I think it's possible that cultural appropriation could legitimately be a bad thing, but also that it's no different (and sometimes way less terrible) than the ways in which cultural practices have spread throughout history. No culture that exists today is some pure, unadulterated form of some "original" culture that existed in prehistory. All cultures are Frankenstein monsters built up from past cultures through conquest, imperialism, "cultural exchange," etc.
We can talk very abstractly about how two civilizations engaged in trade and consequently shared cultural practices, but on the individual level that has to involve the same kinds of interactions we see today and think are problematic. The beginning of Europe's Enlightenment had its origins in reading Greek works preserved and translated by Arabs. From the standpoint of any one person, is there a real difference between that practice and our obsession with bits of Asian culture today?
As to why cultural appropriation might be bad, I do understand it. If those in power adopt the practices of those without power, we can convince ourselves we don't have to listen to or understand the powerless because we have contact with some version of their culture. This seems likely to play a role in perpetuating inequality.
And yet I think it's clear that culture as a phenomenon simply wouldn't exist without our historically terrible methods of transmitting culture. So the question is, is there a better way? Is there a respectful, thoughtful way of incorporating aspects of a different culture into your own life? From those who oppose cultural appropriation, I have never heard a way. They speak only of the need to listen to what persecuted minorities have to say. And yes, we absolutely should do that. But what happens next, if we don't want the cultures that exist today to ossify and decay?
We can talk very abstractly about how two civilizations engaged in trade and consequently shared cultural practices, but on the individual level that has to involve the same kinds of interactions we see today and think are problematic. The beginning of Europe's Enlightenment had its origins in reading Greek works preserved and translated by Arabs. From the standpoint of any one person, is there a real difference between that practice and our obsession with bits of Asian culture today?
As to why cultural appropriation might be bad, I do understand it. If those in power adopt the practices of those without power, we can convince ourselves we don't have to listen to or understand the powerless because we have contact with some version of their culture. This seems likely to play a role in perpetuating inequality.
And yet I think it's clear that culture as a phenomenon simply wouldn't exist without our historically terrible methods of transmitting culture. So the question is, is there a better way? Is there a respectful, thoughtful way of incorporating aspects of a different culture into your own life? From those who oppose cultural appropriation, I have never heard a way. They speak only of the need to listen to what persecuted minorities have to say. And yes, we absolutely should do that. But what happens next, if we don't want the cultures that exist today to ossify and decay?
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