Definition and Overview
Cultural appropriation is one of the most commonly discussed topics and in many cases, it results in heated arguments about what should and what should not be considered as an act of cultural appropriation. As defined by Oxford Reference, cultural appropriation is defined as “taking over of creative or artistic forms, themes, or practices by one cultural group from another. It is in general used to describe Western appropriations of non‐Western or non‐white forms and carries connotations of exploitation and dominance” (par. 1). However, this definition is rather general and creates an illusion that nothing created by one culture should be used or borrowed by the representatives of another culture.
Jenni Avins narrows down this definition saying that cultural appropriation is only the case when the source culture is mocked or diminished in a certain way (par. 10). In other words, when the borrowed cultural attributes are worn so that they shape a stereotypical image offensive to the culture they come from – this is the act of cultural appropriation.
Example of Cultural Appropriation
One of the recent music videos by Katy Perry could be considered as cultural appropriation. The song is called “Dark Horse” and the video is done in ancient Egypt-style where all the actors and dancers and Perry herself are wearing very stereotypical costumes and makeup; the setting and the scenes are arranged accordingly and depict ancient Egyptian gods parodying royalty of that time. The entire video is a collection of commonly recognized stereotypes of the Egyptian culture, and needless to say that the vast majority of people in it are not Egyptian.
This example should be considered as cultural appropriation because it presents a section of cultural stereotypes used mockingly by the representatives of other cultures.
Acceptable Use of Cultural Symbols
In my opinion, one good example of the acceptable use of cultural symbols is that of the film Serenity by Joss Whedon. Made in the early 2000s, the film depicts a distant future, and among many new features of the world centuries from now, there is the fusion of cultures. In particular, Whedon’s idea was to demonstrate the domination of Asian cultures as a result of the mixture. That is why the movie portrays the cities that look similar to the modern metropolises in Japan, hair, and dress styles with elements of kimonos and traditional Chinese and Japanese hairdos. The dancers at a bar perform dances with fans similar to those that can be found in many Asian cultures.
The elements and attributes of various Asian cultures are borrowed for the depiction of Whedon’s fictional universe, but they are used in a non-stereotypical manner and are mainly applied to create a fusion image but not assemble a stereotype of a “typical Asian”. I believe that this appropriation is acceptable.
My Opinion
I agree with the statement made by Avins in her article, and I support the idea that cultural appropriation is a complex issue that is almost ever-present in the contemporary globalizing world where the clashes and mixtures of different cultures are inevitable. Besides, Baizerman, Eicher, and Cerny specify that the Eurocentric Western societies often position the way European people dress or look as “normal” or “standard”, and automatically this point of view makes the other cultures living in Europe and the USA into “exotic ones” and creates alienation (123). That way, for the individuals from the dominant cultures unfamiliar with the offense cultural appropriation, can result in, it may seem appropriate to dress up as the stereotypical characters from the other cultures just for fun.
Works Cited
Avins, Jenni. The Dos and Don’ts of Cultural Appropriation. 2015. Web.
Baizerman, Suzanne, Joanne Eicher, and Catherine Cerny. Eurocentrism in the Study of Ethnic Dress.
Oxford Reference. Cultural Appropriation. 2016. Web.