Cultural Appropriation In Fashion

A few examples of this include: a daily mouth ritual that “consists of inserting a small bundle of hog hairs into the mouth,” a daily body ritual men perform by “scraping and lacerating the surface of the face with a sharp instrument,” and special women’s ceremonies where they “bake their heads in small ovens for about an hour.” By the end of his article, you realize that “Nacirema” spelled backwards is “American” and he is speaking of our culture. The hog hairs are toothbrushes, the men’s ritual is shaving, and the women’s ceremony is getting their hair done at the salon. When initially reading the piece, you are disgusted by the rituals and practices of these people, but when it turns out to be our culture, the only reaction you can have is shock for the new realization. This shows our lack of understanding towards other cultures.

With the increased use of social media, personal opinions are spread worldwide and debates on this topic create confliction. This has increased interest and awareness which has resulted both positively and negatively. Despite the advancement of knowledge within this area, cultural appropriation is still evident in todays modern world. Typically the dominant group within society are guilty of appropriating the traditions of the subordinant social groups, whilst seemingly not considering it necessary to understand the context of the established practice or its heritage.

There is a fine line between cultural appropriation and appreciation, however many Americans struggle to differentiate the two. Cultural exploitation of Native Americans can be seen in many fields, one of them being in schools. In addition, the fashion industry is one of the most common places that cultural appropriation of Native American can be seen in. Authentic Native American traditions have also been exploited by society. Americans’ common misconceptions of Native American history and culture negatively affects Indigenous communities by perpetuating stereotypes as well as cultural appropriation.

A study shows appropriation as the action of taking exclusive possession of a cultural appropriating dominant cultural element. Yet, the act of appropriation can be placed into four categories cultural exchange, dominance, exploitation, and transculturation. As cultural exchange transform into transculturation, it is a part of appropriation which it involved taking elements from multiple culture. By circulating into different cultures, creating and exchanging into a new form of identity or new culture which everyone enjoy (Rogers, 2006). Transpacific culture in the music world is known as fusion music we hear today.

Cultural appropriation has been in the limelight over the years and this controversial topic has sparked off many debates. According to Sherwood (2017), the term “cultural appropriation” is defined as the act of adopting the elements of one culture by members of the presiding culture. It comes in many different forms, ranging from food, fashion to even music. While it may be deemed to be necessary for one to appreciate another’s culture, cultural appropriation, when used with the wrong intention, can potentially harm the originating culture (Brown, 2010). This is especially so in America’s music industry or more specifically, black music.

Bibliography Image1 : http// artthrob.co.za/02jun/artbio.html Image2: www.kendellgeers.com/library/works/87 Image3: http://www.goodman-gallery.com/artist/bow_thumbs/3856 Image4: https://www.artrabbit.com/events/Kendell-geers-crossing-the-line Nittle,N. (2015) What Is Cultural Appropriation and Why Is it Wrong?.

Over the weekend The Coachella Music Festival took place in Indio, California. Many to talk about cultural appropriation have used the outfits and styles many wear to this festival. This is even an Instagram dedicated to “Coachellaappropriation.” Or as Kathryn Sorrells titles it, cultural corruption which, “refers to the perceived and experienced alteration of a cultural in a negative or detrimental ways through the influence of other cultures” (p.158). For example, at Coachella you may see many non Native Americans wearing Native American Headdresses.

In the modern world we are not only surrounded by the culture of our own people but also that of those who live amongst us be they from a different region of our own country or from a foreign shore. Culture surrounds us constantly and through its diversity makes life interesting. Cultural appropriation is where by one borrows something from another culture and places them into a different setting and by adding new elements to it gives it a new meaning. Many artists use cultural appropriation to convey messages in their work, an example of this is Kendell Geers. Kendell Geers uses cultural appropriation throughout his artworks relating to South African culture.

Imagine this scenario: A white man wears feathers, holds an axe, and screams at the top of his lungs. How do you think First Nations will react to this man? This is an example of Cultural Appropriation, to take cultural elements that aren’t one’s own and depict them without any understanding of that culture. With many celebrities getting criticized for culturally appropriating like Kylie Jenner’s cornrows or Katy Perry dressing as a geisha, historical figures are also not safe from criticism.

Broadly defined, cultural appropriation is the use of the aspects of one culture by members of other cultures (Young, 2010). However, it is important to note that not all cultural appropriation is equal. In his synthesis, Richard A. Rogers (2006) categorised cultural appropriation into four groups: cultural exchange, cultural dominance, cultural exploitation, and transculturation. The debates surrounding cultural appropriation mainly focused only the usage of a subordinated culture by a dominant culture without permission, which Rogers identified as cultural exploitation. This is different from cultural exchange and transculturation, which is done on equal basis, and cultural dominance, which is done by the subordinated

Imagine a society where white America loved Mexican-Americans as much as they love Chipotle. Where the love black people as much as they love rap music and the Muslim community as much as they love wearing the hijab as a costume. Too bad that society doesn 't exist. It almost seems unreal in the near future at the rate that this country is going in. This double standard is a prime example of what culture appropriation is.

In his essay “Folklore to Populore”, Ray Browne offers the following definition: “Popular culture consists of the aspects of attitudes, behaviors, beliefs, customs, and tastes that define the people of any society. Popular culture is, in the historic use of the term, the culture of the people.” (25) While this might seem very broad and extensive, Browne’s definition highlights the fluidity and ambiguousness of pop culture and demonstrates that pop culture over time has covered a wide spectrum of genres. Furthermore, as the concept implicitly reveals, the notion of ‘popular’ refers to the culture “that which is widely diffused, generally accepted, [and] approved by the majority.” (Nye, 23)

Cultural appropriation occurs when people adopt aspects of a culture that is not their own. More specifically, it occurs when people from a dominant culture steal customs, styles, and/or ideologies from a marginalized group of people in order for them to personally benefit. This harmful process has been taking place within the U.S. and around the world for hundreds years, although few people have taken the initiative to put a stop to it. Many individuals don’t even see an issue with cultural appropriation at all. White people do not have the right to borrow from other cultures because of the way we have, and continue, to oppress the people of these cultures in our society.

European characters wear powdered wigs, tricorne hats, and silver buckles, while Native American characters wear feather headdresses, beaded necklaces, and woven sashes. The use of accessories adds depth and detail to the costumes and helps bring the characters to life on

It’s a way to breathe new life into culture (Young, 2015). Appropriation in art has a long history. Marcel Duchamp was the first artist to successfully demonstrate forms of appropriation. He devised the concept of the ‘readymade’, which essentially involved an item being chosen by the artist, signed by the artist and repositioned into a gallery context. Later, in the 1960s, Pop artists like Andy Warhol, James Rosenquist, and Roy Lichtenstein used familiar mass-cultural imagery to comment America’s consumer culture (Gemmell, 2012).