When is it Appropriation and When is it Misappropriation?
Remixing_________________Cultural__________________ _ Infographic____________________ Mindful____________________Cultural
........................................... ....Exchange ..................................................................................... ...... .Appropriation......... ............Exploitation
Cultural appropriation and cultural misappropriation are very different-- but their meanings are often conflated by those who argue for or against either one. Discussions of the issue range from dismissing the entire concept as way to police fashion choices and personal expression to labeling all cultural exchange a harmful form of theft. While there are instances of appropriation that are more acceptable than others, borrowing from a historically oppressed culture is never as easy as a member of the oppressor culture might want it to be. So where exactly is the line? What distinctions make some forms of borrowing an act of self-expression, while another is considered an act of oppression? We are constantly surrounded by beautiful images, clothing, patterns, styles, music, etc. from which we yearn to draw inspiration and pay homage, so how does an creator/consumer in the age of instantaneous cultural exchange know how to participate mindfully?
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