture over an area.

Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday that has spread to the United States and other countries with large Mexican populations. Adding a different kind of main course for a Christmas Day or Christmas Eve meal is a Slovakian tradition that has become popular with some people in the United States who like fish. Carp, a special fish for the Slovak people, is traditional to serve on Christmas Eve. Some children have a piñata at a birthday celebration. A piñata is a container that is made of pottery or paper mâché and holds candy or little toys. Celebrating in this way is a Mexican tradition that has been culturally diffused to other cultures and geographic areas.

KEEP IN MIND . . .
Foods you enjoy from other countries—curries from Thailand, crepes from France, and stollen from Germany—are part of the cultural diffusion from those countries!

While the word diffusion means “spreading,” the term assimilation means “absorbing.” Cultural assimilation occurs when cultural groups absorb, or adopt, some of the practices and language of their new country. People who come to the United States become assimilated when they learn English. They may also become assimilated by eating foods that are considered “American.” People who move to Poland, for example, become assimilated in the Polish culture by learning the Polish language, joining in celebrations significant to Poles, and learning to enjoy the foods of the country.

Population trends and issues have global connections. A trend is something that is current at a certain time. Trends change. What is popular in clothing styles one year may change the next. Population trends, such as the size of a population or the area in which a population lives, also change. There were more than 7 million people in the world in 2018, and the numbers of people are expected to increase over the next few years. Reasons for this increase include the following:

• People live longer.
• Birth rate is greater than death rate.
• There are more multigenerational households.

As the number of people on the globe increases, issues can arise:

• Urban areas can become overcrowded. People move to or live in areas where they believe they can have a good life for themselves and their families. A good life means a job, shelter, and education. Urban infrastructures are not always able to meet the needs of increasing populations. An infrastructure consists of the services and facilities needed to make a city or area function. It may include water and sanitation services and a transportation system. It also includes schools, healthcare facilities, and sources of food. If these services and facilities are inadequate, then the infrastructure cannot support the increase in population.
• The number of immigrants can increase. For example, in the 2010s, European countries have experienced a swell of immigrants from war-torn countries in Africa and the Middle East. Many do not speak the language of the country to which they move, and it can take time for them to adapt to the culture of their new home.

Migration also affects rural and urban settlement. There is a trend of young people moving away from small towns and rural areas where they grew up. Fewer young family members want to take over the farming responsibilities of their parents who have produced agricultural products for the nation. There is not enough work in many rural areas throughout the world, resulting in people moving to urban areas. In some areas of the world, droughts and famine have caused people to move to urban areas from rural areas. In other areas, people are unable to survive on subsistence farming. Subsistence farming is a type of farming that provides enough for the family but does not provide enough for sale. The following distribution map shows the population centers in various locations.

(Please insert a map, chart, etc. to show urban/rural population centers. It should be similar to the one shown in this link:https://www.groasis.com/en/planting/migration-from-the-countryside-to-urban-areas)

Example

A multigenerational family is one that __.

The correct answer is D. A multigenerational family includes several generations.