Cultural appropriation is the use by members of a dominant culture of cultural elements produced by members of a dominated culture. The borrowed elements are considered by the dominated culture as emptied of their original meaning and reduced to their aesthetic and folkloric values. This concept is the subject of many controversies following various cultural borrowings, of various origins (Africa, Asia, South America, etc.).

Cultural appropriation is by definition the use of tangible or intangible elements of a culture by members of another culture.

This concept does not simply concern a borrowing of a sign or element belonging to another culture; it is the notion of domination and of context which is important here, and which makes the controversy possible.

Eric Fassin, sociologist at the laboratory for gender and sexuality studies at the University of Paris-VIII and co-author of the book From the social question to the racial question? (La Découverte), recalls this: “Cultural appropriation is when a loan between cultures takes place in a context of domination”.

This concept and this expression would first appear at the end of the 20th century, in the field of art. We used to speak of “cultural colonialism”. It is on the basis of cultural polemics that the concept was also built, little by little. In 1990, the film Paris is burning creates controversy around the theme of the film dealing with transvestite balls in New York. The use of African cultural themes (in particular on sexual minorities) by white directors was then criticized. It was this so-called “exotic” look that seemed unbearable to the African-American community of the time.

Thus, this concept is defined by a cultural borrowing that takes place in a context of domination, making borrowers blind to the depth and identity of the borrowed culture.

The borrowed elements are stripped, emptied of their original meaning and reduced to their aesthetic and folk values.

A culture that appropriates elements of another culture is never trivial. There is always in this gesture a hidden balance of power, showing the inequality between the two cultures. There is always a relationship of domination and oppression, often finding their origin in history: colonization, slavery, political domination.

This historical fact then resonates again in cultural borrowing, once again proving cultural, economic and social domination. This is what seems unbearable in the eyes of members of the so-called “dominated” culture, even if it is no longer so.

Cultural appropriation then underlines the political aspect of the cultural and aesthetic codes of peoples. These are generally non-white peoples from Africa, South America, Asia. The use and appropriation of elements of their cultures can no longer take place in our time without control or precautions, in view of the protest that can arise and so easily flare up on social networks and the media.

Anyone can indeed denounce this type of abusive cultural appropriation, and give rise to controversies that can be disturbing for artists, brands and companies affected by the theft. Finally, it can be a question of a militant and political weapon on the part of peoples who are often despoiled, and can easily transform diplomatic and cultural relations and exchanges between two countries.

Since the 1990s, there have been many controversies around the concept of cultural appropriation.

In 1990, Madonna, with her song Vogue, was already accused of having robbed the black and Hispanic culture of trans and gay women. Indeed, voguing, music and dance, in fact participate in this culture.

The idea is not to prevent an artist from being inspired by foreign cultures, but to prevent this from happening without respecting a historical context, a clear identity. The artist derives benefits from these looted ideas which is not acceptable.

In 2018, she reiterates a fault of cultural appropriation with a look of “Berber queen”. Without mentioning it, Madonna used an idea already used in the past: the tribute to the black “queen” Aretha Franklin… but only to speak for herself! By having recovered this idea, it is indeed a cultural appropriation.

Another example was given by a young American actress, Amandla Sternberg. The latter called on the influencer and personality Kylie Jenner on the social network Instagram, when she posted on Instagram a photo of her wearing plaited braids, a hairstyle sported in principle by black women. Amandla Stenberg commented: “When you own the characteristics of black people but miss the opportunity to use your power to help black Americans by calling attention to your wigs and not to the violence by the police or on racism. #lesblancheslefontmieux. “

Finally, the piece Kanata, by Robert Lepage has created a controversy in recent years, by staging slave songs. The reason ? There were too many white interpreters.

In conclusion, cultural appropriation remains a power relationship between peoples, based on the history of links and policies between countries and populations. It is part of a relationship of domination, and is revealed when respect for minorities from which cultural elements are borrowed is not sufficiently observed.