Public Mindfulness Of Cultural Appropriation
In today’s globalized and communicative world, where written, seen, and heard information can travel across thousands of miles in the blink of an eye, it’s no wonder the United States describes itself as a “melting pot” of cultures. When once civilizations remained mostly isolated and homogeneous, with no outer influences to meld with their own routines and traditions, now the world operates with little privacy between different parts of the world. The sharing, lovingly lending, and forcefully taking of cultures is ceaseless and boundless, and the area between healthy cultural appreciation and expression, and appropriation and abuse, is often greyed. Public mindfulness of cultural appropriation is beginning to be more common liberal society--that
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It is distinct from cultural assimilation, in that cultural appropriation refers to the adoption of these cultural elements, taken from colonized or minority cultures by members of the dominant culture, and then using these elements outside of their original cultural context.9 It can be in the form of ideas, symbols, images, sounds, practices, forms, fashions, or styles. Cultural theorist George Lipsitz explained the concept of cultural appropriation through his own term "strategic anti-essentialism." Strategic anti-essentialism is “a practice of cultural borrowing and cross-cultural identification that serves to advance emancipatory ends.”10 He further explains that this anti-essentialism can be observed in cultures representing both minority and majority populations, and is not a practice exclusive to appropriating the former. Although a majority culture may attempt to use anti-essentialize themselves and appropriate a minority culture, they must acknowledge the significance of the cultural practices that they participate in--otherwise, this is participating in cultural appropriation, and continuing the abuse of power of the majority culture. It’s crucial to note that when members of a marginalized group adopt and …show more content…
Is it appropriation if the culture from which the practice came wishes to spread its effects to all people, help them rebalance their lives, and become closer to God? Maybe not, but it is also questionable whether or not this is what popular yoga practices in the United States has
It is distinct from cultural assimilation, in that cultural appropriation refers to the adoption of these cultural elements, taken from colonized or minority cultures by members of the dominant culture, and then using these elements outside of their original cultural context.9 It can be in the form of ideas, symbols, images, sounds, practices, forms, fashions, or styles. Cultural theorist George Lipsitz explained the concept of cultural appropriation through his own term "strategic anti-essentialism." Strategic anti-essentialism is “a practice of cultural borrowing and cross-cultural identification that serves to advance emancipatory ends.”10 He further explains that this anti-essentialism can be observed in cultures representing both minority and majority populations, and is not a practice exclusive to appropriating the former. Although a majority culture may attempt to use anti-essentialize themselves and appropriate a minority culture, they must acknowledge the significance of the cultural practices that they participate in--otherwise, this is participating in cultural appropriation, and continuing the abuse of power of the majority culture. It’s crucial to note that when members of a marginalized group adopt and …show more content…
Is it appropriation if the culture from which the practice came wishes to spread its effects to all people, help them rebalance their lives, and become closer to God? Maybe not, but it is also questionable whether or not this is what popular yoga practices in the United States has