Ravensburger Verlag is withdrawing two children's books that were supposed to accompany the film "The Young Chief Winnetou". The publisher justifies its decision, among other things, with the fact that it deals intensively "with topics such as diversity or cultural appropriation", but the correct handling of it was not possible with the "Winnetou" titles. But what is cultural appropriation anyway?
Where does the term come from?
The term first appeared in the US and UK in the 1980s. In the original English it is "cultural appropriation". According to Wikipedia, it is defined as the "inappropriate or unacknowledged adoption of an element or elements of one culture or identity by members of another culture or identity". The Encyclopaedia Brittanica is even clearer: "Cultural appropriation occurs when members of a majority group adopt cultural elements of a minority group in an exploitative, disrespectful, or stereotypical manner." At the beginning of the debate, the main concern was that white musicians adopted styles influenced by black people and presented them as part of white music history.
What is problematic about cultural appropriation?
Above all, the disparity between the use of cultural signs and the experience of the social reality of these population groups is viewed critically. In 2003, a collection of essays entitled "Everything but the burden" summed it up. Editor was the US cultural theorist and critic Greg Tate. Translated, the title roughly means: "Everything but the burden". In it, various authors describe the reality that white people appropriate black styles of music, dance, dress and slang without experiencing the discrimination, racism or less economic participation associated with being black.
What examples of cultural appropriation are there?
There are numerous examples that have been criticized. This includes a boomerang that Chanel sold for the equivalent of 2000 euros. Because a boomerang was originally the weapon of Australian Aborigines, it was criticized that it was racist to now sell it as an outrageously expensive sports accessory. Recently there have been discussions when white people wear dreadlocks, such as the singer Ronja Maltzahn. Dreadlocks originally come from Jamaica and represent the Rastafari. The journalist, Africanist and ethnologist Maimouna Jah told Deutschlandfunk that white people can of course also have their hair matted. "But if you call the hairstyle dreadlocks, then you also have to relate to - or at least take a stand on - the struggle that this movement has sustained." The colorfully staged Holi festivals could also serve as an example. The Hindu spring festival is used for renewal, protection during the transition to a new growing season and ritual purification. It's now organized like a music festival without the religious content, with people throwing colored powder at each other.
How can you deal with the topic sensitively?
In their statements on current cases, the marginalized groups repeatedly point out that a new discussion has to be carried out each time. One can ask oneself, however, whether one is using one's own culture, whether there is a history of colonialism or exploitation in the relationship between one's own culture and that of the other culture, or whether the originators have evaluated similar constellations as cultural appropriation in previous cases. In the best case, "cultural appropriation" is then opposed to "cultural appreciation" - i.e. cultural recognition and appreciation. Essentially, the difference is understanding and learning about the other culture to broaden your perspective and connect cross-culturally.
How can you do that?
A short checklist often helps: Does the object, ritual or symbol come from your own culture? Is it clear what it means in the culture of origin? Is it used appropriately for the cultural origin? If you answered no to these questions, there is at least a risk of cultural appropriation.
