Isn't it curious how some traditional American characteristics such as blue jeans or Coca-Cola products can be found in the most remote places, such as Himalayan villages or the French island of Bora Bora? Or how is football played in all parts of the world? Cultural diffusion and globalization explain these peculiar phenomena. While some believe that these two notions have a negative impact on society, others believe that on the contrary they have a positive impact. Personally I agree with the latter. Cultural diffusion was defined in 1980 by American anthropologist Alfred Louis Kroeber as “the dissemination or diffusion of cultural material” (Kroeber, 1940). Since culture is the way of life of a community, cultural diffusion is the spread of ideas, beliefs, religions, languages ​​and technologies from one culture to another. It helps explain why, for example, the same artifact is found in two different civilizations. Cultural diffusion has always existed. In the Middle Ages, the Crusades caused significant changes in the Middle East, bringing European ideas and products to the region, albeit forcefully. However, the Crusaders brought elements of Arab culture back to Europe. This exchange of cultural elements enriched both cultures. In the early 15th century, during the Age of Discovery, European explorers brought their culture wherever they went and, at times, forced it upon the original inhabitants of the discovered land, as was the case in North and South America. Colonization is another example of forced cultural diffusion, the best example being Lebanon and its still prevalent French culture. Some of the best aspects of Lebanon today, including its democratic political system, are due to French colonization... middle of paper... both of these processes should be monitored closely as they are evolving rapidly, and the negative aspect of these processes and their consequences and therefore work to avoid them. Works Cited Al-Rodhan, N. Geneva Center for Security Policy, (2006). Program on the geopolitical implications of globalization and transnational security. Retrieved from website: http://www.sustainablehistory.com/articles/definitions-of-globalization.pdfBarger, K. (2011). What is ethnocentrism?. Manuscript submitted for publication, Department of Anthropology, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, .Goldstein, M., King, G., & Wright, M. (n.d.). Diffusionism and accultation. Unpublished raw data, Department of Anthropology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, .Mikdashi, M. (2012, February 12). What is cultural terrorism? Jadaliyya