Cultural Appropriation

A Cultural Appropriation is a appropriation act that involves the inappropriate or unacknowledged adoption of culture practices from one culture by members of another dominant culture.

• Context:
  • It can (typically) involve the adoption of Cultural Practices such as fashion, music, and symbols from minority cultures by those from a dominant culture.
  • It can (often) result in anger and disdain by Appropriated Culture Members.
  • It can range from being a Benign Cultural Appropriation (exchange of cultural ideas) to being Exploitative Cultural Appropriation.
  • It can provoke debates around Cultural Identity and Cultural Preservation, highlighting issues of Power Dynamics and Intellectual Property.
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • Non-Native Americans wearing Native American Headdresses as fashion accessories or Halloween costumes (appropriating from various Native American Tribes).
  • Non-Black individuals wearing Dreadlocks or Cornrows (appropriating from African and African-American Cultures).
  • Non-Asian individuals getting tattoos of Chinese or Japanese Characters without understanding their meaning (appropriating from Chinese and Japanese Cultures).
  • Fashion brands using traditional Central American Textile Design without properly crediting or compensating the communities (appropriating from Central American Indigenous Culture).
  • White musicians adopting musical styles, such as Blues, Jazz, or Hip-Hop, without acknowledging their origins in African-American Communities (appropriating from African-American Culture).
  • Non-South Asian individuals wearing Bindis or Saris as fashion statements (appropriating from various South Asian Cultures).
  • Sports teams using Native American Mascots, names, or imagery (appropriating from various Native American Tribes).
  • Non-Pacific Islanders getting Polynesian-Style Tattoos without understanding their cultural significance (appropriating from various Pacific Islander Cultures).
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Acculturation, which involves mutual cultural exchange and adaptation rather than unidirectional appropriation.
  • Cultural Assimilation, where individuals or groups gradually adopt the cultural norms of another culture.
  • ...
• See: Acculturation, Cultural Assimilation, Cultural Exchange, Cultural Identity, Exoticism, Intellectual Property, Power Dynamics, Racial Fetishism, Social Justice.

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References

2024

• (Wikipedia, 2024) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_appropriation Retrieved:2024-5-25.
  • Cultural appropriation is the inappropriate or unacknowledged adoption of an element or elements of one culture or identity by members of another culture or identity. This can be especially controversial when members of a dominant culture appropriate from minority cultures. According to critics of the practice, cultural appropriation differs from acculturation, assimilation, or equal cultural exchange in that this appropriation is a form of colonialism. When cultural elements are copied from a minority culture by members of a dominant culture, and these elements are used outside of their original cultural context – sometimes even against the expressly stated wishes of members of the originating culture – the practice is often received negatively. Cultural appropriation is considered harmful by various groups and individuals, including some Indigenous people working for cultural preservation, those who advocate for collective intellectual property rights of the originating, minority cultures, and some of those who have lived or are living under colonial rule. Cultural appropriation can include the exploitation of another culture's religious and cultural traditions, dance steps, fashion, symbols, language, and music. Those who see this appropriation as an exploitative state that cultural elements are lost or distorted when they are removed from their originating cultural contexts and that such displays are disrespectful or even a form of desecration. Cultural elements that may have deep meaning in the original culture may be reduced to "exotic" fashion or toys by those from the dominant culture. Kjerstin Johnson has written that, when this is done, the imitator, "who does not experience that oppression is able to 'play', temporarily, an 'exotic' other, without experiencing any of the daily discriminations faced by other cultures". The black American academic, musician, and journalist Greg Tate argued that appropriation and the "fetishising" of cultures, in fact, alienate those whose culture is being appropriated. The concept of cultural appropriation has also been subject to heavy criticism and debate. Critics note that the concept is often misunderstood or misapplied by the general public and that charges of "cultural appropriation" are sometimes misapplied to situations such as trying food from a different culture or learning about different cultures. Others state that the act of cultural appropriation, usually defined, does not meaningfully constitute social harm or that the term lacks conceptual coherence. Additionally, the term can set arbitrary limits on intellectual freedom and artists' self-expression, reinforce group divisions, or promote a feeling of enmity or grievance rather than of liberation.

2024

• Perplexity
  • Cultural exchange and appreciation can be positive when done respectfully, but there is a line where it becomes exploitative cultural appropriation. Here are some key distinctions:

1. 1. Benign Cultural Exchange

- Mutual sharing and learning between cultures on an equal footing - Adopting elements like food, music, or customs with genuine understanding and respect for their origins and significance - Participating in cultural traditions when invited by members of that culture - Crediting and compensating the culture appropriately when using their art, designs, etc.

1. 1. Exploitative Cultural Appropriation

- A dominant culture taking elements from a historically oppressed minority culture - Using sacred or significant cultural elements in an disrespectful, stereotypical or commercialized way divorced from their original meaning - Profiting off another culture's traditions, art, or imagery without consent or compensation - Perpetuating offensive stereotypes or caricatures of the minority culture - Separating cultural symbols from their intended purpose and deeper significance

The key difference is the imbalance of power and lack of respect, consent and reciprocity involved in exploitative cultural appropriation. Mutual exchange celebrates diversity, but appropriation extracts pieces of a culture out of context for the dominant group's benefit while further marginalizing the minority group. [1][2][3]

Appreciation involves learning about a culture's history, asking how to participate respectfully if invited, and uplifting the voices of that community. Appropriation borrows from the culture without care for its significance and often perpetuates stereotypes or profits off it unfairly. The lines can sometimes be blurred, but the presence of imbalanced power dynamics, lack of consent, and disrespect for the culture's core meanings tend to indicate cultural appropriation rather than benign exchange. [4][5][6]

Citations: [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_appropriation [2] https://www.britannica.com/topic/cultural-appropriation [3] https://broadview.org/what-is-cultural-appropriation/ [4] https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/equity/NativeAmericanEducation/Documents/G8%20HLTH%20LP%20CulturalBias_Stereotypes_Appropriation.pdf [5] https://nativegov.org/resources/cultural-appropriation-guide/ [6] https://www.rd.com/list/examples-of-cultural-appropriation/ [7] https://law.rwu.edu/library/blog/what-cultural-misappropriation-and-why-does-it-matter [8] https://diversity.umd.edu/resources/cultural-appropriation-tipsheet [9] https://asaging.org/cultural-appropriation [10] https://www.healthline.com/health/cultural-appropriation [11] https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1943&context=student_scholarship [12] https://www.anewseducation.com/post/what-is-cultural-appropriation [13] https://www.reddit.com/r/changemyview/comments/9d1evc/cmv_cultural_appropriation_is_benign_at_worst_and/ [14] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/when-does-brand-appropriation-become-cultural-shereen-daniels [15] https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-cultural-appropriation-5070458 [16] https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/cultural-appropriation-of-indigenous-peoples-in-canada [17] https://theconversation.com/cultural-appropriation-when-borrowing-becomes-exploitation-57411 [18] https://4h.extension.wisc.edu/opportunities/projects/arts-communication/cultural-appreciation/ [19] https://www.britannica.com/story/what-is-cultural-appropriation

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