CULTURAL APPROPRIATION – A GUIDE FOR JOURNALISTS AND THE REST OF THE WORLD

Abstract

My thesis project is presented in a website. The link to this website is: https://culturalappropriationforjournalists.weebly.com Materials are organized under four pages: Home Page, Expert Opinions, Resources and About. The Home page covers the concept of cultural appropriation and how to recognize/avoid it. The Expert Opinions page includes a Q & A with cultural expert Kenneth Cushner. The Resources page includes an annotated bibliography, and the About page includes my short biography. My research uncovered three major points on how to recognize and understand the concept of cultural appropriation: 1. Intent – In order to share in one’s culture, your intent must be to learn from and understand the other in a positive way. The correct intent allows one to gain a valuable experience from participating in another’s cultures and traditions without degrading those who are willing to share. 2. Circumstance – The circumstances are imperative when determining what is and what is not cultural appropriation. 3. Education – Someone who immerses him or herself in a culture should take the time to learn about what makes that culture unique before partaking in traditions they did not previously understand. Why does a culture wear this, eat that, worship here and gather there? Answering these questions creates a background of the culture and allows the person to proceed with respect. Beyond these three features for recognizing cultural appropriation, the consensus reached after carefully reading each research source is that the definition of the term cannot clearly be applied to every situation. Cultural appropriation must be assessed on a case-by-case basis because different scenarios contain vastly different actors with complex intentions, circumstances and levels of education.