Why Cultural Appropriation Is Wrong

Why Cultural Appropriation Is Wrong Cultural appropriation is the adoption of certain elements from another culture without the consent of people who belong to that culture. Its a controversial topic, one that activists and celebrities like Adrienne Keene and Jesse Williams have helped bring into the national spotlight. However, much of the public remains confused about what the term actually means.   People from hundreds of different ethnicities make up the U.S. population, so it’s not surprising that cultural groups rub off on each other at times. Americans who grow up in diverse communities may pick up the dialect, customs, and religious traditions of the cultural groups that surround them. Cultural appropriation is an entirely different matter. It has little to do with one’s exposure to and familiarity with different cultures. Instead, cultural appropriation typically involves members of a dominant group exploiting the culture of less privileged groups. Quite often, this is done along racial and ethnic lines with little understanding of the latter’s history, experience, and traditions. Defining Cultural Appropriation In order to understand cultural appropriation, we must first look at the two words that make up the term. Culture is defined as the beliefs, ideas, traditions, speech, and material objects associated with a particular group of people. Appropriation is the illegal, unfair, or unjust taking of something that doesnt belong to you. Susan Scafidi, a law professor at Fordham University, told Jezebel  that it’s difficult to give a concise explanation of cultural appropriation. The author of  Who Owns Culture? Appropriation and Authenticity in American Law, defined cultural appropriation as follows: â€Å"Taking intellectual property, traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, or artifacts from someone elses culture without permission. This can include unauthorized use of another cultures dance, dress, music, language, folklore, cuisine, traditional medicine, religious symbols, etc. Its most likely to be harmful when the source community is a ​In the United States, cultural appropriation almost always involves members of the dominant culture (or those who identify with it) â€Å"borrowing† from the cultures of minority groups.   African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and indigenous peoples generally tend to emerge as the groups targeted for cultural appropriation. Black music and dance, Native American fashions, decoration, and cultural symbols, and Asian martial arts and dress have all fallen prey to cultural appropriation. â€Å"Borrowing† is a key component of cultural appropriation and there are many examples in recent American history. In essence, however, it can be traced back to the racial beliefs of early America; an era when many whites saw people of color as less than human. Society has moved beyond those gross injustices, for the most part. And yet, insensitivity to the historical and current sufferings of others remains apparent today. Appropriation in Music In the 1950s, white musicians borrowed the musical stylings of their black counterparts. Because African Americans weren’t widely accepted in U.S. society at that time, record executives chose to have white artists replicate the sound of black musicians. The result is that music like rock-n-roll is largely associated with whites and its black pioneers are often forgotten. In the early 21st century, cultural appropriation remains a concern. Musicians such as  Madonna, Gwen Stefani, and Miley Cyrus  have all been accused of cultural appropriation. Madonnas famous voguing began in black and Latino sectors of the gay community. Gwen Stefani faced criticism for her fixation on Harajuku culture from Japan. In 2013, Miley Cyrus became the pop star most associated with cultural appropriation. During recorded and live performances, the former child star began to twerk, a dance style with roots in the African American community.   Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke perform during the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. Theo Wargo/Getty Images Appropriation of Native Cultures Native American fashion, art, and rituals have also been appropriated into mainstream culture. Their fashion has been reproduced and sold for profit and their rituals are often adopted by eclectic religious and spiritual practitioners. A well-known case involves the sweat lodge retreats of James Arthur Ray. In 2009, three people died during one of his adopted sweat lodge ceremonies in Sedona, Arizona. This prompted the elders of Native American tribes to speak out against this practice because these plastic shamans have not been properly trained. Covering the lodge with plastic tarps was just one of Rays mistakes and he was later sued for impersonation. Similarly, in Australia, there was a period during which it was common for Aboriginal art to be copied by non-Aboriginal artists, often marketed and sold as authentic. This led to a renewed movement to authenticate Aboriginal products. Cultural Appropriation Takes Many Forms Buddhist tattoos, Muslim-inspired headdresses as fashion, and white gay men adopting the dialect of black women are other examples of cultural appropriation that are often called out. The examples are nearly endless and context is often key. For example, was the tattoo done in reverence or because its cool? Would a Muslim man wearing  the  keffiyeh  be considered a terrorist for that simple fact? At the same time, if a white man wears it, is it a fashion statement? Why Cultural Appropriation Is a Problem Cultural appropriation remains a concern for a variety of reasons. For one, this sort of â€Å"borrowing† is exploitative because it robs minority groups of the credit they deserve. Art and music forms that originated with minority groups come to be associated with members of the dominant group. As a result, the dominant group is deemed innovative and edgy. At the same time, the disadvantaged groups they â€Å"borrow† from continue to face negative stereotypes that imply they’re lacking in intelligence and creativity.   When singer Katy Perry performed as a geisha at the American Music Awards in 2013, she described it as an homage to Asian culture. Asian Americans disagreed with this assessment, declaring her performance â€Å"yellowface.† They also found issue with the song choice, Unconditionally, alongside a stereotype of passive Asian women. The question of whether it is a homage or an insult is at the core of cultural appropriation. What one person perceives as a tribute, people of that group may perceive as disrespectful. Its a fine line and one that must be carefully considered. How to Avoid Cultural Appropriation Every individual has choices to make when it comes to sensitivity toward others. As a member of the majority, someone may not be able to recognize a harmful appropriation unless its pointed out. This requires awareness of why youre buying or doing something that represents another culture. The intention is at the heart of the matter, so its important to ask yourself a series of questions. Why are you borrowing this? Is it out of a genuine interest? Is it something you feel called to do? Or, does it simply look appealing and youre following the trends?What is the source? For material items such as artwork, was it made by someone from that culture? What does this item mean to them?How respectful is this to the culture? What would someone from that group feel about it? Genuine interest in other cultures is not to be discounted. The sharing of ideas, traditions, and material items is what makes life interesting and helps diversify the world. It is the intention that remains most important and something everyone can remain conscious of as we learn from others.

