After a transnational corporation brings a large number of skilled workers from Japan to a U.S. region, accompanied by their families, teachers in a local high school notice that the new students and many of their classmates are reading Japanese manga comics. Which form of diffusion does this example most clearly represent?
A. Relocation Diffusion (My answer)
B. Expansion Diffusion
C. Hierarchical diffusion
D. Stimulus Diffusion
E. Contagious Diffusion
The example you provided most clearly represents option C. Hierarchical diffusion.
Hierarchical diffusion refers to the spread of an idea or cultural trait from one influential group or person to other people or groups of lesser influence. In this case, the transnational corporation brought skilled workers from Japan to a U.S. region, along with their families. These workers and their families likely bring with them their cultural practices, including reading Japanese manga comics.
The teachers in the local high school notice that not only the new students but also many of their classmates are reading Japanese manga comics. This suggests that the influence of the new students and their families has introduced the practice of reading Japanese manga comics to the local students, who may have been previously unaware or less exposed to this form of media.
In hierarchical diffusion, the spread of cultural traits typically follows a top-down pattern, with the influential group or person at the top influencing those lower down the hierarchy. In this case, the transnational corporation and its skilled workers are the influential group introducing the practice of reading Japanese manga comics to the local students.