Demonstration effect

Used in N.H. to indicate a social event capable of acting as an example or model in places both near by and far removed. In the latter case, ever more rapid and numerous means of communication contribute to shrinking distances, and thus the phenomenon of the d.e. is becoming more frequent. In addition, the similarity of structural situations within a system now becoming global, favors instances of the d.e. being “imported” and “exported” with greater ease. The importance of this phenomenon is that it shows the possibility of incorporating an event or pattern of action into a wider sphere than that of its origin. This is the case of a “weak” influence, which follows the reverse path of a “strong” influence. A strong influence is something directly imposed on cultures or social groups, which are thus made increasingly dependent. The phenomenon of reciprocal influences between social groups or environments that are far removed may be observed today in various spheres of activity. We should bear in mind that no social or cultural formation remains passive or inert, but always acts as a small or large-scale d.e., and is modified as it arrives in new ambits. The ongoing series of d.e.s that cultural diversity can generate clearly enriches the present process of planetarization.