Who 'owns' culture? Does anyone?

I know we've had a similar discussion here before....I just read this article

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/12207152/Black-woman-attacks-dreadlocked-white-man-over-cultural-appropriation.html

This is an extract from the article:

Part of the message is hidden for the guests. Please log in or register to see it.


And then there's this article from back in January... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/news/beyonc-criticised-for-cultural-appropriation-in-new-music-video/

It seems that in a multi-cultural society lines are being blurred over to what is culture and who 'owns' it (if it's possible to own a culture).

I live in the UK and people of all backgrounds wear dreadlocks... I've never come across anyone here who believes it to be cultural appropriation.

Is there a line that should be drawn, or should there be some acceptance that cultures are no longer as clear cut as they used to be.

This can be a sensitive topic, so please keep it civil.

My take on the subject is that if no harm is done, we have the right to do as we please.

I believe in equal rights. So it makes no sense to scorn someone for exercising the same right I have.

The best answer I can come up with is that no one "owns" culture. There are simply patterns, usually dominated by the majority race. The more other cultures mix with that majority and are no longer the minority, the more it changes and "ownership" shifts.

Though the US is a majority of white people, that will most likely not be the case for much longer. ("longer" being a relative term)

Ultimately I imagine this country and other countries being a melting pot. Eventually we'll all have a wide variety of ancestral backgrounds. I know I do. The remake of The Time Machine movie, shows how in the distant future everyone essentially being of a light shade of brown skin color. Just something to think about.

Unless you invent or build it, you do not own it. In that video that women committed assault and should face legal and academic punishment as a result. No one has the right to attack a person over something they do not like. Further no one has the right to dictate to someone else what they can or cannot wear, can or cannot use, or say. You do not own another person to dictate these things to them.
Frankly most cultural things are cross cultural any how. For example the dreadlocks in question were also of Egyptian origin as stated but further my ancestors the Celts wore them. So truly no one can own such a thing. This is a case of victim mentality turning into bullying.

I like to believe that culture is owned by the "collective unconscious", or rather all of humanity extending back to the first days we began to express ourselves through culture. However, I am born into a very blended society, and have nothing to call "my own" other than hints of a German heritage. Perhaps if I was much more ingrained into a specific culture, I would have a different bone to pick. Would this mean that I have a right to make a conflict over "culture violation" or would it mean that I have a duty to expand my horizons?

However I agree with Goldstein that some cultural elements are traditionally used for a very official/spiritual purpose (the Native American head dress, for example). Using this for any other purpose would be disrespectful, in my eyes.

I think of humans of all colors and cultures as part of the one human race and that each culture like religion is just an expression of the traditions and characteristics of a people from a certain part of the world at a particular time. So for me I don't think anyone owns a culture and if a culture appeals to someone and they want to incorporate it into how they express themselves, why not?

There are some strange people who are obvious culture vultures, where they copy everything and try to mimic a certain culture to an extreme, like white people who dress, talk and act like black gangsters - now that is just ridiculous and if someone calls them out on that sure. Another funny thing are people who pretend to be military, are completely out of shape, and over exaggerate the use of terms and style - like the apocalypse preppers who pack a huge bag full of crap they don't know how to use and think they're going to run into the woods and survive.

Then again, if none of the vultures are truly in people's face about it and nobody is getting hurt, who really cares? I think this is kind of like what Yabu's thread was about the divide and conquer stuff because lately in the media there's all the black vs white hysterical nonsense. I think that girl is just like the black lives matter tools and has nothing better to do than project her own problems on other people, especially because dreadlocks are so freaking popular today and just looking at the Wiki page they cross pretty much every culture: Hunduism, Buddhism, Judaism and Christianity, Africa and of course Rastafari. Typical race baiting, self righteous, play the victim, dindu nufin type to get attention and 'get back at Whitey' "why you filming this?" yeah great example of how a lot of similar people act right now in that whole arena.

Lightstrider wrote: There are some strange people who are obvious culture vultures, where they copy everything and try to mimic a certain culture to an extreme, like white people who dress, talk and act like black gangsters - now that is just ridiculous and if someone calls them out on that sure.

Do you think though that at some point that becomes part of their culture? What if those people grew up in majority black neighbourhoods and that was the culture of that neighbourhood?

Why should something be ridiculous if they find meaning within it themselves?

These are just questions

Edan wrote:

Lightstrider wrote: There are some strange people who are obvious culture vultures, where they copy everything and try to mimic a certain culture to an extreme, like white people who dress, talk and act like black gangsters - now that is just ridiculous and if someone calls them out on that sure.

Do you think though that at some point that becomes part of their culture? What if those people grew up in majority black neighbourhoods and that was the culture of that neighbourhood?

Why should something be ridiculous if they find meaning within it themselves?

These are just questions

I know people who actually have grown up in those neighborhoods and that is just who they are so yeah I do think it is part of their own culture. I guess I should have specified the surburban kids who come from good families who just mimic the rap. To me that's a little ridiculous but hey, even if those kids find meaning within it themselves all power to them but say if in that video the black girl was calling out some rich little white kid for literally imitating what he sees from the music videos and stuff, she would be a little more justified in my eyes but that's just me and even then if the kid wasn't hurting anyone I wouldn't care anyways. I may be annoyed by someone like that but it's really none of my business.

we are what it made us and it is what we make it

people who dont have a sense of their own identity -- need one

that process involves mistakes

i say, try not to begrudge children their mistakes, they usually dont mean them or even understand that they are making them

obviously this is not the same as people who "cash in" on others cultures, by pretending to be Shamans for hire for instance

although i would even say that as distasteful as this is, in some cases they too are children, trying to find themselves

Indian Yogi's and Yogini's have been sporting dreadlocks for a loooong time.

I reckon civilizations movement into globalization means we sort of have to loosen the reins a bit on this topic. I tend to draw the line at authenticity. Originating cultures can and should protect their claim of authenticity, but I'm less sold on that they should extend that to all expression of the culture. Basically, if someone looks like something its not, then its ok, but if something claims to be something its not, then that is not ok.