Cultural Appropriation Of Culture

It is a term that has dominated the media; from Halloween costumes to NFL mascots, headlines across the nation blare the words: “cultural appropriation.” Yet, many still are not quite sure what the term means. To put it simply, cultural appropriation is the exploitation of a culture that is not one’s own.

In Western culture, people seldom realize the amount of cultural appropriation that occurs around them. Westerners are blinded by cultural mockery and cultural appropriation without realizing its offensive effects to minority groups. During the Halloween holiday, in Western culture, people of all ages dress up in a variety of costumes such as horror themed, fairy tale themed, job themed, cultural themed and much more. Harvard University members have argued that a cultural themed costume is a form of cultural appropriation. Also in Western culture, in the music industry, white artists have utilized and exploited aspects from minority cultures to boost their fame. Costumes, props, ideas, music, and others considered as cultural appropriation is often overlooked but it is apparent when closely examined.

A man stands proud and tall, an elegant headdress of feathers adorning his head. He is not at a ceremony, nor is he going to war to preserve his way of life. He is not Native American, either, and he is not alone. At the Coachella Valley Music and Arts festival, people like this man gather in throngs to listen to alternative rock and electronic dance music. They often claim to be honoring Native American tradition, but others consider his choices offensive. Cultural borrowing and assimilation have been, and continue to be an integral part of American society, but some think that this diffusion has gone as far as theft. In order to determine that, however, on must cast a discerning eye on both arguments.

As our country evolves with different cultures from around the world, people are unaware of the fine-line between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation. So, what is cultural appropriation? Cultural appropriation is when members of a dominate culture, mainly white, borrow from the cultures of minority groups without their input. While there are many people who feel disrespected by others using their culture, there are still people who appreciate and value ones culture.

Cultural appropriation is the adoption or theft of icons, customs, beliefs, or styles from one culture or subculture by another. McWhorter argues,“But what began as a legitimate complaint has morphed into a handy way of being offended by something that should be taken as a compliment.”(McWhorter 1)A multitude of people may believe when there is adoption of one culture it should be seen as a compliment as well because they are appreciating the culture by imitating it into their own. “It used to be that we said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But now there is new way to see the matter: Imitation is a kind of dismissal.” But if not fully understandingthe significance of what is being adopted then to the owning culture it is seen as appropriating and not appreciating. If it was indeed appreciating, time would be taken out to fully understand what and why the culture indulges in the custom or belief and so on. Just noticing a particular act of item in a culture and putting it into your own without the proper

Cultural appropriation is disrespectful to those belonging to the minority culture. A blatant example of cultural appropriation shown in

According to Oxford Dictionary, cultural appropriation is defined as the inappropriate adoption of the customs of one people by members of a more dominant people. This can be especially dangerous due to the distortion and disconnection of a culture’s custom from its roots. However, at the same time, cultural appropriation can lead to cultural exchange which is beneficial to the overall development of the world because different cultural groups can connect to others through cultural similarities. An example of this is when former President Barack Obama, in 2016, held the first ever Diwali celebration in the White House. Although this was an attempt for America to appropriate Indian culture, at no point did I feel offended or mocked. As an American Indian, this made me garner a feeling of great pride for both my country (USA) and for my ethnic background. Therefore, cultural exchange/appreciation is the act of sharing cultural practices between different groups of people. Nonetheless, there is a fine line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation. The issue of this boundary can be explored in the rap industry which is dealing with an influx of multicultural attention. Rap, historically, was an artform founded and pioneered by the African American community. Recently, there has been a surge in the participation of whites in rap. Robert Clift's 2010 documentary, Blacking Up, investigates the issues of cultural exchange and appropriation in the hip hop

In America, cultural appropriation has been a prominent topic in the media. From the afro in the 70’s and perms in the 80’s, some ethnic groups see some ethnic groups culture fashionable and “aesthetic.” Though not intended, those specific groups (mostly African American and Native American cultures) see this as a form of mockery and feel discredited when someone with power in the media takes a certain style and profits. I believe that if you take a specific item out of it’s original context it is cultural appropriation by using certain items in the media as everyday

Cultural Appropriation is defined as when you take intellectual property, traditional knowledge, cultural expressions or artefacts from someone else’s culture, without permission (Scafidi, 2005). In mythology and folklore it can have very negative consequences as often a cultures traditional stories are taken without consent and adapted significantly, usually from a western lens. These texts are often not treated with respect, and elements which seem unusual or interesting are sensationalized and exaggerated. The original creators then find that their stories have already been told, complete with misunderstandings and disrespectful changes. Eventually, people within a cultural context can lose control over their own stories and mythology completely.

They believe that it is impossible to steal abstract concepts such as the idea of a hairstyle or types of clothing. “You [don’t] lose the ability to do something just because someone else can do it too.” (Brianna). This quote gives an insight to the idea that what one group of people may invent and identify themselves with, is free and open to all other cultures to essentially adopt also. People in favor of cultural appropriation make the argument that by attacking each and every person for stepping outside of their own culture; we lose our ability as human beings to create cross-cultural understanding and appreciation. People who view cultural appropriation as unproblematic use this argument as part of justification for why the United States is considered a melting pot. Majority of the people who claim to be opponents to the negative aspects of cultural appropriation are not aware of the significance of the cultures that they are engaging

What is cultural appropriation? It’s a term that has been used a lot in the past few years but also not enough. It’s lack of usage in everyday conversation leads to many misconceptions about what it really means. When you hear those words, you may think of angry social justice warriors who want to tell you want you can and cannot do. And while you have the right to do what you want, those “SJWs” have every right to be angry about appropriation. Though you may think we’re being “too sensitive” about what classifies as appropriation, it’s important that you know why we’re so upset over it. So, what is cultural appropriation?

There are many examples of cultural appropriation today, such as henna tattoos, bindi’s, sports team names, and even clothes. These cultures or traditions have become a fad for people, especially in America. People who are within the culture tend to get offended when their culture is made into a fad. There are many arguments in newspapers, blogs, and articles that are against cultural appropriation. I, myself have come upon many posts on Tumblr.com that have to do with Cultural appropriation. Huffingtompost.com also has multiple articles on the subject.

Cultural appropriation is, ‘the ridiculous notion that being of a different culture or race (especially white) means that you are not allowed to adopt things from other cultures” (urban dictionary). A majority of whites feel this way but that is because they do not have a full understanding of the topic. Cultural appropriation is the adoption or use of the elements of one culture by members of another culture, however cultural appropriation typically involves members of a dominant group exploiting the culture of less privileged groups and usually with little understanding of the history. The united states is made up of hundreds of different ethnicities and some cultural groups rub off on

Cultural appropriation can be defined as, by Wikipedia, “A concept in sociology dealing with the adoption of the elements of a minority culture by members of a minority culture by members of the dominant culture…cultural elements which may have deep meaning to the original culture may be reduced to “exotic” fashion or toys by those from the dominant culture”(Cultural Appropriation). However, cultural appropriation is a much deeper and methodical concept than a simple definition. It can be defined in numerous ways by people from various points of views and environments. It is so often overlooked on how it affects cultures and ethnic groups. First and foremost, cultural appropriation is the act of enacting or adopting a cultural aspect from another

Cultural Appropriation is the adoption or use of elements of one culture by a member or members of a different culture, if it is being used outside of that cultural context, it results in it losing its original meaning.