Whenever culture is in consideration, one is either caring or copying. Brianna Fragoso, author of the article “Culture Appropriation Vs. Cultural Appreciation” on The Odyssey, discusses the contentious line bordering appropriating and appreciating aspects of respective cultures by using rhetorical strategies to develop an educated argument about this controversial issue. It is crucial to comprehend both positions of the issue since it reflects into matters of racism, political correctness, and representation of an entire nation. Therefore, the meaning of cultural appropriation is to adopt elements of one culture by members of another culture, whereas cultural appreciation is to establish the intelligent understanding of said element and all
…show more content…
She begins her argument by listing famous, influencing celebrities such as Justin Bieber and Kylie Jenner who decide to style their hair with dreadlocks and were accused of cultural appropriation “because dreadlocks [are] a ‘black’ hairstyle” (Fragoso). The style of her introduction by using induction to appeal to celebrities indulges the audiences’ ignorant opinion about the subject, by which now interests the reader to continue, thus opening the minds of readers who have concluded their views without education on the matter. Now, having the blank slate necessary to develop her argument with the reader’s attention, Fragoso presents a contrasting opinion over whether or not “black people perming their hair” (Fragoso), is cultural appropriation as well. A double standard as such continues the process of approaching her thesis that not everything in this controversy is either black or white. Additionally, Fragoso impresses that cultural appropriation is not applied only to minorities, rather is a human tendency to interpret themselves as the victim. For example, she contrasts that people still believe “American beauty has always been…white skin, blond hair, and blue eyes” (Fragoso), which also discriminates a majority culture. These series of specific instances transitions Fragoso from induction to her examples of the reality of …show more content…
At the Oscars, commentators suspected that Zendaya “probably smells like weed or patchouli oil” (Fragoso). The accusations that because she is African American and wearing dreadlocks means she does weed is appropriating negative connotation to a culture. Furthermore, the assumption is proven false because not only African tribes but “Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, [and] Greeks” (Fragoso), have appeared with dreadlocks throughout history. Again, Fragoso reiterates that you in fact appropriate an exclusive part of within one culture. To conclude her argument using induction and stereotypes, she generalizes that although there have been countless incidences to learn from “we still haven’t seemed to reach a conclusion as a population” (Fragoso). Hopefully, as a collective population, change will be
She begins her argument by listing famous, influencing celebrities such as Justin Bieber and Kylie Jenner who decide to style their hair with dreadlocks and were accused of cultural appropriation “because dreadlocks [are] a ‘black’ hairstyle” (Fragoso). The style of her introduction by using induction to appeal to celebrities indulges the audiences’ ignorant opinion about the subject, by which now interests the reader to continue, thus opening the minds of readers who have concluded their views without education on the matter. Now, having the blank slate necessary to develop her argument with the reader’s attention, Fragoso presents a contrasting opinion over whether or not “black people perming their hair” (Fragoso), is cultural appropriation as well. A double standard as such continues the process of approaching her thesis that not everything in this controversy is either black or white. Additionally, Fragoso impresses that cultural appropriation is not applied only to minorities, rather is a human tendency to interpret themselves as the victim. For example, she contrasts that people still believe “American beauty has always been…white skin, blond hair, and blue eyes” (Fragoso), which also discriminates a majority culture. These series of specific instances transitions Fragoso from induction to her examples of the reality of …show more content…
At the Oscars, commentators suspected that Zendaya “probably smells like weed or patchouli oil” (Fragoso). The accusations that because she is African American and wearing dreadlocks means she does weed is appropriating negative connotation to a culture. Furthermore, the assumption is proven false because not only African tribes but “Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, [and] Greeks” (Fragoso), have appeared with dreadlocks throughout history. Again, Fragoso reiterates that you in fact appropriate an exclusive part of within one culture. To conclude her argument using induction and stereotypes, she generalizes that although there have been countless incidences to learn from “we still haven’t seemed to reach a conclusion as a population” (Fragoso). Hopefully, as a collective population, change will be