Valarie Sarafian
Stories (1/0)
Cultural Appropriation?
Hey lovelies, here's a topic that needs to be discussed; cultural appropriation. What is cultural appropriation? When does it happen? Why does it happen? Well here is a simple answer to those simple questions—some people are just unoriginal. There is another side when it comes to cultural appropriation, the part where there is miscommunication involved. In fashion we see a lot of cultural appropriation going on, for example girls wearing headdresses to events like Coachella, but what does this symbolize other than free spirits… cultural appropriation. In mass media, there have been many stereotypes made, for example, African Americans wearing tribal clothing, or Japanese wearing their traditional kimonos. However that is not the case, fashion has evolved, and so has the use of cultural appropriation. Fashion in different cultures has been stereotyped through mass media. It tends to give us a misunderstanding of what one wears when it comes to their own cultural and traditional recognition. There has been a limited worldview opinion on how a simple fashion statement could lead to cultural appropriation. However attitudes are changing in the fashion community, many are realizing that it’s not okay to copy someone's traditional clothing. When newcomers arrive in Canada or America, they don’t know about the type of clothes they have to wear in order to fit in. For example, an Indian woman would end up wearing their typical salwar kameez or sari rather than jeans and a typical t-shirt. This could lead to an act of mocking, because Canadians are not used to seeing people wear a sari. Mass media promotes cultural appropriation through movies, television shows, commercials, ads, etc...
By Valarie Sarafian5 years ago in Styled