Ogburn's theory of cultural change

Ogburn defined invention as a combining of existing elements and materials to form new ones. Although we think of inventions as being only material, such as computers, there also are social inventions, such as capitalism and the corporation. As we have seen, inventions, whether material or social, can have far-reaching consequences for a society.
His second proess of change is discovery, a new way of seeing reality.
Ogburn defined diffusion as the spread of an invention or discovery from one area to another. Diffusion occurs because of culture contact, usually travel, trade, or conquest. With our new techonlogies, culture contact also occurs through telecommunications. As peopel migrate or visit an area, trade with one another, or one group conquers another, both their material and symbolic cultures change. One the material level, steel implements may replace stone items, or cellular telephones may replace written communications. The change, however, goes far beyond such material items, for culture contact also changes people's symbolic culture, their ideas and social relationships.