Media Culture - Introduction on "Cultural Appropriation"

Introduction

3. Examine the issue of cultural appropriation within a domain of beauty, fashion or music industry. Why are some communities cautious of, or against this practice?

Before embarking further on the chosen topic, allow me to explain the importance to have a good comprehension and understanding of the chosen topic which is "Cultural Appropriation". What is Cultural Appropriation? According to Wikipedia:-

Cultural Appropriation is the adoption or use of elements of one culture by members of a different culture... According to authors in the field, cultural (mis)appropriation differs from acculturation or assimilation in that the "appropriation" or "misappropriation" refers to the adoption of these cultural elements in a colonial manner: elements are copied from a minority culture by members of the dominant culture., and these elements are used outside of their original culture context - sometimes even against the expressed, stated wishes of representatives of the originating culture. 

Often the original meaning of these cultural elements is lost or distorted, which means that these uses may be viewed as disrespectful by members of the originating culture, or even as a form desecration. Cultural elements which may have deep meaning to the original culture can be reduced to 'exotic' fashion by those from the dominant culture. When this is done, 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." 

In short, cultural appropriation is when you take bits of someone else's culture, typically that of an oppressed group, and adopt it for your own purposes, stripping the object of its significance in the process. For example: Wearing a Native American headdress or even hijab as a Halloween costume. Or crediting a white celebrity with adopting cornrows as an "edgy new hairstyle."


Bibliography:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_appropriation
2. https://sites.google.com/a/ualberta.ca/danielholdenmusic314/the-issue-cultural-
    appropriation