Cultural appropriation

[Londonerlove]

AIBU to be totally annoyed by cultural appropriation.
I read this today and though wtf!

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/newsbeat-44572555

I’m not a fan of kim but if she wants her hair in braids she can have her hair in braids?

Shouldn’t this be praised rather than attacked?
Is eating pasta cultural appropriation?

@BertrandRussell I mean acceptance in that wearing clothing which is different from the mainstream, that it is ok to be different and not conform.

Sorry @downthestrada I think I got my post mixed up. The uniformity bit was another post.

@animaginativeusername No worries :)

@bert
‘And if someone was wearing something I liked the look of, I would ask whether it was something that had any particular significance to the faith or culture’

I would find this rude. Why do you feel the need to ask whether someone’s clothing has significance.

theres no need to learn or use sensitivity

Yes but you are always going to be people who don’t much care about anyone anyway so you will always get those types whatever culture, gender creed colour or religion.

It was ever thus.

But by more sharing and more embracing that gets fewer and fewer.

And I still go back to schools. To me any faith school of any faith, free schools etc are a barrier to integration and understanding leading to acceptance and in its radical form terrorism in all its forms.

" would find this rude. Why do you feel the need to ask whether someone’s clothing has significance"
BexUse I am at an event specifically intended to raise cross cultural awareness.......

Strongmummy - Well, I am part German, part Jewish and have some Italian blood too so I feel offended on behalf of aspects of my ancestry.

Yep. You will always get those types of people. So, is that why you yourself think (and correct me if I’m wrong) that you also shouldn’t use any sensitivity or care when using something from another culture? Is it just because there are other people who won’t, so you don’t want to do it either? Trying to understand here.

Yes, I think sharing and embracing if done sensitively and with care, is great. I’m someone that thinks CA is more of a problem to people who are oppressed but it’s like we’re almost arguing the same point about sharing - its just the “learning, done with care” part that’s different.

So, I just want to understand from the people that don’t think there’s any issue with CA - why do you think you shouldn’t have to learn or do things sensitively when you use things from other cultures?

I know people just disagree, it’s a fact of life, but I’m trying to understand.

doenthestrsda

Regards me I had never heard this term until this post and I live in a very diverse area of Birmingham. I have many many friends of many faiths and cultures and have never heard this phrase so I guess it’s not important to them but they are all middle aged so maybe it’s more a young thing?

We probably come from things from a different perspective as it would t cross my mind to consider why I would buy fabrics from certain shops in soho road, probably one of the most diverse roads in the country and no one has ever pulled a face or asked me if I know the origins of said fabric or bag etc. I buy what I like.

I mean this really respectfully but could this be the latest London fad and talk point? And nothing wrong with that until it starts to breed more divisions and suspicions.

My thoughts would be are the workers in the factories producing these goods paid well? Child labour? The wider issues of community cohesion and diversity of schooling.

I know guy can care about all these and CA but it seems to me it’s an opportunity to embrace rather than to look at the negative aspects.

Please don’t think I am being patronising whatever anyone’s age any opinion is valid but I worry issues like this are taken and run with without really thinking through the concequences just as in self ID another cause championed by uni students who don’t always see the bigger picture.

@bert would you do this to a colleague?
If you are at a specific event which is relating to culture in some sort of way then you’re question would be relevant.

I'm probably the oldest person on this thread. When I was a young woman cultural sensitivity was called "good manners".

Londoner- my post was specifically referring to such an event. Which you would know if you bothered to read the thread.

Yes biut did it extend to knowing the origins of shoes bags clothes and hair?

I was born In 1964 and yes good manners and respect but not in-depth knowledge of these things.

As an old glimmer like me you must agree this is a new thing right?

Yes, at a religious/cultural event/festival it would be quite in order to ask someone about dancing/dress/music.

Can you imagine asking someone at work? A superior at work? What if they actually weren't of the culture you thought? What a minefield. I think, "I like your bag," would be much more polite than, "I like your bag; does it have cultural significance?" Cringe^ . That sounds so flippin' patronising.

Bollocks I have outed myself on my age and in another thread I am 4 years younger now lying about your age to strangers on the internet you are not hoping to date is the definition of sad

@downthestrada I think it’s great people want to learn about different cultures and I encourage it.
I personally think many get cultural appropriation and appreciation confused. If people adopt something from another culture whether they understand it or not is not important. The fact they do not understand it and adopt an aspect of a culture means that they see it as the norm.
I think many see CA as indirect racism or ignorance. We shouldn’t be offended by someone’s naivety.

@bert I honestly think age has a huge part to play in our experiences. I think/hope the fight against racism has come a long way in the past 50 years.

@lost, great. So what has your point got to do with my hummus example? I don’t care about people eating bloody hummus. I resent Europeans thinking they “discovered” it at Whole Foods and not buying it at a middle eastern shop (that will have been selling it for years) coz it’s not trendy to do so

Ohmydayslove I am in my mid 30s and from Scotland. I have been thinking about this for the past 10, possibly more, years. Even before I had heard of the term "cultural appreciation". So, I definitely don't think it's a London fad. I've discussed with people in other countries too.

It may be that you have been unaware of it, because it doesn't affect you. I have been aware of it because part of my heritage is both appreciated and appropriated. I am also involved in hobbies, where I think appropriation is rife.

My thoughts would be are the workers in the factories producing these goods paid well? Child labour? I would think about this too. But, it's possible to care about many things. I guess we just place different levels of importance on different things. CA to me, only when it's problematic, is an issue.

@strong I’ve always bought my hummus from my local shop. Def not whole foods.
I can assure you Europeans don’t think they discovered hummus.

"As an old glimmer like me you must agree this is a new thing right?"

I travelled a lot with my family as a child and we had it drummed into us to be polite and respectful to people from other cultures. I think the idea of cultural appropriation is new expressed in that way. But there were certainly discussions about things like, for example, the Elgin Marbles.

@london, it’s great to hear and im glad you don’t. But I have experienced very different . I have also been corrected by an English person on my pronunciation of hummus.

We all have different experiences that determine our perspectives and our behaviours

I think I discovered hummus at M&S donkeys' years ago. I can't really fathom why it is more worthy to buy one's hummus from small Arabic deli than from, well, anywhere really.

And we don't all live in places with such exciting eateries. Snort at finding an Arabic deli where I live. But hey ho, I guess I should pass on the hummus unless I can make sure it is authentic .

Hummus worry... That's not taking care not to culturally appropriate, that's just being a food snob!

"@bert I honestly think age has a huge part to play in our experiences. I think/hope the fight against racism has come a long way in the past 50 years."
Well, I like to think so too. But I have to say, I have my doubts. The idea of people not being able to keep particular things exclusive to their own culture in the name of integration worries me a lot.

I don't think CA as a concept is a new thing. All throughout my life I've had these stupid condescending comments about me needing to integrate more whereas others get to wear what they like while generalising and disrespecting the culture. What's changed is that we're at a point where POC feel confident enough to say something about it(although perhaps we shouldn't after people on this thread calling it nonsense, identity politics bullshit, bullocks, fad etc. without any consideration for actual experiences we've shared on here).