The Negative Aspects of Cultural Appropriation
Culture is the customs, background or the lifestyle of a person which reflects the personality and nation of a particular person. In today’s modern era there are many people who were adopting other culture and forgetting their own culture and adopting other culture style is named as cultural appropriation.
Cultural appropriation means that when one person adopts the culture (customs, practice, ideas, and so many things) of another nation or society. Usually this is not a good thing it shows a negative effect human being because people start using other culture symbols just for fashion or for getting popularity on social media. Cultural appropriation, or we can say social appointment occurs in music, movies, televisions and visual workmanship constantly.
There were many news and events which was shown by media related to cultural appropriation. There are some famous personalities who are targeted for cultural appropriation and one of them is: Vanessa Anne Hudgens she is an actress and known for her singing. “Vanessa Hudgens is known as the Queen of Coachella, but slowly gaining a reputation as the Queen of Cultural Appropriation”.
As we know cultural appropriation is taking components from another culture. The 27-year-old Hudgens has been scrutinized for social assignment, and there are lot of highlights which show that she has done cultural appropriation. Some of them are as following:
- In the Music Festival She Use Face Paint: she is doing some music festival and in that she took motivation from Beyonce Lemonade to make a face paint structure. In this matter is the work of art from Lemonade has profound feelings. “The paint is a white ink with very spiritual meaning in Yoruba culture”. Some of people say that this is a wrong thing to use other culture symbol just for a music show.
- She Put Dreamcatcher in her Hair: another case in which people say she has done cultural appropriation is when she used dreamcatcher in her hairs. Dreamcatcher are a local American article used to trap awful dreams. One of Instagram client said “even though she is a part of native American, using a dreamcatcher as hair jewelry is not done if someone can tell me a tribe who does it, I will take it back. But until then she is constantly pulling this type of stuff with multiple culture, and I don’t like it”
- She Wore Faux Box Braids: Hudgens latest offense is she wore a ribbon front wig of box plaits when she posts her picture on her Snapchat “social media users called her out for wearing the popular Black Natural hairstyle”
- She Wear Sari: when she was on a trip to Coachella, she wore a sari which is showing Indian culture, and she also used bindi on her forehead which represent the symbol of Hindu culture.
According to my point of view there are some moments of cultural appropriation which is done by Hudgens but not fully like when she went for trip, or any other show, she used to adopt the culture of that place. I think there is no need to change our culture norms or style just for a purpose of any show or for getting popularity because if a person have a talent then he or she will definitely get popular without changing their own culture lifestyle but if we do not have any talent then adopting cultural appropriation will do nothing beside this people were saying Hudgens used to wear dreamcatcher I think sometime we wear jewelery of other culture just normally not for any purpose like not for any fame. I think it is not wrong but Hudgens has done many things which we have discussed above, and which reflects the cultural appropriation.
Furthermore, in our surrounding, there are many things which are related to cultural appropriation. In our daily life there are many women who use jewelry of different culture and wear them on different occasions and among them there are many women who wear the jewelry of other culture and do not have any faith on that culture. They just use jewelry for the purpose of fashion. Jewelry is not for the purpose of fashion there are many ornaments which indicate the symbol of particular culture.
Techniques to Carter to Different Societies in A Controlled World Without Falling Back on Cultural Appropriation:
There are many strategies for different group of people like for students, businesses, media or public and some of them are as following:
- Do not judge human beings, on basis of race, gender, character or management fashion because if we judge people based on this think then people feel bad and due to this, they start adopting different elements from another culture.
- Promote public program with educational, and cultural sports that provide the feeling of diverse culture, and also show the importance of different cultures.
- In every field provide chance to your friend, colleagues or anybody because it helps in better and clearer communication. If in any field, chances are given according to culture then it will be wronged because due to this people got demotivate and it will definitely lead to cultural appropriation.
- Try to participate in group activities at workplace, college or on different place where team is required because if different people from different background work in one group then it will build team spirit, and also avoid the chance of cultural appropriation and promote diversity.
Conclusion
From the above it is clear that cultural appropriation is not a good thing it has a negative effect on human beings’ life. All cultures are equally important. All have their different customs. It is better if we adopt our culture elements rather than choosing other culture elements. So, Value All Diversity.
Bibliography
- James, J. (2016, october 26). Vanessa HUdgens repeated cultural appropriation is a lesson to festival goers. Retrieved from Revelist.com: https://www.revelist.com/celebrity/vanessa-hudgens-cultural-appropriation/5458
- Orenstein, H. (2016, june 7). seventeen. Retrieved from seventeen.com: https://www.seventeen.com/celebrity/news/a40921/fans-are-debating-if-vanessa-hudgens-face-paint-is-cultural-appropriation/
