The simplest definition of cultural appropriation is "the adoption of certain elements of one culture by another", though it does carry a heavily negative connotation; it usually involves a marginalized group having an item taken from them and then the original meaning of the item is warped and therefore lost on the dominant group. It has recently been in the headlines, especially after the ban of Native American headdresses from the Canadian music festival Bass Coast and pop stars taking on aspects of black culture in order to seem "sexy, daring, and current". Having been brought to the spotlight so abruptly, it is easy for somebody to become confused and to take one side over the other without having thought about what it means to appropriate versus appreciate.
In a particular incident of bindi use, Selena Gomez was accused of cultural appropriation when she used bindis in several performances. Critics cited that the bindis were taken out of the context of Hinduism and being used as an accessory solely for the purpose of seeming more exotic and sexy. Others have said that in many places the bindi is used as a fashion accessory by many people, even Hindus. While it's true that it's used in fashion (especially in Southeast Asian countries), the bindi was still used outside of Hinduism without a thought for its original meaning. That's not to say that non-Hindus are forbidden from wearing it, it just means that more sensitivity and awareness is needed when doing so. If somebody were to decide to wear a bindi, the person would have to know what effect this action has; What does it mean to wear a bindi to a Hindu woman? Does it continue to perpetuate a harmful stereotype?
There is also the place that yoga holds with non-Buddhists. In Buddhism, yoga is used to open ones mind to a greater sense of spirituality. Those who define cultural appropriation more strictly call the practice of yoga by non-Buddhists cultural appropriation. But what is commonly forgotten is that yoga is separate from Buddhism; it didn't stem from Buddhism but Buddha adapted it to allow for deeper thought to occur while meditating. So it can be argued that because it doesn't directly stem from Buddhism that it isn't cultural appropriation if one does yoga.
Though one can certainly know the definition of cultural appropriation, it is difficult to truly understand what it is, how to identify it, and where to draw the line.
To be a philosopher is not merely to have subtle thoughts, nor even to found a school…it is to solve some of the problems of life, not only theoretically, but practically. – Henry David Thoreau
Very interesting topic, and I agree with yous and the fact that we do "borrow" other peoples ideas and not really give them the proper credit. When looking and thinking about cultural appropriation, I can see just how much of other cultures we have adopted stuff from and "Americanized" it. I can definatley see it would be hard to find out where to draw the line.
ReplyDeleteGreat and timely topic, Lucia. While we need to be mindful of how we use other peoples ideas it's important to note that great art throughout history is a product of appropriation. For example, Homer remixed Greek myths to construct the Iliad and Odyssey, Shakespeare sampled plots and characters from other authors plays, and the Sistine Chapel ceiling mashes up stories and images from across the entire biblical tradition...I think it's only by engaging in an open and thoughtful dialogue about appropriation that we can identify where the constantly shifting boundaries are.
ReplyDeleteI like how you drew examples from the past as well as current ones today. I also like your closing remark about where the line is drawn.
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