How Walmart is becoming a monopoly Research Paper

How Walmart is becoming a monopoly - Research Paper Example The company operates each store from the products it stocks to front end equipment in order to speed check out. Wal-Mart invested heavily on cross docking inventory technique in order to achieve and fully realize economies of scale in cost. Wal-Mart Company was launched in 1962 by Cornerstone Walton. Walton had a strategy on the business to expand its stores in order to achieve higher sales volume at prices in comparison with other competitors. Due to discounts gained from department stores Walton initiated chains in Rogers, Arkansas in that year. By the year 1967, the company opened 24 stores across the state of Arkansas and recorded a high volume of sales. The company has continued to expand to major parts of the world in its quest for new markets. By 1978, Wal-Mart expanded into Illinois. It penetrated new markets such as pharmacy, auto service and jewellery divisions. Currently, it is arguably the most emulated retailer. Economies of scale: Currently, Wal-Mart enjoys many monopolies. Everywhere in the county there’s a Wal-Mart. Based on the economic concept it has a large size as well as a huge market share in their existing market. The economic theory of monopoly arises through the smaller the number of firms in the industry and large share Wal-Mart has; therefore, monopoly is deemed to exist. Monopolies arise due to free market (Rand, 1982). Economist considers that monopoly existed due to the existence of one supplier of a good. Its net sales increased by 5 % to 466.1 Billion (Rand, 1982). It has no close substitute within a given geographical location. In most regions, Wal-Mart has created a monopoly up to an extent that no small business can survive alone. Wal-Mart has acquired its dominant position in the retail sector by being relentlessly competitive. It has done everything to keep its cost price as low as possible. It utilises extremely efficient inventory

Diabetes and Evidence Based Nursing Research Paper

Diabetes and Evidence Based Nursing - Research Paper Example As the discussion highlights dozens of methods exist for keeping staff nurses informed. In order for a nurse to be competent in diabetes nursing in general practice, he/she should have the necessary knowledge and skills required. A competent nurse should be able to identify whether the patient has a blood history of diabetes that has not been controlled by the administration of oral drugs, and or, if the patient’s blood glucose levels were over 300 for the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test or with the random plasma glucose test . The nurse should measure blood glucose and determine how much insulin is required, administer insulin according to the results of the blood glucose test performed, help patients commencing insulin develop management techniques within guidelines and access secondary care specialist services when needed. The nurse should as well demonstrate clear knowledge of the pathophysiology of diabetes. It is also important for the nurse to be able to monitor patie nt’s progress and management of their condition, appropriately help patients achieve self management of their diabetes condition, make proper clinical referrals within the practice, have enough and appropriate material for patient education, initiate discussion to provide necessary advice to the patient when required to, provide psychological support to patients and their families, have an organized objective approach for the diagnosis of diabetes according to protocols, use results of the diagnosis for the treatment and incorporating patient preferences in the process.

