| slowness in the rate of change of one part of a culture in relation to another part, resulting in a maladjustment within society, as from the failure of the nonmaterial culture to keep abreast of developments in the material culture. |
| Main Entry: | cultural lag |
| Part of Speech: | n |
| Definition: | a slower rate of change in one society as compared with others, esp. the failure of the nonmaterial culture to up with developments in the material culture; also called culture lag |
| Example: | Cultural lag is William Ogburn's term for a gap between the technical development of a society (material culture) and its moral and legal institutions (nonmaterial culture). |