356 BCE: Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great, king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon, invaded and conquered the Achaemenid (Persian) Empire. He took an approach to rule that we don’t often encounter throughout …
Course: Cultural Appropriation vs Cultural Appreciation
A brief history of cultural diffusion
A common argument against cultural appropriation is the concept of cultural diffusion: a normal process by which communities exchange and assimilate other cultures. Often, arguments against cultural appropriation will equate …
356 BCE: Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great, king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon, invaded and conquered the Achaemenid (Persian) Empire. He took an approach to rule that we don’t often encounter throughout …
A brief history of cultural diffusion
A common argument against cultural appropriation is the concept of cultural diffusion: a normal process by which communities exchange and assimilate other cultures. Often, arguments against cultural appropriation will equate …
How to kill your business in 4 easy steps
So, if you really want to emulate Pepsi’s attempts to destroy public favour, just follow these 4 steps. Step One: Don’t think deeply about your message There’s absolutely no need …
How to develop a bad argument and lose customers
Many people argue that the apparent desire for censorship is unjustified – that it will lead to a slippery slope of terror. The slippery slope argument is as sloppy as …
Discomfort is good
Everyone on Earth has assimilated at least some parts of another culture into their own. That’s not a bad thing. Without cultural diffusion, we wouldn’t have any culture at all. …
Let’s play the cynic… and follow through
As mentioned earlier, the main driver of cultural appropriation in business and creativity is not just cynicism; it is lazy cynicism. A cynical, purely profit-driven organisation in the modern world …
The online vs offline narrative
The narrative online is not the same as offline. This gets proven time and time again when generalised expectations don’t live up to reality. When people enter the ballot box, …
What is good data made of?
As we saw from the Pepsi commercial, much of our culturally insensitive material comes from poorly interpreted data and lazy cynicism. The best way to combat that is through high-quality …
Argument three: The second example
The second example Watch this clip again, in which Jonathan Pie misrepresents an event and the people involved to prove his point. Second example If you can’t watch the clip, …
The definition we will use
Oxford Language’s Definition: The unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society. …
How do we define cultural appropriation?
Many people express varying levels of outrage and apathy about cultural appropriation. It can seem difficult to categorise what counts as appropriation and appreciation. Many people oppose the concept of …
2012: Native American war bonnets
For many Native American Plains Nations and First Nations, the feathered war bonnet is a spiritual symbol worn only by those who possess great fighting skill or honour. Different communities …
The Nazi Swastika: appropriation or appreciation?
In 1920, the Nazi Party adopted and misappropriated an ancient Sanskrit symbol of good fortune and wellbeing. It has been used as a symbol of auspiciousness for at least the …
