It could be argued that there is no such thing as pure creativity. Everything created or even thought by a human has been inspired by those before them or the world around them. However, when obvious inspiration has been taken from someone and no credit has been given, the creator is likely to disapprove of it. Today, the most public form of this disapproval is through a phenomenon called cultural appropriation. Maisha Z. Johnson, an activist and prominent voice in the conversation around cultural appropriation, defines cultural appropriation as not only the act of an individual, but an individual working within a "power dynamic in which members of a dominant culture take elements from a culture of people who have been systematically oppressed by that dominant group."
Cultural appropriation comes in many forms such as music, hairstyles, and even accents. Fashion is the most recognizable form of cultural appropriation because what a person wears is a public and calculated form of expression. Although the term and widespread recognition of cultural appropriation is relatively modern, the concept has existed throughout the history of fashion. Saartjie Baartman was a South African native, born in 1789. In adolescence, Saartjie was forced to sign a contract by Hendrik Cesars and William Dunlop to participate in a circus. At the circus, she was put on display and made to wear nude-coloured clothing adorned with feathers for the pleasure of others. Saartjie's body, stature, and features were fetishized and later mimicked. During this era, wealthy women began to wear uncomfortably tight corsets and tailored gowns which made their behind appear larger, directly copying the rather unique physique of enslaved African women.
Guiding Research Question
It is clear that cultural appropriation in fashion offends many minorities. The hashtag “culturalappropriation” has been used over one thousand times per week in the last year with representatives from many cultures voicing their disapproval. However, copyright laws draw very blurred lines between what is creative enough to be protected and what is not; “only cases and statutes tell us what is or is not creative enough.” There is little to no legal action that these artists can take which leads to my research question: How can indigenous cultural artists defend themselves against cultural appropriators? My sub questions include: Do the sales of appropriated styles hurt the sales of authentic styles from cultures? How can indigenous cultural artists promote their products over ?
The professional conversation organized by research question or other logical organizing principle. This is the largest section of this paper! Make sure you provide at least 10-15 resources throughout this paper (this includes resources used in the context section above).
More than two hundred years after the life of Saartjie Baartman, minority cultures are still being appropriated but with different consequences. Indian Country Today Media Network shared a recent example in their story “Navajo Nation and Urban Outfitters Reach Agreement on Appropriation”. In February, 2012 the Navajo Nation, a large native American territory, filed a lawsuit against fast-fashion giant Urban Outfitters. Urban Outfitters had released a collection of Navajo labeled items including “sexy” women’s underwear and a drinking flask. The Navajo Nation, “where alcohol is prohibited and modesty is paramount”, did not only find this offensive, but found Urban Outfitters to be in direct competition with the Nation.
By labeling items as “Navajo,” the company and its subsidiaries were in direct competition with Navajo artisans and its tribal arts and crafts enterprise, which is protected by federal law. The labels also deceived and confused potential customers, the tribe’s complaint stated. In its lawsuit, the Navajo Nation also claimed some of the items being sold with the Navajo name were disrespectful to the tribe—including the underwear and the liquor flask.
The objective of "buy local" campaigns is typically to encourage consumers to purchase locally made products over imported goods. While the objectives of such campaigns enjoy widespread community and government support, the actual impact on purchasing behavior and as a result in favorably impacting on the country's balance of trade, often remain matters for conjecture.
The country of origin (COO) effect refers to the influence on a buyer considering a product or service from another country due to the stereotyping of that country and its outputs. The COO effect can add to or detract from the associations made with individual products and brands. Customers tend to generalize the quality of all products from an individual country so that those from countries that are perceived favorably can command a premium. This leads to the idea that the level of economic development in a country represents the quality of goods that they can produce, with developing countries being seen as less capable of producing high quality products. This can also give the impression that a country’s values are reflected in their products, for instance a tech-forward nation like Japan will produce better electric vehicles, and a fashion-forward nation like Italy will produce better shoes.
Use your annotated bibliographies to select the most relevant sources for inclusion in the discourse paper. Do not simply cut and paste annotations into this section of the paper, but practice putting the experts in conversation with one another. This will help to rationalize your selection of resources for inclusion into this paper. (3-4 pages)
Common methods found in the field. Discuss any common approaches to research you saw in your review of the literature. (1/2 page)
Apparent or potential gaps in understanding in the professional conversation. This information is critical if you are to join in on the conversation. (1/2 page)
Why are people drawn towards wearing exotic garments?
Revised research question(s) and reflection of the research process. These questions should be more focused than your initial questions and should be directed at the gap in understanding. (1/2 – 1 page)
Why are people drawn towards exotic garments and how can indigenous artists capitalize on this?
Initial thoughts on research design. Be sure to reference the studies you have looked at thus far when discussing your initial thoughts about your own research’s design. (1/2 page)
A completed bibliography of works cited in the paper. You must use a style that is representative of your study’s discipline.