One of our favourite holidays is coming up soon, Halloween! You might have been really organised and got together your outfit already. Or maybe you\u2019re more of a\u00a0last-minute\u00a0ghost in a sheet kind of person. Whatever the case, hopefully your outfit won\u2019t be offensive to anyone. Have you ever considered Halloween and cultural\u00a0appropriation?<\/p>\n
Now this subject is a lot bigger in the US than in the UK. To be honest I was ignorant to what \u201ccultural appropriation\u201d was until I did my study abroad in the US. I think this is because it is really not discussed in the UK. And, I think that conversations on the subject should be encouraged more in the UK, especially with regards to clothing on Halloween and at festivals.<\/p>\n
What is cultural appropriation?<\/b><\/p>\n
Cultural appropriation is a term used when it appears a \u201cdominating culture\u201d uses an aspect of another culture and passes it off as their own. The concept comes hand in hand with “white supremacy” so you need to be clued up on that idea too. Cultural appropriation\u00a0is\u00a0when\u00a0one culture\u00a0is undermined by being worn as a\u00a0costume.\u00a0Or\u00a0a costume\u00a0undermines the\u00a0suffering of another culture.<\/p>\n
What does this mean for Halloween? This is when cultural appropriation manifests as an outfit or costume. For example, when a nationality is used in the title of the costume e.g. \u201ca Native American\u201d or \u201ca\u00a0Mexican.\u201d\u00a0Here\u2019s\u00a0a clear example: dressing as a \u201cNative American\u201d is regarded as cultural appropriation. One reason for this is because a Native head dress is seen as a respected and important aspect of Native American life\u00a0and\u00a0not<\/strong>\u00a0a\u00a0costume.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n Think:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n There often isn\u2019t much room between appreciation and appropriation at times. But the main thing to comprehend for Halloween is, am I just using this for fashion\/costume? If yes, then it\u2019s considered appropriation.<\/p>\n The UK\u00a0has\u00a0a very different social construct to the US. There seems to be a significantly smaller discussion and awareness of the topic in the UK. For example, when I studied in America, the school provided a \u201ccultural\u00a0appropriation\u00a0flow chart\u201d for students when considering their fancy dress costumes. I had never seen this in the UK.\u00a0Note: I recognise this doesn\u2019t represent all US Colleges.<\/p>\n In the UK\u00a0we are exposed to some ideas about cultural appropriation. Mainly in pop culture. Whether it\u2019s Katy Perry, The Kardashian\u2019s or Miley Cyrus, it has been brought up in the media. I think because there\u00a0are\u00a0less conversations about this subject in the UK, when such topics come up, we either don\u2019t really understand them or they fade out pretty quickly. Becoming aware of what cultural appropriation is, especially for Halloween, is a start.<\/p>\n Cultural appreciation<\/b><\/p>\n I\u2019ve read a lot of online arguments that suggest things like \u201ccultural appropriation\u201d prevents cultures coming together. But I disagree. There are so many ways to share culture and appreciate cultures that are not your own. Without including cultural appropriation.<\/p>\n If you are someone who genuinely wants to share cultures there are so many ways to do so. Just doing the tiniest bit of research can make sure\u00a0you\u00a0appreciate rather than appropriate.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t fear the conversation<\/b><\/p>\n I know it is very easy to become afraid of\u00a0subjects\u00a0such as these. They do require understanding and potentially asking some awkward questions about race and culture. I would say be considerate of your questions, but educate yourself. Coming to grips with what cultural appropriate is can be done. Don\u2019t turn your back on the issue because you are afraid of it. It is your responsibility to keep learning and understanding such issues.<\/p>\nThis Halloween before you dress up just\u00a0ask yourself a few questions before buying\u00a0your\u00a0outfit.<\/h2>\n
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The UK and cultural appropriation<\/h2>\n
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