Cultural appropriation: o que é e 6 examples to understand o conceito

Or what is cultural appropriation?

In a rather simplistic and summarized way, we can affirm that a cultural appropriation ocorre when um individual belonging to a culture seizes certain elements of a different culture, which does not face part.

These elements can be of very different natures: clothes, penteados, religious symbols, traditions, dances, music and behaviors, to highlight some examples.

This little conceit is not something pond; On the contrary, it has been thought and problematized by a number of theoretical and activists. Although there are several points of view, some concepts seem to be fundamental to promote values ​​such as diversity and respect.

There are two uncontrollable aspects of this type of appropriation and the way in which the cultural products are produced. withdrawn two serious original contexts and reproduced in totally different contexts.

Sem nenhum type of reference or credit, these elements are treated as something merely aesthetic or playful.

Apropriação versus appreciação: or what difference?

As an item has been endorsed by multiple authors, or that separates the concept of cultural appropriation from others such as "appreciation" or "interchange" and or fator da dominance. Appropriately part of someone belonging to a hegemonic or dominant culture.

This dominant group, collectively and structurally, discriminates against individuals from other minority groups, at the same time that it adopts some two serious cultural products.

A Brazilian philosopher Djamila Ribeiro explicitly asked a question no text Cultural appropriation and a problem of the system, not of individuals, published in 2016, in magazine AzMine:

Why is that a problem? Because it evades the meaning of a culture as the purpose of commercialization at the same time that it excludes and makes invisible what it produces. This cynical cultural appropriation is not transformed in respect and directness to day-to-day practice.

When these expressões culturais belonging to minorities are withdrawn from their context, there is a shutdown of its history. They passam to be seen as part (and property) of the dominant culture, which receives credit for something that it did not believe.

Ou seja, or that seems to be in a position of power, you are privileged two that this group serves to appropriate and claim something that does not belong to its traditions e crenças.

Djamila finishes off, not the same text referred to above:

Failing on cultural appropriation means committing a question that involves a quenching that always has been inferiorized and sees its culture by gaining greater proportions, more as another protagonist.

6 examples of cultural appropriation explained

Although some cases of cultural appropriation are more subtle or difficult to recognize, there are many others that are quite obvious and representative. In order for you to understand the complexity of the plurality of the question, we did not select some examples.

1. Blackface e soup shows

Um two more examples conhecidos é o blackface, a practice that became very popular during the nineteenth century. During the chamados shows of menestrel, um ator branco pintava or rosto com carvão, as I intend to represent a black individual.

Nas apresentações, who claimed to be a comic theorist, or menestrel reproduced racist stereotypes com or intuito de fazer or public laugh.

It is important to realize that this supposed perpetual entertainment perpetuates the preconceptions, feeding ignorance of the discourses of hate in relation to the black population.

2. Native Americans us farwest films

Another great example of appropriation and more representation of a culture can be found in films from farwest North-Americans.

In this type of cinema, Native Americans were always presented to the public as vilões, figures ameaçadoras, perigosas and "selvagens", as quais it was necessary to be careful.

Those narratives, always marked with preconceived hair and medium hair, will increase discontent and violence face Native American individuals.

3. As true origins of Rock'n'roll

Like cinema, music has also been a territory marked by various cases of appropriation. The United States of America, in the 50's viu emerge o Rock'n'roll, a musical genre that you took with everyone in the world.

Through musicians like Elvis Presley, who continues to be appearing as "Pai do Rock", some rhythms that originate in the Afro-American culture become assimilated hair dominant group.

Até então, because they were played and sung by black artists, they were belittled or viewed as vulgar. Some artists like Presley will end up assumindo or place of protagonists do movimento, enquanto nomes as Chuck Berry or Little Richard ficaram for the background.

4. Culture as fantasy

Two examples of cultural appropriation in Brazil, which is perpetuated in the carnival era, or use of identities or cultures as fantasies.

Here, many people can see how a festive party or a tribute was attached, and faced as a rather offensive act, just reduced a povo to a mere caricature. Na verdade, that kind of fantasy ends up being translated preconceived and stereotyped representation.

5. Culture as a product or fashion

Something that is also quite common to beauty industries and gives fashion to the appropriation of cultural elements that are removed from their context and reproduced in mass, with reference to its history nem às tradições das quais surgiram.

Several brands, out of the world, enrich or reproduce cultural expressions that we adore, as mere products to gain financial benefit. For example, several famous stylists já foram appointed by imitating indigenous and aboriginal patrons nas suas peças, know or mean less about them.

6. Religious symbols as garnishes

This type of situation is also quite common and has raised controversies for the whole world. Here, a cultural appropriation ocorre when you religious symbols of cultures that are still discriminated against são adotados hair dominant group.

Symbols linked to religious beliefs, as well as other cultural expressions, end up being faced as aesthetic elements, decorative.

An example that continues to be visible in the use of artifacts of indigenous plumage, many times used in ceremonies and rituals, as simple adornments. OR bindi (In the image above), a symbol of Hinduism, it was also embodied in the makeup of various people that do not know their true meaning.

Something similar also remains in Brazil, as the use of dreadlocks ou of turbans by individuals who are unaware of their historical and cultural context.

Conheça also

• Black writers that you need to read
• Angela Davis: biography and main books
• I Have a Dream Speech by Martin Luther King
• Djamila Ribeiro: livros fundamentais