Appropriation refers to claiming as one’s own something that belongs to others. Accordingly, cultural appropriation is understood as “unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the practices, customs, or aesthetics of one social or ethnic group by members of another (typically dominant) community or society”.(1) As a result, the term cultural appropriation is mostly used in connection with Western exploitation of non-Western and non-white cultural forms. Although anthropologists and cultural historians emphasize that all cultures contain an element of hybridity, as they are subject to continuous developments and cultural exchange, what distinguishes cultural appropriation from cultural dialogue and mutual exchange is the lack of respect for, and understanding of, cultural context. Cultural appropriation therefore refers to situations when elements of one culture are trivialized and used as an empty spectacle, without sensitivity to their deeper meaning or their relationship to the values and beliefs of the culture they originate from. Instead of embracing diversity and enabling cross-cultural appreciation, cultural appropriation can result in offense and harm, and can lead to alienation. While it is critical that the term is not mis-used for accusations in support of ethnocentric sentiments and individual claims to cultural heritage of communities, there is also an urgent need to address the issue of cultural appropriation within the western fashion system which is filled with examples of inappropriate borrowings that compromise rich cultural traditions for quick commercial gain.(1-6)
CULTURAL APPROPRIATION
