diffusionisms
/dɪˈfjuʒəˌnɪzəmz/
noun
- Theories or doctrines that explain cultural or social change as resulting from the spread of ideas, practices, or technologies from one society to another.
- The anthropologist's work was heavily influenced by diffusionisms that traced pottery styles across ancient trade routes.
- Many early diffusionisms assumed that all major innovations originated in a single civilization.
- Modern diffusionisms are more cautious, acknowledging that cultures can also develop independently.