Books and Blogs About Cultural Appropriation

Books and Blogs About Cultural Appropriation Cultural appropriation is a complicated topic. Although the issue often appears in news headlines when clothing chains such as Urban Outfitters or singers such as Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry face accusations of cultural appropriation, the concept remains difficult for many people to grasp. The most simple definition of cultural appropriation is that it occurs when members of a dominant culture borrow from the cultures of minority groups without their input. Typically those doing the â€Å"borrowing,† or exploiting, lack a contextual understanding of what makes the cultural symbols, art forms and modes of expression significant. Despite their ignorance of the ethnic groups from which they borrow, members of the majority culture have frequently profited from cultural exploitation. Given that cultural appropriation is such a multi-layered issue, a number of books have been written about the trend. Members of marginalized groups have also launched websites specifically devoted to educating the public about cultural appropriation. This overview highlights noteworthy literature and websites about this persistent phenomenon. Cultural Appropriation And The Arts This book by James O. Young uses philosophy as the foundation to examine the â€Å"moral and aesthetic issues to which cultural appropriation gives rise.† Young highlights how white musicians such as Bix Beiderbeck to Eric Clapton have gained from appropriating African-American musical styles. Young also addresses the consequences of cultural appropriation and whether the trend is morally objectionable. Moreover, can appropriation lead to artistic successes? With Conrad G. Brunk, Young also edited a book called the Ethics of Cultural Appropriation. In addition to exploring cultural appropriation in the arts, the book focuses on the practice in archaeology, museums and religion. Who Owns Culture? - Appropriation and Authenticity in American Law Fordham University Law Professor Susan Scafidi asks who owns artforms such as rap music, global fashion and geisha culture, to name a few. Scafidi points out that members of culturally exploited groups typically have little legal recourse when others use their traditional dress, music forms and other practices as inspiration. The book is billed as the first to investigate why the United States offers legal protections for works of literature but not for folklore. Scafidi asks larger questions as well. Specifically, what does cultural appropriation reveal about American culture overall. Is it as innovative as widely thought or the byproduct of â€Å"cultural kleptomania?† Borrowed Power: Essays on Cultural Appropriation This collection of essays edited by Bruce Ziff focuses specifically on Western appropriation of Native American cultures. The book explores the artifacts, symbols and concepts typically targeted for appropriation. A range of people contributed to the book, including Joane Cardinal-Schubert, Lenore Keeshig-Tobias, J. Jorge Klor de Alva, Hartman H. Lomawaima and Lynn S. Teague. Native Appropriations This long-running blog examines representations of Native Americans in popular culture through a critical lens. Adrienne Keene, who is of Cherokee descent, runs the blog. She is pursuing a doctorate in Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education and uses the Native Appropriations blog to examine images of Native Americans in film, fashion, sports and more. Keene also offers tips to the public on combating cultural appropriation of Native peoples and discussing the issue with the person who insists on dressing up as a Native American for Halloween or supporting the use of Native Americans as mascots. Beyond Buckskin The Beyond Buckskin website not only addresses the appropriation of Native American fashion but also features a boutique with jewelry, accessories, clothing and more crafted by Native American designers. â€Å"Inspired by relevant historical and contemporary Native American clothing design and art, Beyond Buckskin promotes cultural appreciation, social relationships, authenticity and creativity,† according to the website. Jessica Metcalfe (Turtle Mountain Chippewa) maintains the website. She has a doctorate in American Indian Studies from the University of Arizona.

Learning Mathematics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Learning Mathematics - Assignment Example important to provide students a platform to motivate them in going further with the subject and hence the pan balance experiment procedure has been proposed. The above procedure would definitely challenge, motivate and actively involve the students. Establishment of physical classroom environment to support the type of teaching has also been considered and the class would be undertaken in a computer lab and use of technology has been kept in mind with utilizing software to promote understanding. The students would be instructed to perform experiment on the software individually and in teams of two's and three's, the teacher would then visit each student/group and ask their conclusion, which would be then challenged, as the case may be, to bring about a better understanding. Finally, multiple assessment techniques would be utilized to monitor the student's performance and level of understanding these methods include observation, worksheets, experimental results, presentations by students etc. Assessment of the unit The unit will be assessed through a number of sources these would include the following: Observation of the instructor Worksheets Solutions to problems Experimental results tabulated Presentation of the students assignment which would be then graded by the Class LESSON 1 Concept of balancing equation using shapes Time Allotted: 2 periods (1.5 hours) Subject: Introducing Equality Grade/level: 6-7 The lecture described below belongs to the unit of essential algebraic concept and in this the student will balance shapes on the computer software to study equality, essential to understanding algebra. Corresponding relationships will be recognized when the pans balance, signifying the properties of equality. Objectives Students will: develop an...The above procedure would definitely challenge, motivate and actively involve the students. Establishment of physical classroom environment to support the type of teaching has also been considered and the class would be undertaken in a computer lab and use of technology has been kept in mind with utilizing software to promote understanding. The students would be instructed to perform experiment on the software individually and in teams of two's and three's, the teacher would then visit each student/group and ask their conclusion, which would be then challenged, as the case may be, to bring about a better understanding. Finally, multiple assessment techniques would be utilized to monitor the student's performance and level of understanding these methods include observation, worksheets, experimental results, presentations by students etc. The lecture described below belongs to the unit of essential algebraic concept and in this the student will balance shapes on the computer software to study equality, essential to understanding algebra. Corresponding relationships will be recognized when the pans balance, signifying the properties of equality. This lesson will develop algebraic perceptive through an easy study of equality.

