The document discusses the concepts of cultural lag, cultural inertia, and cultural diffusion. Cultural lag refers to an imbalance in a society's culture due to different rates of change in material and non-material aspects. Material culture (e.g. technology) tends to change rapidly while non-material culture (e.g. traditions) resists change. Cultural inertia is the resistance to cultural changes and clinging to outdated traditions. Cultural diffusion is the spread of cultural ideas, beliefs, and practices to areas beyond their origin through contact between societies. Education can help address cultural lag by bridging changes in material and non-material culture.

1. SEMINAR
EDU-01: KNOWLEDGE AND
CURRICULUM:
PHILOSOPHICAL AND
SOCIOLOGICAL
PERSPECTIVES
SUBMITTED BY
LUDIYA STANLY S.G
B.ED SOCIAL SCIENCE
ROLL NO:47

2. TOPIC:
CULTURAL LAG, CULTURAL
INERTIA AND CULTURAL
DIFFUSION

3. INTRODUCTION
• Culture is the way of life of people.
• The word “culture” is derived from the Latin word
“cultura” means”to cultivate”(to cultivate good
manners and habits).
• Culture is that complex whole which includes
knowledge,belief,arts,morals,law, custom and any
other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a
member of the society.

4. CULTURAL LAG
• The term”CULTURAL LAG” was coined by the US
Sociologist and Educator William Ogburn in 1922.
• It refers to the imbalance in the culture of a
society due to different rate of changes happening
in the material and non-material aspects of the
culture.
• Ogburn has divided culture into 2 parts : material
and non-material culture.
• Material: economic, technical, industrial, science,
means of transport etc…

7. • Non-material: values, beliefs, custom, practice,
tradition, moral, institution like family, religion,
education etc…
• He used cultural lag to describe the gap between the
material culture and non-material culture.
• Cultural lag occurs when one phase of culture changes
more rapidly from another phase.
• According to Ogburn, cultural lag is a common societal
phenomenon due to the tendency of material culture to
evolve and change rapidly and voluminously while non-
material culture tends to resist change and remain fixed

8. • Cultural lag causes social problems and cultural
conflicts.
• Education is the only means to bridge the gap between
material culture and non-material culture through
consciously planned curricular and co-curricular
activities.
• Example: Differing attitude found in various groups
about jobs that are suitable for women.
• Proper well planned education should be given to
remove the cultural lag.

9. CULTURAL INERTIA
• The term “CULTURAL INERTIA” was coined by
Psychologist Michael Zarate.
• It refers to the desire to avoid cultural changes and to
cling to traditions and ways of thinking that have
outlived their usefulness even when better ways are
presented.
• It is the resistance to change.
• Example: Resistance to use computers in offices when
they were introduced.

10. • Also the desire for change to continue once it is already
occuring.
• Within the cultural inertia framework, the dominant
group is stable and resists cultural change.
• While subordinate groups desire cultural changes which
incorporate their cultural traditions so that they don’t
have to assimilate into the dominant culture.
• Example:In the context of the United States and
immigration, the framework suggest that while majority
members resist the cultural change that occurs from
immigration.

11. CULTURAL DIFFUSION
• It is the process through which the ideas,
beliefs,practices, food habits,art, literature etc of a
particular culture are spread (diffused) through an area
beyond the culture who came up with the idea.
• Example: Spread of Christianity, Buddhism, different
languages,food habits etc…
• Cultural diffusion can be seen in many different cultures
throughout the world.
• Things that are spread through diffusion include ideas,
values, concepts, knowledge, practices, behaviours,
materials and symbols.

13. • The study of cultural diffusion was pioneered by
Anthropologists.
• Edward Tylor,a British Anthropologist,who wrote during
the mid- 19th C,posed the theory of cultural diffusion as
an alternative to using the theory of cultural evolution to
explain cultural similarities.
• Following the Tylor, the German-American Anthropologist
Franz Boas developed a theory of cultural diffusion for
explaining how the process works among areas that are
close to each other.
• These scholars observed that cultural diffusion happens
when societies that have different ways of life come into

14. CONCLUSION
• Cultural lag is seen as a critical ethical issue because
failure to develop broad social consensus an appropriate
uses of modern technology may lead to breakdown in
social solidarity and the rise of social conflicts.
• Cultural inertia causes differential preferences for
cultural change as a function of the extend to which
people identity with a cultural group, their sense of
esteem for a cultural group and the perception that a
culture is (or is not) already changing.
• Cultural diffusion has lead to enrichment of
cultures.similarly, cultural diffusion enhances peace by

15. REFERENCES
• “Teaching And Research Aptitude”
. -Dr.K.Kautilya
• “Social Change With Respect To Cultural And Original
Nature”
. -William Fielding Ogburn