“ CULTURAL ” WHAT ? To appropriate something — be it a concept , practice , object or other — is to take something the originator of a cultural element remains unacknowledged , then the “ borrowed ” element is appropriated , and not shared . for one ’ s own purpose without permission from , or recognition of , the owning party . Think of the justifiable fit that author George R . R . Martin would be entitled to if HBO ’ s series Game of Thrones were to award alternate names for the characters and locations , and then eliminate acknowledgment for Martin ’ s creative influence , all the while maintaining an undeniable facsimile of the famous tales of warring Westeros . The show would be inarguably and severely appropriating Martin ’ s work .
Now let ’ s expand our understanding of appropriation to include culture — the trending term for which is referred to as “ cultural appropriation ”. Here , a party is taking explicit influences from another culture or ethnicity , meanwhile denying the group recognition , collaboration or voice .
Cultural sharing , on the other hand , is more inclusive in its approach . The world is filled with a fantastic fusion of cultures ; borrowing elements of an array of cultures in a respectful , tasteful manner , constitutes a healthy cultural exchange . If bantu knots worn by Caucasian celebrities — think Björk or the models in Marc Jacobs ’ spring collection in 2015 — were to credit Zulu tribes in southern Africa with the inspiration , as opposed to renaming the style “ twisted mini buns ”, then that would be an example of cultural exchange ; however , as long as
A CULTURE IS NOT A COSTUME When it comes to festivity , costuming is a favoured element that comes to mind . Whether celebrating Oktoberfest with folks in lederhosen , partying within the vibrant themes of Mardis Gras , or participating in the famously costumed Halloween spirit , playing “ dress-up ” is a signature activity .
While at times the purpose of costuming can be to achieve an off-putting effect — think zombie-themed attire for horror parties — the balance between visually repelling and offensive can be easily upset . For example , dressing as a suicide bomber in traditional Arab attire is not considered edgy for its dark “ humour ”, but offensive for its gross misrepresentation and mockery of a serious issue .
In their ethnic awareness campaign “ We ’ re a Culture , Not a Costume ”, Ohio University ’ s group , Students Teaching About Racism in Society ( STARS ), addresses demeaning culture-based costumes that come out of the woodwork , especially around Halloween . Running poster campaigns with captions like , “ When this is how the world sees you , it ’ s just not funny ,” and “ You wear the costume for one night , I wear the stigma for life ,” STARS explains how costuming can be hurtful to cultural groups , regardless of the wearer ’ s intentions .