Measures of cultural flows or how much cultural affinity people feel? Cultural flows may be more feasible if one were to look at vectors for inventions, dishes

Measures of cultural flows or how much cultural affinity people feel? Cultural flows may be more feasible if one were to look at vectors for inventions, dishes, or ideas (i.e. distance travelled over time) as a proxy for connection. How close people feel to their neighbours I would say has more to do with specific communities than actually how connected people are. For one thing, there would be the assumption that people are aware of what other communities are like or doing in order to have any set stereotypes or sense of affinity.