How to Change Your Conversations About Cultural Appropriation

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. How to Change Your Conversations About Cultural Appropriation
James Mendez Hodes, 2020/01/03
I gave this item a slow and careful read, because it's a bit outside my comfort zone. I was rewarded with a nuanced, informed and engaging discussion of cultural appropriation. I like that it resisted drawing hard lines (someone wears deadlocks in Sweden; who cares, really?) and was sensitive to intention and context (someone goes overboard defending a person who wears dreadlocks in Sweden; what is their intent here?). "Next time the issue comes up, slow down and break the topic into its component parts. Don’t draw preconceived lines. Don’t pass sentences. Focus on the expression on the table and its own distinct character. Who has the power? Who’s vulnerable to harm? Where are the patterns? What’s the context?". More...