Cultural appropriation

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Is it right or wrong to steal another cultures traditions, ideas, customs, look? Are these things even able to be owned, because if not then they can't be stolen.

i personally don't see a problem with adapting things you like no matter where they come from.
 
culture tends to evolve in exactly that way, people see something they like and adapt it to themselves. i wouldn't say there's anything wrong with it, unless you're basically stealing from them to compensate for your own lack of originality. but even then, it's not really 'wrong', especially if you end up taking it in a completely new direction. new ideas and new cultural values often vault off from the old.
 
It's some times poorly or naively executed but I don't think it's ever really wrong per se...
 
Better is better, it ought to be taken as a compliment. The idea of owning an idea is ridiculous to the nth, and at least in the US intellectual property was originally meant only to encourage investment, as if they were the only ones who could ever conceive of something rather than just the first to get a patent.
 
Kanamori said:
Better is better, it ought to be taken as a compliment. The idea of owning an idea is ridiculous to the nth, and at least in the US intellectual property was originally meant only to encourage investment, as if they were the only ones who could ever conceive of something rather than just the first to get a patent.
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I agree, and furthermore- open source everything!!!!!!!!!!!
 
the said:
Is it right or wrong to steal another cultures traditions, ideas, customs, look? Are these things even able to be owned, because if not then they can't be stolen.

i personally don't see a problem with adapting things you like no matter where they come from.
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HIPSTERTASTIC!!!
 
Whatever. People only steal what they don't have. Culture is part of ones identity.
If you appropriate those things that don't belong to you, all you are is a poser.
 
It's wrong, shitlord! As a cowkin I'm offended by your cultural appropriation of cows by wearing their skin on your feet.
I did actually see a picture of a guy putting Korean on his tumblr. Someone said it was cultural appropriation, to which he took a picture of his Asian face and said... I'm Korean.
It's a phrase I can't take seriously because all the crazy SJWs have driven it into the ground.
 
[MENTION=4115]Lark[/MENTION], what do you mean by "loot the world culture"?
 
Nixie said:
Whatever. People only steal what they don't have. Culture is part of ones identity.
If you appropriate those things that don't belong to you, all you are is a poser.
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Its just the equivalent of an idea though. You dont have less culture just because someone calls themself "Running Water". It does make them a poseur though, but im not convinced it always does. Seems like the equivalent of a thought crime.
 
Nixie said:
Whatever. People only steal what they don't have. Culture is part of ones identity.
If you appropriate those things that don't belong to you, all you are is a poser.
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Do tell all the things you invented yourself.
 
I don't see much harm in borrowing or integrating certain things into your "identity." I think it's a bit weird to start integrating it into a fashion statement or something, but nothing wrong with exploring the ideas, customs, religions, etc etc etc of different cultures. If anything it'll expand your horizons.

I am not particularly a fan of doing the cultural borrowing as some sort of fad to look cool, but if you want to look into it and it makes sense to you, why not?
 
SpecialEdition said:
I don't see much harm in borrowing or integrating certain things into your "identity." I think it's a bit weird to start integrating it into a fashion statement or something, but nothing wrong with exploring the ideas, customs, religions, etc etc etc of different cultures. If anything it'll expand your horizons.

I am not particularly a fan of doing the cultural borrowing as some sort of fad to look cool, but if you want to look into it and it makes sense to you, why not?
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Most distinctive cultures arise out of borrowing.

Prime example is Bonsai - people immediately think Japanese but the Japanese practice is modified from Chinese Penjing.
 
sprinkles said:
Most distinctive cultures arise out of borrowing.

Prime example is Bonsai - people immediately think Japanese but the Japanese practice is modified from Chinese Penjing.
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Yes I think so. I think that naturally cultures tend to integrate depending on the closeness of the countries and the mingling of people. It's sort of a natural progression for cultures to bleed into one another.

I do think that on an individual level it might seem strange to some. For example I know Lana Del Rey caught shit for wearing an Indian Head Dress in a music video and people thought it was ultra offensive. I don't really see the harm but people tend to take some stuff like that seriously. Maybe because they thought she was using something heavily symbolic for a fashion statement. Who knows.

I take no personal offense to stuff like that but I think I can see where people might get offended if the original intent/meaning/etc of something is thrown away when the borrowing happens.
 
SpecialEdition said:
Yes I think so. I think that naturally cultures tend to integrate depending on the closeness of the countries and the mingling of people. It's sort of a natural progression for cultures to bleed into one another.

I do think that on an individual level it might seem strange to some. For example I know Lana Del Rey caught shit for wearing an Indian Head Dress in a music video and people thought it was ultra offensive. I don't really see the harm but people tend to take some stuff like that seriously. Maybe because they thought she was using something heavily symbolic for a fashion statement. Who knows.

I take no personal offense to stuff like that but I think I can see where people might get offended if the original intent/meaning/etc of something is thrown away when the borrowing happens.
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Well yeah. It's like the people I see who use the taijitu all over the place and they don't really know what it means fully. Or they half know what it represents but it's the incredibly westernized interpretation. I don't see what the big deal is - they don't mean anything by it.

When one goes as far as to wear a head dress then yeah that does seem a bit awkward because they're calling a lot of attention to themselves, so it does leave one to wonder. But I still don't think it's actually wrong.
 
sprinkles said:
Well yeah. It's like the people I see who use the taijitu all over the place and they don't really know what it means fully. Or they half know what it represents but it's the incredibly westernized interpretation. I don't see what the big deal is - they don't mean anything by it.

When one goes as far as to wear a head dress then yeah that does seem a bit awkward because they're calling a lot of attention to themselves, so it does leave one to wonder. But I still don't think it's actually wrong.
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Yeah I don't see any issue with it. Maybe I am just used to living in areas that are very culturally diverse so it tends to happen a lot. The more obvious examples like the head dress make me raise an eyebrow but I don't really feel bothered by it. I don't judge people who get offended by it either. I just find it all a bit strange...
 
I do believe there is a line. I would never buy a Native American tribal headdress or even wear a hijab or saree unless a friend asked me to for a ceremony. There are some things that just cross a line. I just don't think it is right to wear items from other cultures or religions that have specific, important meanings. When it comes to food, I don't believe in any barrier though.

I've lived in NYC all my life and have met tons of people from various cultures. I've never really experienced someone accusing me of cultural appropriation though... it's something I've only heard online. I have many friends who are from different cultures and many of them have given me special items from their culture. I understand these gifts all have specific meanings and I cherish them because of that... but I wouldn't go looking for that item and personally buy it. I feel like it's different for me since I'm ethnically mixed so I understand how important certain traditions can be and how offensive it is when I see someone of another background trying to own something of my people like it is theirs. I feel like I constantly walk a fine line when it comes to this here in NYC because I experience different people daily.
 
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