"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."
Taking cultural elements from one culture and using them for another purpose without permission.
The history and concept of cultural appropriation: What is cultural appropriation, and how has it evolved over time? How is it related to issues of colonialism, imperialism, and globalization?.
Cultural ownership and authenticity: Who has the right to claim ownership of a cultural practice or artifact? How do issues of authenticity and representation come into play?.
Power and privilege: How do issues of power and privilege shape cultural appropriation? Who benefits from cultural exchange, and who is disadvantaged?.
The line between appreciation and appropriation: How can we draw a line between respectful cultural appreciation and harmful cultural appropriation? What are some examples of each?.
Cultural exchange and hybridity: How can cultural exchange be a positive force for creativity and innovation? How can we promote respectful and equitable cultural exchange?.
The impact of cultural appropriation on marginalized communities: What are some of the harms associated with cultural appropriation? How can we work to address these harms?.
Examples of cultural appropriation in popular culture: What are some examples of cultural appropriation in fashion, music, and other forms of popular culture? How have these examples been criticized or defended?.
Responses to cultural appropriation: How have people responded to cultural appropriation, both within the culture being appropriated and outside of it? What are some strategies for responding to cultural appropriation in a productive way?.
Power Dynamics: This subfield examines the roles of power, dominance, and oppression in the appropriation of cultural expressions.
Aesthetics: Aesthetic subfield deals with the questions of why cultural elements are appropriated, and what the reconstitution of their values produce.
History: Historical subfield looks into the roots of cultural appropriation and examines the impact of colonial practices and oppression on cultures.
Ethics: This subfield deals with the moral implications of cultural appropriation, including the exploitation of cultural knowledge by dominant cultures, and the risks of cultural genocide.
Intellectual Property Law: This subfield examines legal issues related to the appropriation of cultural knowledge, including copyright and trademark infringements.
Psychology: Psychological subfield looks into why individuals engage in cultural appropriation and the effects that cultural appropriation can have on the mental health of cultures whose elements have been appropriated.
Health: This subfield examines the healthcare implications related to cultural appropriation, including how appropriations may contribute to mental stress and cultural degradation.
Gender: Gender subfield examines how the appropriation of both traditional and non-traditional gender roles within cultures impact individuals.
Art History: Art history subfield looks into the appropriation of historical, cultural and artistic expressions, and how the appreciation of non-Western art influences the art world.
Anthropology: This subfield looks into how cultural appropriation occurs across borders and cultures, how cultures adapt to new situations based on their experiences and relationships, and how cultures change over time.
Fashion appropriation: When fashion designers or companies claim ownership or credit for traditional or ethnic styles without acknowledging or compensating the originators or community who developed them. For example, when a non-Native American person wears a headdress or dreamcatcher as a fashion accessory, it reinforces harmful stereotypes and cultural insensitivity.
Music appropriation: When musicians borrow, remix, or sample elements of other cultures' music without proper attribution or sensitivity to their cultural context. For example, when white artists use African American musical styles such as Jazz, Blues, or Hip-hop without recognizing the social and historical context of these genres.
Food appropriation: When chefs or food companies commercialize, commodify, or exoticize traditional or ethnic dishes without respecting the cultural significance or history behind them. For example, when Western restaurants serve Asian fusion dishes without acknowledging the cultural source or modifying the recipe to suit local tastes.
Art appropriation: When non-native artists imitate or copy traditional or sacred art forms without acknowledging or consulting the indigenous artists or communities who own them. For example, when Western artists paint Native American motifs or use Aboriginal dot painting techniques without permission or cultural understanding.
Custom appropriation: When people adopt traditional or religious customs or practices without belonging to the culture or seeking permission or guidance from the appropriate authorities or elders. For example, when non-Hindu yoga practitioners use religious symbols or chants without respect for their spiritual significance or cultural context.
Language appropriation: When people use words, idioms, or styles of language from other cultures without knowing or paying respect to their origin or usage. For example, when non-Spanish speakers use Spanglish words or phrases without recognition of the cultural diversity and linguistic history of Latin America.
"Cultural appropriation differs from acculturation, assimilation, or equal cultural exchange in that this appropriation is a form of colonialism."
"Cultural appropriation is considered harmful by various groups and individuals, including Indigenous people working for cultural preservation, those who advocate for collective intellectual property rights of the originating, minority cultures, and those who have lived or are living under colonial rule."
"Cultural appropriation can include exploitation of another culture's religious and cultural traditions, dance steps, fashion, symbols, language, and music."
"Those who see this appropriation as 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."
"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 'fetishising' of cultures, in fact, alienates those whose culture is being appropriated."
"Critics note that the concept is often misunderstood or misapplied by the general public, and that charges of 'cultural appropriation' are at times misapplied to situations such as trying food from a different culture or learning about different cultures."
"Others state that the act of cultural appropriation as it is usually defined does not meaningfully constitute social harm, or the term lacks conceptual coherence."
"Additionally, the term can set arbitrary limits on intellectual freedom, artists' self-expression..."
"Furthermore, the term can reinforce group divisions, or promote a feeling of enmity or grievance rather than of liberation." Note: As the paragraph does not contain 20 distinct study questions, some questions may require additional reflection or expanding upon the given information.