What to know

Cultural appropriation is rooted in the taking of a specific culture’s elements such as intellectual property, dances, clothing, language, music, food, and art, for a dominant group’s use, without recognition of the original source or significance of those elements. This act of taking is also rooted in the assumption that the dominant culture is entitled to do so. It contrasts with cultural appreciation, a good-faith effort to explore and connect with another culture.

Religious appropriation refers to the taking of practices or signifiers of a particular religious group by people or entities that are not part of that religious group. Because the boundaries between religious and cultural groups are often blurred and fluid, it might not always be easy to identify when a form of cultural appropriation is harmful. Some experts suggest that appropriation becomes a problem when it plays into existing injustices, regardless of intent. One example comes from a case of religious appropriation in which the cultural element in question derives from a religious tradition. In various “Solidarity Hijab” campaigns, non-Muslim women have worn hijab for at least a day in order to protest gendered Islamophobia. Despite intentions of allyship, it’s possible that these campaigns contribute further harm to Muslim women and other hijabis or at least do nothing to address the underlying structures that contribute to gendered Islamophobia. 

Questions of cultural and religious appropriation become even more complex when the cultural element in question comes from a historically dominant group. For example, some Catholics considered the 2018 Met Gala theme “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” to be a case of religious appropriation because of its use of Catholic imagery in fashion (despite the Vatican’s approval of the exhibit). Since the appropriated imagery comes from the Catholic Church, a historically dominant group in many contexts, the question of injustice might be less straightforward than if the elements at hand came from a group more vulnerable to such exploitation.

Negotiating reporting on cultural appropriation can be challenging since it requires a nuanced understanding of the power dynamics at play between communities in any given scenario. In the case of religious appropriation, increasing your religious literacy can help to navigate reporting on religious communities and the potential issues of appropriation that might arise. 

Questions you might ask yourself and explore when reporting on issues of cultural appropriation include: What is the historical dynamic between the groups in question? Is the group whose tradition has been taken a historically marginalized group? How does their identity differ from the positionality of the person or group doing the taking? How does the way I’m covering this case of cultural appropriation center the community whose traditions have been taken? Are their concerns driving the conversation? How am I representing the diversity of opinions within the community at risk about the instance of appropriation, especially the views of those most vulnerable to harm? Does the community at risk sometimes give permission or invite outsiders to participate in their traditions? How does that change how I represent the appropriation at hand? Who is profiting from this instance of cultural appropriation, and who does it harm (if anyone)? How can I emphasize the underlying ethical concerns and power dynamics at play?

Additional resources

• What Is Cultural Appropriation? (Verywell Mind)
• Racial Equity Tools Glossary (Racial Equity Tools)
• Religious Appropriation Depends on Whiteness, Too (Religion & Politics)

Summary

Cultural appropriation is the taking of signifiers or artifacts of a culture not one’s own without any context of the original culture. It contrasts with cultural appreciation, a good-faith effort to explore and connect with another culture. Religious appropriation refers to the taking of practices or signifiers of a particular religious group by people or entities that are not part of that religious group. Negotiating reporting on cultural appropriation can be challenging since it requires a nuanced understanding of the power dynamics at play between communities in any given scenario. In the case of religious appropriation, increasing your religious literacy can help to navigate reporting on religious communities and the potential issues of appropriation that might arise. 

Related terms

• privilege
• restorative justice

November 28, 2023: Updated to include a definition of and guidance on religious appropriation.