Media Culture

For the pass few weeks, I have been researching the difference of cultural appropriation and culture exchange and the reason behind which makes people cautious of (in western pop music). In my opinion from all the research and things I have read, I found that not all people are against the practices of appropriation.  From reading through some of the opinion from those agree to appropriation is not a bad thing, I found it might be they are confused with the word Appropriation and Exchange.  Culture exchange not just about changing knowledge and doesn't means you can't use it. Cultural exchange also means by third word culture, It is call Transpacific Culture, it is when you put two knowledge of cultural together and combine it into a new culture.  The third world is  unique, because of new combination. It is respectful and informed, and does not harm a minority culture. There are example of successful case like "The Taiko Boom": "Tradition...

Appropriation start from a long ago in history, some music are taken from the others and we don't even know the story behind it. But in the processes of appropriating, there are slight brightness in every darkness.  Let me show a song in that long history, where a song that show both the dark side of appropriation and the bright side of appreciation. In my childhood the song "The lion sleep tonight", is a really popular song. According my research the song is also called " Mbube" and "Wimoweh", Mbube which means "lion", It was a hunting song originally sung in Zulu in what is now Swaziland.  It was written in the 1920s, by Solomon Linda, a South African singer of Zulu origin (Malan, 2012).  The First version of "Mbube" in year 1920s After this song is adapt by other music artist, this song become a disaster because is been change into several names like "Wimoweh". Which turn the whole meaning "lion" a...

On my last post, I explain about how cultural appropriation on black cultural causes stereotype. But there are another a few more points I would like to point it out.  How do we harm them? What do we make those cultural being appropriated people feel? Taking their elements and use it as our own are causing them to feel struggle to be affirmed feels trivialized . For example, black people are being pressure to straighten their natural curly hair. Because most companies and jobs does not accept to hire those which have their natural black hair style. These are also happening in school, where there is rules which banded them to have these kind of "hair style". Their hairstyle might not be appealing in social media, and it is been call in a bad way when they have their natural hair style.  But, celebrities are being encourage do make their hair look curly. Most white girls does it, it is call beauty and appealing.  White girls being praised for making these s...

In the previous post, I mention about cultural appropriation on the other's cultural will causes stereotyping and cultural sensitivity. So how is this act harming? Why it is bad? According to Lippmann, he defined stereotypes as "pictures in our heads". Before we see and experience the world, we take from society pre-defined images of the world in the form of stereotypes.  Lippmann claimed that s tereotypes are the defense of our social status, he sees stereotypes as  "The predictions of the world, our own values, our own position and our own right. They are our traditional fortress, and behind its defenses we can continue to feel secure in the position we occupy. Any attack on stereotypes is like an attack on the basis of our social status, values and on our whole belief system ." This is a video of Hollywood movies   (stereotypes)  make us think about African man, but how it really is different from what we think. Stop being a  stereotype and see it your...

So why are people caution and against the act of cultural appropriation?  A few post that I have mention it is about the claim, of using someone's culture. As a designer/artist we understand the feeling of your artwork is being taken or used by someone else to make money. That is why we have copyrights to help protecting our work, and these is the same problem with cultural appropriation but the minority groups does't have anything to protect them. Historically, there are cases where western music appropriate others culture's musical tone. Especially in the case of white musicians adopting black music styles. This is a major issue because black artists who originally wrote and produced the musical tone were never given the credit they deserved . According to one of my research, whites are adopting black musical forms (African-American cultures) and reshaping it unwillingly, simply given a rise to a “legitimate transformation”. Hoping the new forms emerge reestablishin...

Let us look into Cultural Appropriation vs Cultural Exchange, there are times that many of us misunderstood about the differences about the meaning of "exchange". Cultural appropriation are done by many, but understood by a few.  The key understanding of cultural exchange, is where one culture try to learn another culture. They exchange information between each other to learn more about them.  So what is culture ? Define by E dward Burnett Tylor "Culture, or civilization, taken in its broad, ethnographic sense, is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society." Cultural exchange as a good way, where we can understand about those which come from different places, living style and the histories behind. Approach it by study its meaning, try to experience it by joining events  spreading of culture from one civilization to another.  It is...

Let's  start by understanding what is the meaning of Cultural Appropriation Starting with the basic,  t he act of cultural appropriation usually carries racial, colonial and socioeconomic implications.  C ultural appropriation define by involves of using one cultural's elements by others which is does not belong to them.It is often use without any real understanding of the original culture or the meanings behind these activities. The cultural artifacts are used and covered into "meaningless" pop-culture or turn its meaning into something completely different it originally have. (Bruce & Pratima, 1997) Western pop music, we often seen some of the music videos or tones used referring to appropriation. We can see that some western pop music are using costume or accessories to help with the whole concept of the music or album. The combination of other chorus and musical instrument.  Where they get ideas or inspiration from other's culture, as ...

3) Examine the issue of cultural appropriation within a domain of beauty, fashion or music industry. Why are some communities cautious of, or against this practice? Nowadays, the debate of cultural appropriation is not hard to find. We often see celebrities used others culture to perform or as their inspiration of making their songs. Making the other people's culture into their main theme to preform a show. It is not only seen in music and also fashion, beauty and even animation. It is true that now people want to break away from traditional to a new creative way of showing it. But is it true that this can be used freely? Why are some people refusing and against this act? It is because they steal something away that something that is precious away from them, or is it because this is an act of no respect. They think it will cause the misunderstand to their culture, turning the meaning of their culture into something else. If we turn the other way around, this could be a breaking...

The following are topics that were given: 1. Critically review a local art/ design exhibition in-depth. Discuss it in terms of its curatorial goals and exhibition design with related research.  2. Compare and contrast the relationship of celebrities with their fans in two different creative communities. Which one is relatively more healthy in their connections? 3. Examine the issue of cultural appropriation within a domain of beauty, fashion or music industry. Why are some communities cautious of, or against this practice? 4. What are some issues and best practices for design in multilingual communities? Write from the perspective of either a graphic designer or interactive designer. 5. Explore a variety of media is used within the context of branding or transmedia storytelling. Does variety dilute the effectiveness of an advertising campaign or story?     Question 3 thoughts: Cultural appropriation, it is where using other countries or people's culture wit...