Tuesday 28 May 2013

(Warning: swears) Cultural Appropriation


What I find excellent about this is it compares cultural appropriation to something most people here can understand. These responses are extreme examples, but I think the emotions behind them are common. When we discussed this topic, I think what was missing for us was a frame of reference for what these cultures go through. Though white North Americans can relate on some levels with racist portrayals, we don't have so many equivalents when it comes to sacred objects. From the culture we are raised in, we don't think that wearing something in a certain way or in a certain context may be offensive  because we don't have much of anything that we would be offended to have another culture use. I think we all understand that wearing something from another culture in a mocking way is wrong, but we wouldn't think to see where we may be offensive in just wearing something. 

2 comments:

  1. I completely agree with you that as a North American we don't always have a frame of reference to the importance and reverence of other culture's customs. I love how this post gives most of us something we can relate to and puts into perspective the offensive and annoying experience of people wearing or doing things they know nothing about just because they think it looks cool or "cute". I think if this happened to me I would be offended as well, but probably not as much as some of the people who responded to the OP. :P

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  2. Bonnie, this is an interesting experiment, if not a bit "trollish". I think that the results bring up raw feelings. I wonder, though, if the people's reactions were so virulent because they could hide under "anonymous". It is a true reflection of their feelings?

    It would be interesting to ask people whose culture is appropriated their true feelings. Would they be as rudely angry about it? I'm sure they would be upset and offended, which is understandable, but I don't think they would behave in such an offensive manner overall.

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