In this article I found, Grant Loveless, a student at Austin Community College discusses the difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation and why it matters. I appreciated this article because it allowed me to think deeper about the difference between the two, it also fits well into the cultural appropriation vs. appreciation section of my final project. Loveless identifies 4 tips for people to distinguish between the two:
- Examine your own culture. I thought this point was fantastic considering our discussion in Week 11 about engaging with other cultures.
- Listen & be mindful. Sometimes listening involves asking questions in order to more fully understand a certain aspect of culture.
- Analyze the context. There will be certain aspects of culture that are more appropriate to share in, in certain situations.
- Be open to teach and share your own culture. This was an interesting point I have not considered much as a white person. People may (or may not) be interested in learning more about my culture and if they are, I should be more open to sharing.
Hi Zoe,
In a pluralistic, multicultural world, understanding and contextualizing each other can be very helpful in how to act going forward. Understanding history can maximize our contemporary actions for the good. For example, I have tried to impart to my students that Indigenous cultures and peoples are given extreme respect in Canada in the contemporary world. One of my students asked me: should I respect Indigenous Canadians more than those of European descent? And what about new immigrants? I wasn’t sure how to answer.
I would argue that due to the recent historical atrocity of genocide done by Europeans to Indigenous requires extreme attention, reflexion and positive action. Nothing else matters right now.