Appreciation or Appropriation?

Exploring the concept of cultural appropriation and its consequences

“It’s about understanding the value and traditions of the symbols that are appropriated to ensure that their use is appropriate, and benefits those they belong to”, Sass Brown

What is culture? the English anthropologist Edward Burnett Tylor, back in 1871, stated “culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society”. According to him, culture is not biologically inherited, but it is made of the things we learn and do when we belong to a particular group.

What is Culture appropriation? agreeing on what qualifies as appropriation can be challenging. By cultural appropriation, we mean the act of taking or using cultural elements from a minority culture that is not ours, in a disrespectful way that reinforces stereotypes, contributes to oppression and does not give credit to the source. It can also include the unauthorized use of parts of a culture (their dress, dance, etc.) without permission. This dynamic it’s harmful whether it is intentional or not. Most of the time, the issue with cultural appropriation is the lack of understanding around the importance that an image or concept can carry within a specific culture, and that can be based on misinformation and cultural norms that have existed for decades and perpetuated by mass media.

It is important to note that cultural appropriation also fuels social inequality, injustice, and racism. Since it is not always easy to perceive whether we are appropriating minority group’s culture, we should ask that group members if our behaviour is in any way bothering them or being disrespectful; consent is the key. We can also start by asking ourselves some questions, such as if a certain costume or image is a stereotype of a group, if it holds important cultural or traditional significance, how removing the context of it changes its meaning and if our usage trivializes a culture or a group of people. Cultural appropriation is perpetuated in many ways, for example:

A member of a majority group profits financially or socially from the culture of a minority group;
A member of a majority group oversimplifies the culture of a minority group, or treats the culture of a minority group as a joke;
A member of a majority group separates a cultural element of a minority group from its original meaning;
A member of a majority group adopts an element of a minority culture without consequences while members of the minority group face backlash for the same cultural element;

Referring to the last example, we can consider cultural appropriation when, for instance, a Caucasian model wears a headscarf on the runways at Paris Fashion Week being celebrated, while Muslim women are ostracised for choosing to wear a hijab in the same city. Indeed, it is very usual that the people appropriating the culture have systemically oppressed the people whose culture is being appropriated. Another case related to Middle-Eastern culture dates back the 2000s when hipsters were buying many different coloured Kufiyah in Camden, London, with no idea of its history, origin or symbolism. Yet Middle Eastern people, the owners and creators of the Kufiyah, would be labelled terrorists for wearing it.

Appropriation Vs Appreciation

Different from appropriation, is cultural appreciation, which means the respectful borrowing of elements from another culture, taking the time to learn and gain understand of a culture. Appreciation happens when someone seeks to understand and learn about another culture in an effort to broaden their perspective and connect with others cross-culturally. Across the Middle East, cultural appropriation displayed itself in inaccuracies in stories like Disney’s Aladdin to fashion’s adaptation of the Kufiyah as a global trend. It has been largely focused on the misrepresentation of Arab peoples and cultures, reinforcing harmful stereotypes about the region. Many examples of cultural appropriation can be found in the fashion industry, which therefore needs to work out the best way to represent cultures more accurately. Regulating the use of cultural symbols as rules, though, could easily be misinterpreted as political correctness for dress, but that is not the purpose. It is about understanding the value and traditions of the symbols that are appropriated to ensure that their use is appropriate, and benefits those they belong to.

The so-called western society has a long history of taking what it wants from other cultures, while affirming its own superiority. We have a double standard, because while others are required to adopt Western dress, as an act of survival, Westerners are adopting, for example, a Native American headdress at a music festival, and this constitutes an exercise in privilege. A true cultural exchange is necessary for a mutual understanding, equality and respect. Context, consent, respect and understanding are the key factors that make us reflect about other culture’s features and objects, learning how to use them properly, in a way that support the culture we are taking them from.

If done correctly, embracing and appreciating a different culture can result in deeper understanding and respect across cultures as well as creative hybrids that blend cultures together. In fact, many wonderful inventions and creations have been born from the merging of such cultures. With this mind, I would like to report a statement by the journalist Jenni Avins that said that borrowing from other cultures is not just inevitable; it is potentially positive.