{"id":196,"date":"2014-11-13T23:02:00","date_gmt":"2014-11-14T05:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/2014\/11\/how-to-avoid-cultural-appropriation.html"},"modified":"2015-02-26T23:02:32","modified_gmt":"2015-02-27T05:02:32","slug":"how-to-avoid-cultural-appropriation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/2014\/11\/how-to-avoid-cultural-appropriation.html","title":{"rendered":"How to avoid cultural appropriation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

So I\u2019m in the middle of reading and note-taking on a Harvard report on housing for older adults, and aiming at another go at trying to convince my parents that maybe, just maybe, living in a \u201csenior residence\u201d with skywalk-access to recreation and fitness activities is a better alternative to sitting around watching TV all day, but I thought I\u2019d take a break with a little piece on \u201ccultural appropriation,\u201d inspired by a snippet in the National Review <\/a>on students at the University of Minnesota, who were subjected to re-education for the sin of cultural appropriation when they hosted a party with a \u201cfiesta\u201d them, wearing ponchos and sombreros.<\/p>\n

What is cultural appropriation, you ask? \u00a0Let\u2019s cite my top google hit, racerelations.about.com<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Taking intellectual property, traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, or artifacts from someone else\u2019s culture without permission. This can include unauthorized use of another culture\u2019s dance, dress, music, language, folklore, cuisine, traditional medicine, religious symbols, etc. It\u2019s most likely to be harmful when the source community is a minority group that has been oppressed or exploited in other ways or when the object of appropriation is particularly sensitive, e.g. sacred objects.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Now, of course, \u201ccultural appropriation\u201d happens all the time when someone decides to dress as a \u201cnaughty nun\u201d at Halloween, but it\u2019s clear that the term is most often used when a person of European heritage \u201cuses\u201d an African, Arabic, Asian, or minority American \u201cculture.\u201d \u00a0And it\u2019s all a bit silly \u2014 according to this line of thinking, rock and roll was an unjust act of appropriation. \u00a0And who, after all, is authorized to give \u201cpermission\u201d? <\/p>\n

But I\u2019m not even going to go into the particulars of the silliness, nor try to turn the tables and say that the Chinese have no right to play Beethoven, nor may Africans read Shakespeare. <\/p>\n

I just want to play a different game: \u00a0what forms of celebration, of dance and music, of culture, would secure the approval of the anti-cultural-appropriation activists?<\/p>\n

A bland, themeless party, presumably \u2014 a few balloons and streamers and ordinary pop music (Taylor Swift, not hip hop) is probably OK, but that gets a bit boring. \u00a0It\u2019s hard to come up with themes that represent \u201cAmerican\u201d culture without getting into trouble for other reasons \u2014 even a \u201cpioneer\u201d theme, with \u201clittle house\u201d dresses, would probably be insensitive due to the fact that those pioneers were moving into former Indian territory. \u00a0Couldja do a Square Dance theme? \u00a0That\u2019s pretty American. \u00a0Country music would probably be authentically American, thought it has other strikes against it, but maybe if you go back a bit further in time, to something more along the lines of \u201croots music,\u201d you\u2019d be OK, though it\u2019s probably harder to dance to.<\/p>\n

Or do you have to back up a bit further and say that, since most (white or biracial) Americans have German ancestry, an Oktoberfest theme is probably OK (and, besides, just like the United States took over German companies in the US during World War I, such as Merck and Bayer, they\u2019ve likewise lost the \u201cright\u201d to their cultural \u201ctrademarks\u201d, anyway). \u00a0Lederhosen and dirndls and oompah bands are always popular, and Germans are always willing to share. <\/p>\n

An Irish theme is probably also OK, given the prevalence of Irish ancestry. \u00a0Corned beef and celtic music and the women crimping their hair like those Irish dancers. <\/p>\n

Or maybe you have to back up, and go with a Medieval theme \u2014 after all, there aren\u2019t any knights and fair ladies around to complain. <\/p>\n

What about a toga party? \u00a0Is it too insulting to Italians, or have they lost the trademark rights by the long passage of time since anyone last wore a toga?<\/p>\n

Anyway, I\u2019m running out of momentum here. \u00a0You can take it from here in the comments.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So I\u2019m in the middle of reading and note-taking on a Harvard report on housing for older adults, and aiming at another go at trying to convince my parents that maybe, just maybe, living in a \u201csenior residence\u201d with skywalk-access to recreation and fitness activities is a better alternative to sitting around watching TV all […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2209,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[145,146],"class_list":["post-196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-cultural-appropriation","tag-pc"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to avoid cultural appropriation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"So I'm in the middle of reading and note-taking on a Harvard report on housing for older adults, and aiming at another go at trying to convince my parents\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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