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Cultural Diffusion

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Cultural Diffusion
Cultural Diffusion and its Influence on Europe and Sub Saharan Africa
Both Europe and Sub Saharan Africa was and still is a melting pot consisted of a blend of races and cultures that has integrated into a cohesive whole. Take The Melting Pot restaurant as an example; The rich blend of the chocolate sauces can resemble a specific culture such as strawberry, white, dark, raspberry, etcetera, but when they are mixed together, the melting pot creates a swirl that symbolizes the blending of one culture and another. From colonialism and migration, varieties of cultures began to coalesce and create what we know as culture diffusion, today.
Cultural diffusion is the dissemination of ideas, languages, and customs from one culture to another. Now,
…show more content…
European colonialism, led by Portugal and Spain, began in the 1400s. It was not until the 1500s when England, France, and the Dutch began their own campaigns. Competition amongst European empires grew, as they each wanted the land for agricultural purposes. The colonization of Africa with the Europeans as the colonizers reshaped the political and ethnic landscape. In addition to the efforts to end slavery, the Europeans also attempted to spread and bring Christianity to Africa. As Europeans began to explore African and its interior, they began to recognize its resource potential. They sought out to exploit the potential wealth Sub-Saharan Africa had. Due to colonization, Sub Saharan Africa began to both accept and adapt elements of European civilization. In turn, they also began to accept the culture of the European’s. European colonialism introduced Sub-Saharan Africa to aspects of Western culture as well. The process of Europe colonizing Sub Saharan Africa was good for them (Europe) economically, but bad for Sub Saharan Africa economically. Another way cultural diffusion has affected development in Sub Saharan Africa and Europe is through trade. A trade route that played a vital part in the development of Europe was the Silk Road. As mentioned earlier, cultural exchanges occurred along the Silk Road. Additionally, the Silk Road was used to spread Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity. The ways in how colonization, trading routes, and migration affected Europe and Sub Saharan Africa are reflected in their society

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