With Halloween approaching, we are all thinking about our costume decisions. What should I dress up as? A Native American? A Bollywood star? A Geisha?
However, many people fail to consider the problematic implications of their outfit choices.
Cultural appropriation is defined as: “A sociological concept which views the adoption or use of elements of one culture by members of a different culture as a largely negative phenomenon.”
It is “The adoption of these cultural elements in a colonial manner: elements are copied from a minority culture by members of the dominant culture, and these elements are used outside of their original cultural context – sometimes even against the expressed, stated wishes of representatives of the originating culture.”
A recent example is when Kylie Jenner posted a photo on her Instagram with her hair in cornrow braids. The Hunger Games star Amandla Stenberg responded, saying: “when u appropriate black features and culture but fail to use ur position of power to help black Americans by directing attention towards ur wigs instead of police brutality or racism #whitegirlsdoitbetter.”
Some people have argued that dressing up in another culture’s traditional dress is not cultural appropriation but cultural appreciation, the sharing and supporting of different backgrounds. The term “appropriation” implies a theft of a limited resource, whereas a culture is not an object or piece of property. It is argued that imitating parts of a culture does not deprive the original group. However, the imitation is not done on an equal playing field. The dominant culture is doing the “borrowing” from a place of privilege, thus there is no mutual exchange. The dominant culture can pick and choose what they see as desirable in the minority’s culture. Halloween outfits are often over the top and flamboyant, with racial stereotypes being frequently exploited. The costume then becomes a mockery of that culture, thus hundreds of people end up perpetuating racism.
This issue is not just present at Halloween, a common example being that girls, including those at Bristol University, can often be seen wearing Bindis at festivals and on nights out; the sacred symbol is worn as a fashion accessory. Whilst the wearer might see it as “not a big deal” or “just fun,” these attitudes are ignorant and unhelpful. It is not down to someone who belongs to the dominant culture to decide what is deemed “offensive” or not.
So when you go to choose your Halloween outfit, first think about the connotations of your costume.
(Photo credit: University of Colorado)