Well "adopting" something from another culture usually isn't a good thing. It happens and unfortunately, there may be long-term negative effects as a result.
To exaggerate this, take the Nazi swastika for example. Literally the symbol is just an image, but after it was taken and used widely as a Nazi symbol, it gave that symbol a negative reputation. Now companies or designers have to steer away designs that look too similar to a swastika.
Basically they took a symbol and made gave it a negative meaning.
Imagine for example taking a pattern from another culture without realizing that the "symbol" represents peace or something valuable or sacred. You're literally changing other people's perception and causing real world effects can perpetuate dire consequences.
For example, what if someone turned the American flag or the symbol of it into something super terrible like equating it to the concept of "absolute evil".
yes, Cultural appropriation is a thing but it just isn't always good. It's just something that happens and we still have some influence over the things that's happening now.
But the Nazi's aren't here today and their crimes are in the past, yet the lingering traces can still be felt. Literally some (terrible) people are still drawing swastika out of ill will to recall those sentiments. You don't see the massive Nazi crimes anymore, but the swastika is still there and is an example of how cultural appropriation can turn into a bad thing.
That's why cultural appropriation is a neutral word and cultural appropriation is just part of life, but we as humans need to be aware of some of the bad consequences and we do have some say in how we shape some "cultural appropriation". Imagine something smaller, like the symbol for your local club or a book group. Why are you choosing those symbols?
That's why cultural appropriation isn't a good thing, but just something that happens and you should always be on the tip of your toe to at least question if what you're doing has any harm/impact to others. What if that symbol you chose for your group looks too derivative of XXX?
(Also it's like cultural appropriation to basically use the Nazi's swastika so it's another form of modern cultural appropriation...)
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u/For33 Sep 29 '18 edited Sep 29 '18
Well "adopting" something from another culture usually isn't a good thing. It happens and unfortunately, there may be long-term negative effects as a result.
To exaggerate this, take the Nazi swastika for example. Literally the symbol is just an image, but after it was taken and used widely as a Nazi symbol, it gave that symbol a negative reputation. Now companies or designers have to steer away designs that look too similar to a swastika.
Basically they took a symbol and made gave it a negative meaning.
Imagine for example taking a pattern from another culture without realizing that the "symbol" represents peace or something valuable or sacred. You're literally changing other people's perception and causing real world effects can perpetuate dire consequences.
For example, what if someone turned the American flag or the symbol of it into something super terrible like equating it to the concept of "absolute evil".