3.7 Diffusion of Religion and Language

• Diffusion in geography refers to the spread of ideas, behaviors, or cultural elements from one location
• Match the type of diffusion with its definition:

  Spatial Diffusion ↔️ Spread of a cultural trait across geographic space

  Temporal Diffusion ↔️ Spread of a cultural trait over time

  Hierarchical Diffusion ↔️ Spread from larger to smaller places
• Arrange the steps of hierarchical diffusion in the correct order:

  1️⃣ A fashion trend starts in a big city

  2️⃣ The trend spreads to smaller towns

  3️⃣ Local stores adopt the trend

  4️⃣ The trend becomes widely accepted
• Match each religion with its primary diffusion pattern:

  Christianity ↔️ Relocation and expansion

  Islam ↔️ Expansion through conquest

  Buddhism ↔️ Relocation and hierarchical
• Which country's colonial expansion led to the widespread adoption of English as a global language?

  British Empire
• Spatial diffusion involves the geographic spread of cultural elements
• The major world religions have exhibited only one pattern of diffusion: expansion.

  False
• The spread of English as a global language is solely due to trade networks.

  False
• Why is language preservation important for cultural identity?

  Transmits values, traditions, worldview
• What key cultural elements does diffusion help spread across the world?

  Religion and language
• Hierarchical diffusion involves the spread of ideas from larger to smaller places
• Islam spread primarily through expansion by conquest and trade
• Colonialism often resulted in the suppression or displacement of local languages
• What is hierarchical diffusion?

  Spread from larger to smaller places in a hierarchy
• Match the religion with its primary mechanism of diffusion:

  Christianity ↔️ Trade routes, missionaries, conversion

  Islam ↔️ Military expansion, trade networks, cultural exchange

  Buddhism ↔️ Trade, monastic communities, royal support

  Hinduism ↔️ Trade, priestly migration, royal patronage

  Judaism ↔️ Diaspora, trade, conversion
• Administrative imposition refers to the official adoption of the colonizer's language in government and education
• Match the feature with its impact on religion and language:

  Increased mobility ↔️ Increased religious diversity

  Cultural dominance of global languages ↔️ Linguistic diversity loss

  Education and cultural programs ↔️ Language revival efforts
• Revitalizing endangered languages is crucial for safeguarding cultural heritage.


  True
• Expansion diffusion is the spread of cultural traits without the physical movement of people
• Temporal diffusion describes the spread of a cultural trait across geographic space

  False
• What are the two main diffusion patterns of Christianity?

  Relocation and expansion
• Colonialism has played a significant role in language diffusion worldwide


  True
• Arrange the steps of colonial language diffusion in the correct order:

  1️⃣ Colonizers establish administrative control

  2️⃣ The colonizer's language is imposed in education

  3️⃣ Local populations adopt the language for social advancement

  4️⃣ The colonizer's language becomes official
• Arrange the major world religions in terms of their primary diffusion patterns:

  1️⃣ Christianity: Relocation and Expansion

  2️⃣ Islam: Expansion through conquest and trade

  3️⃣ Buddhism: Relocation and hierarchical

  4️⃣ Hinduism: Relocation and hierarchical

  5️⃣ Judaism: Relocation and expansion
• What is the primary role of colonialism in language diffusion?

  Spreading languages to new territories
• Arrange the following impacts of globalization on religion in chronological order:

  1️⃣ Increased Religious Diversity

  2️⃣ Revival and Spread of Local Religions

  3️⃣ Globalization of Religious Institutions
• The loss of a language often leads to the erosion of traditional knowledge and cultural identity