{"id":324,"date":"2017-05-19T16:07:00","date_gmt":"2017-05-19T16:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cinnamonstudio.com\/blog\/2017\/05\/19\/cultural-appropriation\/"},"modified":"2017-05-19T16:07:00","modified_gmt":"2017-05-19T16:07:00","slug":"cultural-appropriation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinnamonstudio.com\/blog\/2017\/05\/cultural-appropriation.html","title":{"rendered":"Cultural Appropriation"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\nCultural Appropriation<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nI recently read an internet article \u201cA much needed primer on
\ncultural appropriation\u201d.<\/div>\n
\n(http\/\/jezebel.com\/5959698\/a-much-needed-primer-on-cultural-appropriation)<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nSo, what does \u201cappropriate\u201d mean?  According to the dictionary the word appropriate means to take as
\nones own, to take for ones own: hence to steal.  We are all familiar that taking an invention protected by
\npatent  is fraudulent.  Using another\u2019s words either orally or in
\nprint is plagiarism.  However, it
\nbecomes more murky when we speak of intellectual properties or cultural
\nvalues.    The reason I was intrigued by
\nthis article is that it addressed the issue of fashion and designers that have
\n(and are) using cultural references in their designs with little appreciation
\nto their true significance.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nThere has always been the idea that design (in whatever
\nform) is derivative,  that is, it is
\nbased upon previous concepts , sometimes very explicit references,
\nsometimes  only a vague hint of a
\nprecursor.  In Textile Designs (Meller
\nand Elffers, Abrams, 1991) the authors state \u201c\u2026the recycling wheel, which sets
\nthe motif of textile designs on a circular road of eternal return.  Nothing disappears, and nothing appears out
\nof nowhere.\u201d  This might be taken to
\nimply certain permission to copy.  But
\nthis is not what I am talking about in appropriation of culture.  Certainly we are seeing in the past few
\nyears a return to mid-century style, design and color patterns. <\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nCultural appropriation is very different.  It is taking the values and beliefs of a
\npeople, their physical characteristics and\/or lifestyle.  It is removing these symbols from their
\noriginal context and  using them in
\nfashion , let\u2019s be real here, for a profit. 
\nThe meaning of these cultural references is nowhere addressed, and,
\nindeed often far, far removed from any original significance.  This is not a new problem.  In the 1950\u2019s there was great interest in
\nso-called \u201cethnic\u201d designs. Yards of printed fabric presented Mexican senores
\nin sombreros asleep beneath palms or with burros and senoritas with baskets of
\nflowers.  There were \u201cLittle Black
\nSambo\u201d pajamas and \u201cAunt Jemima\u201d aprons. 
\nToday this is not only considered sooo politically incorrect, but
\ndown-right inflammatory.  And yet today
\nit continues with many ethnic groups.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\nThe problem is, I think, the consumer sees a pleasing, or
\nintriguing design, either in the print of the fabric or the construction of the
\nfinal product.  Perhaps the offense lies
\nin the glossy advertising.  Because  the real symbolism  is unfamiliar the consumer is unaware that this is perhaps
\noffensive and derogatory to some.  Is
\nthere a solution?   Of course, but it
\nmay be a complicated one.  The onus is
\non both the consumer and the producer. 
\nWe must be more aware and receptive to the idea that everyone does not
\nlive, think and believe as we do.  If
\nthere is no market, there will be no further production.  Fashion manufacturers must be held
\naccountable. Apologies after the fact should not be the final word.. If there
\nis an instance of such breach of good faith the public should make their voices
\nheard.  Afterall everyone is entitled to
\ntheir heritage and beliefs  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cultural Appropriation I recently read an internet article \u201cA much needed primer on cultural appropriation\u201d. (http\/\/jezebel.com\/5959698\/a-much-needed-primer-on-cultural-appropriation) So, what does \u201cappropriate\u201d mean?  According to the dictionary the word appropriate means to take as ones own, to take for ones own: hence to steal.  We are all familiar that taking an invention protected by patent  is fraudulent. …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinnamonstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinnamonstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinnamonstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinnamonstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinnamonstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=324"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cinnamonstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinnamonstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinnamonstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinnamonstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}