AICE Sociology Practice Exam

Cultural diffusion refers to the process through which cultural beliefs, practices, customs, and social activities are transmitted from one society or group to another. This phenomenon often occurs through various means such as trade, migration, and communication, allowing different cultures to share and adopt elements from one another.

For instance, when people from different backgrounds interact through globalization or trade, they often exchange ideas, technologies, and social norms. This blending of cultures can lead to the adoption of new practices or beliefs by the receiving culture, enriching it and promoting diversity.

The other choices highlight concepts that are not aligned with the definition of cultural diffusion. The restriction of practices within isolated groups relates more to cultural isolation rather than diffusion. The emergence of subcultures discusses how smaller cultural shifts occur within a dominant culture but does not necessarily involve exchange between distinct cultures. Finally, the transformation into singular global cultures speaks to cultural homogenization rather than diffusion, which emphasizes the interaction and blending of multiple cultures rather than the creation of a uniform global culture.