Global Warming - Is it the Biggest hoax we have ever faced Thesis

Global Warming - Is it the Biggest hoax we have ever faced - Thesis Example Yet, having bravely asserted their views, these dissenting voices have put an almost accepted fact into a much-heated debate: Is global warming real or a hoax? Unfortunately though, a debate over a scientific issue has become more political and economic rather than scientific. Science has been manipulated. Data are selectively included or excluded to make it appear that global warming is a real threatening problem, purposely, to justify preordained policy preferences. (Avery 1) Thus the questions of the day continue: Is global warming real that people and nations should prepare for doomsday? Is global warming man-made that humanity should pay for it by disusing fossil fuels or is it the biggest hoax humanity has ever faced? These are the interrelated questions which this research study would like to examine and shed light into by going through an intensive review of researches and studies done by authorities of the issue. This study is significant and relevant for the obvious reason that its impact to humanity is too great, as it is affecting almost all aspects of human lives. To start with, it would be necessary to define the issue and how it came to be. Global warming as implied by the term itself â€Å"is an increase in the average temperature of Earths surface† (Mastrandrea & Schneider, par. 1). The average temperature of the Earth is about 13oC or 56 oF (Sagan 1984) to 15 oC or 59 oF (Hart 2005) (qtd. in Tang, par. 2). How global warming has been discovered is a matter of history that has never been clear. Nevertheless, Weart accounts that it was only in 1896 that global warming was discovered by a forlorn Swedish scientist. However, it was regarded only as a mere concept that is fantastic and impossible. Then in 1950, global warming was taken seriously by few scientists in California appraising it as a possibility – a risk that could occur in distant future. This distant future finally

The key behaviors needed Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The key behaviors needed - Assignment Example one’s way to address the inquiries and concerns of the customers within ethical and moral codes; (5) assumes professional stance by exuding qualities expected of the position: courteous, accommodating, responsive, attentive, committed and dedicated to the responsibilities of the job. To achieve the key behaviors, personnel assigned to serve the needs of the customers need to undergo training on to enhance customer service skills. As revealed by the site on Good Customer Service, â€Å"the most beneficial customer service training programmes are those that are customized and structured by a professional training provider so they focus on the core business of a company† (Good Customer Service 1). Further, the training should focus on assessing and identifying strengths and weaknesses in customer service skills to that the strengths could be further enhanced while addressing the weaknesses. To determine is customer service training is effective, the most effective measure to determine the progress is through customers’ feedback and measurement of improvement in achieving organizational goals (increased sales, increased profits and market shares, and repeated patronage from customers and referrals to new

