Photo-essay on Cultural Appropriation – A Lesson in SOC&101 (2024)

Photo-essay on Cultural Appropriation

“Taking intellectual property, traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, or artifacts from someone else’s culture without permission. This can include unauthorized use of another culture’s dance, dress, music, language, folklore, cuisine, traditional medicine, religious symbols, etc. It’s most likely to be harmful when the source community is a minority group that has been oppressed or exploited in other ways or when the object of appropriation is particularly sensitive, e.g. sacred objects” in Who Owns Culture? Appropriation and Authenticity in American Law (Scafidi, 2005)Links to an external site.

Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate your ability to employ “sociological imagination” in an innovative way – with a photograph. You will also write an essay/digital poster/infographic that analyzes your photograph.

Tasks

For this assignment you will: 1) choose a photo that illustrates cultural appropriation, and 2) write an essay (or create a digital poster) explaining cultural appropriation in relation to the photo supported by sociological insight.

Choose A Photo

Select a minimum of one photograph connected to the topic of cultural appropriation

OPTION 1 – Own Photo

The photographs can be be personally taken with a cell-phone or camera (in case you do not have a camera, you can borrow one from the Library). Alternatively, you can create a drawing rather than a photo.

The photograph should not reveal the identity of the person (make sure you have no faces visible). Also, the photograph must not reveal personal identity information such as license plates, social security numbers and the like. Please do not use stickers to cover faces or personal information

Photographs must be cited in APA. Here is a useful link to cite photographs in APA: How to cite a photograph you have personally taken in APA? Links to an external site.You do not include own photos in the reference page

Example: Figure 1. Fitzroy beach, New Plymouth (own photo).

OPTION 2 – Online Photo

You may use an online photo for this assignment. Photographs must be cited in APA. Here is a useful link to cite photographs in APA: How to cite an online image in APA?Links to an external site.

Links to an external site.You have to include both an in-text citation and a reference list citation when using another person’s photo (such as a photo you find online).

Examples:

In text: (McCurry, 1985)

Reference: McCurry, S. (1985). Afghan girl [Photograph]. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/national-geographic-magazine-50-years-of-covers/#/ngm-1985-jun-714.jpgLinks to an external site.

Write An Essay

From a sociological perspective, write an essay (or create a digital poster) relating to the photograph and addressing the following prompts:

1. Why did you select this photograph? What sociological insight is evident in the photos?
2. What is being appropriated? Name/describe the cultural artifact (example, halloween costume) that is being culturally appropriated.
   • Does this cultural artifact hold important cultural or traditional significance? How does removing the context of this cultural artifact change its meaning? Is this cultural appropriating?
3. Who is doing the appropriating?
   • Is there a power imbalance between people belonging to the culture of the appropriator and the culture being appropriated? Explain your response
4. Why is this cultural appropriation?
   • Does this involving stereotyping of a group of people?
   • Does usage of the costume/object trivialize a culture or group of people?
5. What specific concept (in this essay, cultural appropriation) is illustrated? Make sure to put the sociological concept in boldface. Define your concepts (i.e., cultural appropriation) as you discuss them! Use intext citation in APA and utilize your textbook.
6. Which sociological theory can be applied and why? (Hint: Social conflict theory) Cite it in APA. You must include at least one sociological theory in your essay.
7. Why is cultural appropriation harmful?