Cultural Appropriation take
I hate that you cant really talk about appropriation in public spaces without getting shouted at.
Cultural Appropriation is a value neutral term. It's just something that happens when two cultures are in contact with each other. The problem is when a culture appropriates something in a way that exploits that culture, or is disrespectful towards it. American culture in particular has a bad habit of making things it appropriates super bland and inaccurate. But 🤷
Cultural Appropriation take
Debussy appropriated lots of ideas from Indian and Southeast Asian music, and he was one of the best and most innovative Western composers of the late 19th and early 20th century. Saying he was appropriating their musical ideas isn't an insult, it's just a true statement -- he got a lot of ideas from music at a world culture fair, which then inspired him to go see those cultures firsrhand, which directly led to a lot of his innovative western-form-breaking music.
Cultural Appropriation take
@jacethechicken Appropriate basically means 'stealing'. So, the phrase isn't neutral. It implies that the 'culture' has been taken and used without permission of those who created it.
The word itself is synonymous with usurp or hijack.
I don't think it's fair to say the term is value neutral.
Cultural Appropriation take
@Surasanji I disagree. Appropriate doesn't mean steal, it means appropriate -- words don't just mean exactly the same thing as other words, words don't even always mean the same thing as themselves -- but it's closer to being synonymous with incorporate. It's not as if one can't respectfully incorporate ideas from another culture into their own. The problem isn't the mere act of appropriation, the problem is doing so disrespectfully or exploitatively.
Cultural Appropriation take
@jacethechicken Here is Google Dictionary's definition. It has a negative spin in the verb form we're using here.
Dictionary Adventures
Webster: "Shit yeah, this dictionary is *perfect*."
Merriam: "Webster! Come quickly! The youth have taken to the 'Hip-Hop'! we must define it at once!"
Webster: "motherFU-
Cultural Appropriation take
@Surasanji all English dictionaries are philosophically descriptive, and are supposed to just describe how words are used instead of prescribing their meaning or use. I disagree with their definition, or at least think the word has multiple meanings -- dictionaries are incomplete all the time 🤷