An Evolutionary View of the Style of Pablo Picasso Research Paper

An Evolutionary View of the Style of Pablo Picasso - Research Paper Example The essay "An Evolutionary View of the Style of Pablo Picasso" investigates the influential artist Pablo Picasso. Unlike many artists both before and after his time, Picasso differentiated his works into a series of periods which exhibited a number of unique thematic elements and worked to exploit common beliefs and motives. One such period was what art critiques have categorized Picasso’s â€Å"Blue Period†. As the name implies, during this time, Picasso painted a host of paintings which relied almost exclusively on varying monochromatic tones and shades of blue and blue-green. Although more than just a reliance on a particular type of paint, this period was also defined by the thematic sterility and coldness that it portrayed. In this way, Picasso used the medium of the paint to transform images that might typically be understood another way into images that bore a somber, cold, and realistically touching reality. Accordingly, this brief analysis will seek to apprecia te and understand Picasso’s â€Å"Blue Period† for the thematic elements, personal influences, and times in which this particular artwork was created. Picassso’s â€Å"Blue Period† is interesting beyond merely the thematic elements or the type of paints used to express these due to the fact that the â€Å"Blue Period† began when Picasso himself sank into what many scholars term a â€Å"deep depression". As a result of many of the life experiences that Picasso shared during the turn of the century to include his more complete grasp of his own mortality. ... Picasso struggled to sell them to an audience that was put off by their innately melancholy and cheerless subject matter. Many art critics have inferred incorrectly that Picasso’s incorporation of the underprivileged in society during this period was due to the fact that he himself was poor during this time and sought a way to reflect on the plight and situations associated with his fellow man. This however is not the case as it was the subject matter and the means in which Picasso approached it that sealed his fate with regards to the demand for his paintings and the subject matter with which he dealt during the â€Å"Blue Period†. Although many paintings of this period focus on the melancholy and sadness that Picasso felt as a result of his lost friend, Casagemas, another recurring theme throughout these paintings is in regards to the blindness and loss of sight that many of the characters exhibit within his works. It is the understanding of this author as well as a h ost of more talented art critics that this fixation with loss of sight and blindness helps to depict the depression and lack of vision that Picasso was experiencing during this time. Additionally, rather than choosing to focus his energies on typifying the plight of the extraordinary man/woman, Picasso chose for his subject matter the drunk, the prostitute, the nobody, and the everyman. In this way, the resounding emptiness that afflicts a faceless humanity is aptly expressed to the viewer in a way that a focus on a recognizable societal group or individual would not be. As the years progressed, Picasso, himself somewhat famous within the art community in Paris prior to 1901 began to fade into a type of

Corporate finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Corporate finance - Essay Example This analysis will include; A fundamental analysis and valuation of the British Airways using the free cash flow method. And a recommendation will follow suit. Valuation methods will be attended for the purpose of selecting equities for portfolio investments. Valuation methods though are used for proper valuation however, they do not fit all in one place some methods are used for specific companies, as we have inherent differences within firms, companies, industries, outlets etc. and method falls with each member. Some may take more than one, however, about tour valuation methods are to be used. Dividend capitalization goes in to baring out the real truth of a company, its history and ways of behaviour, e.g. Paying of dividends, expansion plans, paying history of business, operation cushion. It opens the investors eyes to see the risks of investment and take caution. Discussions concerning real option analysis in strategic investment decisions will be adequately attended to stressing and bringing out the use of real option analysis in strategic investment decisions. However in attempt to give a fundamental analysis of the British Airways, the examination of the subject will refer to it’s earnings, each flow, equity value and sales and other accounting statements of the airways will be critically analyzed and discussed. The financial record of the British Airways over the years has been quite interesting because for the past three years, its net profit has been appreciating steadily. Since the year 2003 the British Airways have seconded success at the recorded of every year. Below is a table showing the progress of the British Airways since 2003-2005. It is interesting and important to note the difference in the profit margin this clearly shows and suggests that some new policies or new managerial skills have been employed to rightly enhance such as steady progress without any break for

Branding Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Branding - Research Proposal Example With a clear level of branding architecture, an organization can decide on the level of branding that will receive the greatest support and emphasis. In addition, the organisation can also establish and define the relations between the various brands in the organisation. Branding has moved into the daily lives of individuals in the Western societies affecting more sectors than ever before as the competition for audiences among companies intensifies (Owen, 1993). Branding is no longer a concept limited to companies, as there has been a rise of the practice in universities and other institutions. However, as branding becomes a mainstream practice and concept, it risks being misinterpreted and misunderstood. This is because branding is not only creating a logo and graphics to represent a company, person, or country (Healey, 2008). Branding is encompassed by the perceptions of the reputation as well as the tangible look and feel of the company, service, product, individual, or country (H estad, 2013). It relates to the behaviour of the company as well as the customer experience. Therefore, the concept of branding, applies to aspects that are within and outside the organisation. Consumers usually generalize their attitudes and perceptions across services and products based on two key factors (Hansen & Christensen, 2004). These factors are the impression they form on product attributes and the credibility of the country of origin of a brand or product (Hansen & Christensen, 2004). The product attributes include value of money and product quality while the credibility of the country of origin of a product is based on the individual’s familiarity of the country of origin of the product. These two factors are responsible for the creation of a favourable perception in a consumer that influences them to purchase and use a particular product or brand. The challenge, however, is the formation of stereotypes that are responsible for influencing individuals’