Distinction between culture appropriation and culture appreciation

Cultural influences abound in the food we eat, the music we listen to, and perhaps even the clothing we wear or the decorations in our home.

Sharing culture is generally positive. Someone who chooses to share parts of their culture can spread information about their beliefs, history, and way of life.

We, in turn, get the opportunity to learn more about another culture and share yours as well.

This exchange can lead to a better understanding of and appreciation for perspectives and traditions different from our own.

Similarly, appreciating another culture and appropriating aspects of that culture are also two very different things

According to Oxford Dictionaries the culture appropriation is the Unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, Ideas, etc of a social ethnic group by members of another or typically more dominant group of the society.Unlike the cultural exchange in which there is a mutual Interchange, the appropriation refers to A particular power dynamic in which members of a dominant culture take elements from a culture of people who have been systematically oppressed by the dominant group. It’s often fine to take on aspects from another culture, but the problem arises when somebody takes something from another less dominant culture in a way that members of the culture find it offensive. That’s why, wearing espadrilles to work is different from wearing some bread dough to a Halloween party or sending a series of Wight models down the catwalk wearing their hair in cornrows.

Buying mass-produced dream catchers, moccasins, headdresses, or other “Native American–inspired” items from tourist shops doesn’t teach you about their significance.

It presents a false perspective that all Native Americans are the same. In reality, the history, culture, and art of different tribes vary widely. What’s more, the non-Native companies that produce these items are the ones profiting

So, it must be clearly understood where the line is between appreciating another culture and appropriating it.

In contrast, Culture appreciation is when earnestly to learn about or explore a different culture. One must seek to honour its belief and traditions. involves a desire for knowledge and deeper understanding of a culture.

People who truly want to appreciate a culture offer respect to members of that culture and their traditions by participating only when invited to do so.

Appreciation provides an opportunity to share ideas and cultural awareness. For example, buying a set of chopsticks to eat with is perfectly acceptable. Using those same chopsticks as a hair accessory is not. Or perhaps you receive an invitation to a Muslim wedding, so you do some research on traditional weddings to learn what to expect and how to dress. Based on your research, you bring a scarf and cover your head to show respect during the wedding.