noun
- scholars or theorists who believe that cultural traits, innovations, or technologies spread from one society to another through contact and transmission
Usage: anthropology; archaeology
Examples
- The diffusionists argued that agriculture spread from the Middle East to Europe through migration.
- Early diffusionists believed that most cultural innovations originated in a few centers and then spread outward.
- Modern archaeologists often critique extreme diffusionists who underestimate independent invention.
- The diffusionists’ theory helped explain similarities between distant cultures.
- Some diffusionists proposed that ancient civilizations had more contact than previously thought.
- The debate between diffusionists and those favoring independent development continues today.