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130 Examples of Culture Change

John Spacey, updated on May 26, 2023

Culture change is a shift in the norms, values, behavior and way of life of a people. This is greatly influenced by technology, world events and modes of communication such as media. Culture change isn't planned or managed but rather emerges with the shared experiences of groups. However, culture change often occurs in response to things that are planned and managed such as wars. The following are illustrative examples of culture changes throughout history.

Ancient	Agricultural Revolution The Invent of the Wheel Emergence of Writing The Bronze Age Emergence of Cities Rise of Empires Silk Road Trade Codification of Laws The Iron Age Spread of Christianity
Middle Ages	Rise of Feudalism The Crusades Improved Navigation Guild System – associations of craftsmen and merchants Scholasticism – Christian academia Black Death - the bubonic plague Rise of Universities Magna Carta – constitutional law Rise of the Merchant Class Windmills and Watermills Mechanical Clocks Invention of the Printing Press Invention of Cannons and Firearms
Renaissance	Secularism – a shift away from religious influence Artistic Revolution – realism and perspective Mass Production of Books Protestant Reformation Revival of Classical Thinking Humanism Rising Merchant Class
18th Century	Rise of Colonialism The Enlightenment Romanticism – emphasis on individualism American Revolution French Revolution Newtonian Physics Start of Industrial Revolution
19th Century	Industrialization Height of Imperialism and Colonialism Rising European Nationalism Steam Engine Railways Telegraph Photography Electricity Increased Literacy Rates Popular Fiction Growth of Newspapers Large International Exhibitions Theater and Music Halls Telephones Freudian Psychology Women’s Rights Movement Rise of Mass Culture
20th Century	Modernism Increased Life Expectancy Radio Popular Music Emergence of Youth Culture Rapid Fashion Trends Music and Dance Trends Cinema Automobiles Dominance of Mass Media WWI Airplanes Women’s Suffrage Movement 19th Amendment – Women’s Right to Vote WWII Nuclear Weapons Computers Shorter Working Hours Nuclear Power LP Records Globalization Global Pop Culture Fast Food Civil Rights Movement Desegregation More Women Enter Workforce Equal Pay Act of 1963 Civil Rights Act of 1964 Rock and Roll Counterculture Pollution at Scale Environmental Movement Beat Generation Vietnam War Anti-war Movement Hippie Movement Punk Culture War on Drugs Alternative Culture Movements Video Games Convenience Food Increase in Obesity Rates Gay Rights Movement Nuclear Family Self-help Movement HIV/AIDS Crisis VCRs Portable Cassette Players Gulf War The Internet Ecommerce Digital Media
21st Century	9/11 War on Terror War in Afghanistan Iraq War Social Media Smartphones Mass Participation in Media Filter Bubbles Political Polarization Rise of Subcultures Rising Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders Cloud Technologies Mass Surveillance Streaming Media Legalization of Same-sex Marriage Diy Movement Postmodernism Rise of Relativism Digital Currencies LGBTQ+ Rights and Identities Dietary Movements Such as Veganism Climate Change Social Justice in Social Media Social and Environmental Activism Legalization and Drug Policy Reforms Cancel Culture Corporate Social Activism COVID-19 Pandemic – lockdowns, mandates & social distancing AI Advancements

The list above is non-exhaustive. We are no doubt missing something important but the list was getting long. The order of the list is somewhat but not completely chronological.