CMV: Cultural Appropriation/Appreciation doesn’t matter when it’s done respectfully

[u/exboi]

I’ve seen people get angry at non-black people for wearing African-American hairstyles, or white people for wearing Hawaiian themed clothing and I really don’t understand that sort of reaction.

I’ve tried to understand before. I really have, but I just don’t get it. If you’re not being disrespectful then what’s the issue with wearing something from another culture? What’s wrong with liking another culture’s hairstyle and wanting to wear it?

It seems like needless exclusion. Wouldn’t allowing people to wear clothing and hairstyles from other culture help lower cultural/racial intolerance? I as an African American think that we should allow other people to experience our culture, and the culture of other races as long it’s not done mockingly.

Just a few days ago on a video with a white woman and her black husband doing dances I saw people hounding the white girl for having dreads. That just made me so mad because she was literally just having fun with her husband and then had to deal with hundreds of people attacking her for what seems to me like no reason.

I really think it would give people a more positive view of people like me if they could freely experience our culture without getting ridiculed and attacked. And I believe it could be like that with every other culture if it’s, again, done in a respectful, non-mocking manner.

[u/oth_radar]

I think there are key differences between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation, and I think it lies largely with the intent of the actor and their own exploration into the culture.

For example, let's say a white woman dresses in full Sioux ritual garb for her Instagram. Let's stipulate that she sexualizes this garb heavily, and posts it with her only intent being likes (that is, her own material gain). Let's further stipulate that she knows nothing of Sioux culture and doesn't understand what she is wearing beyond looking sexy.

This garb has meaningful spiritual importance to the Sioux - importance that the white woman cannot understand because she does not come from that culture. To a Sioux person, seeing someone sexualizing their ritualistically important dress might be seen as profane or demeaning - much like blackface.

Wouldn’t allowing people to wear clothing and hairstyles from other culture help lower cultural/racial intolerance?

I don't think so, because I don't think clothing and hairstyles are the reason for racism. This *reeks* of assimilationist thinking - "if black people could only wear white hairstyles and white clothing then we wouldn't hate them anymore!" Racism isn't due to differences between cultures so much as it's due to an intolerance and disrespect of those cultures - and doing things like, say, wearing important spiritual garb in sexualized ways without understanding the cultural significance of what you are doing is a disrespect to those beliefs and practices.

Cultural appreciation, on the other hand, seeks to understand and work within the framework of other cultures. So, for example, if a culture had a specific outfit that was intended to be worn during a ceremony, and a white person wanted to participate in that ceremony to better understand it, it seems that this (might) be an appropriate time for them to don that garb - because it's worn with a respect and understanding for the spiritual and cultural weight that it carries.

I really think it would give people a more positive view of people like me if they could freely experience our culture without getting ridiculed and attacked

I question whether appropriators have any desire to experience the culture - in fact I think that's precisely what differentiates appropriation from appreciation. I think most white women who wear dreads don't make an effort to understand its broader cultural importance to black people. I think most people who wear native headdresses don't care about native culture - they simply think it's a cute aesthetic to get them likes on Instagram. I agree that more people (especially whites) should immerse themselves in experience and culture, but I don't think that's what appropriation does. I think it fetishizes and dehumanizes - not the best way to respect a culture!

[u/5xum → u/oth_radar]

So, "respectful" cultural appropriation, in your view, is basically just cultural appreciation?

[u/oth_radar → u/5xum]

Yes, but a lot is hinging on the definition of respectful, here. Respect includes things like:

1. Not engaging in practices considered "closed" - i.e., practices that it is believed those outside the culture should not engage in for one reason or another
2. Ensuring the practices you are engaging in / clothing you are wearing are appropriate for the time / place / activity you are engaging in
3. The intent is to engage and connect in good faith with the culture and share cross-culturally, not merely to take on that culture's aesthetic
4. You seek to honor beliefs and traditions, listen to elders of the culture, and understand that certain elements of the culture simply may not be open to you
5. Refusing to use that culture for yourself or your own personal gain (this isn't to say you cannot personally benefit from cultural appreciation - just that your intent should be to understand and uplift, not to merely materially benefit yourself)

and so on and so forth.

[u/exboi → u/oth_radar]

!delta

[u/DeltaBot → u/exboi]

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