Cultural Appropriation : where do we cross the line?

Sofya VOLKOVA

Master 1 LEA M2i

Université Paris Nanterre

Sous la direction de Fiona ROSSETTE

Cultural appropriation vs. cultural appreciation : where do we cross the line ?

Is cultural appropriation a natural consequence of globalization or an offensive way to assert cultural dominance and lack of respect ?

Table of contents

Introduction 3

I. What is cultural appropriation ? The historical background 5

A. What does culture consist of? How can we appropriate it? Who is the “owner” of culture? 5

B. How did it start and why are we talking about it today : the evolution of the dis-course 10

II. Appropriation versus appreciation 14

A. Different degrees of cultural appropriation and why is it more acceptable for some industries 14

B. How exactly cultural appropriation is linked to minority groups 18

III. Case study 24

A. How does it affect the image of a brand : the case of Gucci’s “Indy Full Turban” 24

A. Ways to avoid the negative experience with cultural appropriation 28

Conclusion 32

Bibliography 34

Books : 34

Articles : 34

Internet sources : 35

Miscellaneous : 37

Introduction

Culture is one of the most multifaceted and complex concepts that in one way or an-other we encounter fairly every day. It is quite difficult to choose one single definition that can truly capture all aspects of culture and that can be considered exhaustive. For instance, culture may be described as a set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that charac-terize an institution or organization . Or as a set of beliefs, customs, arts of a particular socie-ty, group, place, or time. Perhaps, it is because of the breadth and versatility of the definition itself that concepts that combine culture and something else are often the subject of contradic-tory reactions and confusion. One of the most provocative and controversial concepts over the past few years has become the phenomenon of cultural appropriation, which regularly appears in the press and news, causing endless debates and is often at the top of the most popular hashtags on any social media.

Nowadays, even the biggest companies can find themselves in the middle of a scandal over cultural appropriation and risk their whole reputation. For example, in 2019, Gucci, one of the most notorious fashion houses, launched their “Indy Full Turban” , apparently inspired by the traditional headwear of the Sikh. There was not a single member of this community among the models at the fashion show. But perhaps even more outrageous was the price of the Italian brand's turban, it was on sale for $800. Whether this tactic is a way to attract public and media attention or to capitalize on another culture without showing proper respect is unclear.

Cambridge Dictionary defines cultural appropriation as the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture . In theory, everything here seems simple and straightforward. But in reali-ty, it turns out that this relatively new concept implies many nuances and raises a lot of ques-tions: what does culture exactly consist of ? Who is the “owner” of a particular culture? How can you show that you actively respect another culture? Moreover, technically, no culture is completely original because any culture is a combination of proper and borrowed aspects. This is especially true in today’s world that is slowly but surely becoming more and more multicultural and globalized.

In contrast to cultural appropriation, sometimes people tend to use the term “cultural appreciation”. Appreciation, by definition, is an ability to understand the worth, quality, or importance of something . In other words, the important difference between the two notions is the intention and the presence or the lack of respect. In addition, the main argument among those who argue that cultural appropriation is a false term is the fact that culture is constantly changing, absorbing new aspects and evolving, and that the essence of culture is to be shared. The term cultural appropriation, on the other hand, usually has negative connotations. In most cases, it is used when it comes to a minority culture that is being borrowed, or when interact-ing cultures are involved in a historical, ethnic, or racial conflict, so cultural appropriation is causing an imbalance of power.

Obviously, such issues are not resolved overnight, and it seems like we are still quite far from being able to find a definite answer to the question of where do we cross the line between cultural appropriation and appreciation. Nevertheless, in my work, I will try to an-swer this question.

My work will be divided into three main parts. I will start with a presentation of the historical context of the phenomenon of cultural appropriation, I would like to find the first references, to trace the evolution of the discourse on the topic and to find out the reasons why we actually should care about this issue. Then, I will focus on the specific difference between appropriation and appreciation, I will compare how they are being used in different contexts and in different sectors. Finally, I would like to look at a specific case of cultural appropria-tion, particularly the one that I mentioned earlier in the introduction - the Gucci “Indy Full Turban”. It seemed interesting to me to analyze how this case affected the brand, what was the reaction of consumers and media, what were the consequences and losses for the company. I chose this particular case because, in my opinion, today’s fashion is most exposed to cultural appropriation and is more often at the center of conflicts.

I. What is cultural appropriation ? The historical back-ground

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