Reflection 2: Is Nothing Sacred?—The Cultural Appropriation of Religious Symbols

Cultural appropriation is the act of one culture "incorporating" aspects of another culture into its own. This differs from cultural exchanges in which American hip-hop and Bollywood-style dancing incorporate each other's moves, or Korean and Mexican cuisines integrate each other's ingredients. In cultural appropriation, a dominant group assimilates aspects of a foreign culture without regard to their original use or intent. In other words, parts of one culture might be absorbed into another in insensitive, even offensive, ways, often for their perceived exoticism or cool factor. This extends to the religious and spiritual practices of other cultures, as well. Thus, in America, we've seen hipsters embrace Dia de los Muertos, the popularization of sacred Maori symbols as tattoos, celebrities sporting Kabbalah string bracelets, and the labeling of a clean, Asian-influenced design as Zen-style. Each of these is misunderstood and, in turn, misapplied; and yet, each has seeped into American pop culture. How have you seen the religious or sacred iconography of other cultures absorbed into the American mainstream? And what of those instances when a particular culture is offended by the use of their religious imagery in the mainstream, such as No Doubt's 2012 Native American controversy. What is the line between simply borrowing, often sacred, cultural artifacts and misusing them? For example, can we truly understand the traditions of Ojibwa dreamcatchers when they're worn as earrings, or respect Hindu and Buddhist principles when we do yoga with goats? Is it possible to appreciate another culture's artifacts in a respectful manner?

Include at least three of the following in your discussion:

• "The Cultural Appropriation Primer" (Medium)
• "Cultural Appropriation—Is it Ever Okay?" (Refinery29)
• "The Problematic Cultural Appropriation of Polynesian Tattooing in the Wave of 21st Century Tattoo Revival" (Rampages)
• "The Awful History Behind Why Hipsters Think it's Okay to Wear Headdresses (Mic)
• "Cultural Appropriation: How Not to Celebrate the Day of the Dead" (TalkDeath)

Required:

• MLA Style
• 375-500 words
• Works cited page

Due: Thu 2.14