The end of geography? Globalization, communications, and culture in the international system

Globalization and the expansion of communications carry important consequences for culture in the international system. The effect of the expansion of communications on cultural change is examined using simulations based on Robert Axelrod's adaptive culture model. Findings show that the expansion of communications increases the rate at which cultures change and the level of cultural homogeneity in the system, but limited expansion of communications promotes the development of cultural diasporas. The expansion of communications also reduces the extent to which the most common cultural attributes tend to predominate after interaction.