Strategic plan Essay Example for Free

Strategic plan Essay The objective of this weeks assignment are to create a SWOT analysis for the Combat Sports Association to determine the internal strengths and weaknesses of the organization and the external opportunities and threats to organization. The assignment will also identify the legal and regulatory trends that need to be taken into consideration and how the CSA will adapt to changes in the industry. Major issues will be identified and classified to determine the importance of each issue in the analysis. SWOT ANALYSIS: Strength: Weakness Strategy- Provide quality service by staying true to the CSA vision, mission, and core values Structure- The structure for CSA is simplistic that it can be managed by the owner and an Administrative Executive and service rendered by contractors Resources- limited resources are needed for start up (capitol, facilities, computers, personnel Leadership- CSA leadership has a proven track record within the combat sports community Technology- CSA has very little knowledge of current technology application such as web design. Intellectual Property- All applicable regulatory requirements for SCA need to be written. Economic: Combat sports are currently the fastest growing sports in the U. S Technology: The growth in technology allows faster communication via social media, smart phones to allow for real time communication Innovation: By staying up to date on the changes/issues in the sports CSA will can stay of the leading edge of training officials and provide customers will the best service available Competitive Analysis: There is tremendous growth in the sports. There are more promoters than established sanctioning bodies. Resulting in a stronger market share for a reputable sanctioning body Legal/regulatory: Combat Sports legal/regulatory requirements vary from state to State Social: Changes in social values of promoters (ethics/morals) and competitors ( banned substances) require constant supervision Environmental: Exposure to blood borne pathogens by officials, competitors, and fans must be mitigated by ensuring testing and proper disposal of bio hazard materials Opportunity: Threat: The Combat Sports Association SWOT analysis provides key areas of focus for development of a strategic plan for operating a new sanctioning body for combat sports in Nevada. The external factors that will be looked at are legal and regulatory requirements in the combat sports industry and how CSA will apply these requirements to ensure customer compliance. CSA will look at the economical perspective in regards to the growth of combat sports in Nevada and the competitive analysis SCA will use to be a low-cost provider in a competitive market. These issues are classified as the external issues of CSA . The internal factor that will indentify the strengths and weaknesses of CSA will be Leadership, structure, resources, and intellectual property. The leadership provided to CSA customers and sub-contractors is a differentiating value chain activity that sets CSA apart from competitors. CSA is structured as a flat organization to provide a simplistic communication with customers and contractor and eliminate costs to maximize profit. Few physical resources and overhead are needed to develop CSA in the combat sports industry. The most significant hurdle to overcome fro CSA is the development of intellectual property that will set CSA apart from the competition. These issues are classified as the internal issues of CSA. The two largest hurdles for CSA are the legal and regulatory factors (external) and the intellectual property (internal). Legal and regulatory factors were identified as a threat based on governmental laws of the state of Nevada. The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) is the office of primary responsibility (OPR) that sets the regulatory guidance of combat sports in Nevada. This is accomplished through N. R. S 467 and N. A. C. 467 making compliance mandatory for all sanctioning bodies within Nevadas jurisdiction. CSA must comply with these standards and stay attuned to any changes, adapt to any changes of the law. One example is the policy changes for Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) for combat sports athletes. The intellectual property for the SCA must be written to comply with the regulatory requirements of the NSAC. SCA classified intellectual property as an internal issue and weakness. CSA intellectual property is the policies and procedures that the organization will operate from and the standards operating procedures that its customers/promoters/athletes will abide by. The intellectual property has for CSA has yet to be written. Until the CSAs regulatory guidance is written CSA will be unable to operate within the state of Nevada. The economic factor was classified as an external issue and indentified as strength for CSA. Combat Sports in the U. S. , particularly Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is the fastest growing sport. With the interest in the sports growing more gyms that cater to the mixed martial artist are opening. Those athletes that wish to compete seek out organizations they wish to compete for. This results in more events being put on by promoters. There is more business minded people investing in becoming promoters. As this growth continues it means more opportunity and work for sanctioning bodies. The CSA can take advantage of this growth in the MMA by conducting a competitive analysis to determine its place in the market. The competitive analysis was classified as strength for CSA because it beat the competition in all but one category. This gives CSA a strong competitive position in the sanctioning body market. Competitive Analysis CSA Rival 1 Rival 2 Quality performance 10 8 7 Reputation/Image 10 7 6 Service Capabilities 10 8 7 Competence Capabilities 9 9 7 Financial Resources 8 9 8 Geographical Infrastructure 9 8 8 Un-weighted Strength Assessment 56 49 43 The leadership of CSA is classified as an internal factor and identified as strength. One of the key factors is the experience the leadership has in the combat sports industry and over 21 years of providing quality control for regulatory standards. CSAs leadership has a proven track record within the industry for adherence to regulatory compliance and leading promoters to compliance rather than forcing them. The leadership is recognized as a subject matter expert within the state for matters concerning combat sports and is often recommended by NSAC to consult with new promoters prior to state licensing. The CSA leadership is a resident of the state of Nevada; where-as rival companies are out of state residents. This allows CSA leadership to frequently meet with NSAC on key issues and provide on-site supervision for customers/promoters event. All the experience and expertise has allowed the CSA leadership to develop a vision, mission, and core values that will allow SCA to achieve unprecedented success in a growing industry. The Structure of SCA flat this allows for direct communication to all functional areas of the CSA. This also is effective in cutting costs. By maintaining a flat structure CSA management speaks directly with customers and subcontractors on all matter to facilitate continuous improve to relationships and processes. For example; if a customers CFO needs a specific information on CSA officials travel itinerary they can call CSA management or the officials directly or if the customers administrative executive needs statistical data from previous event they can call CSA management directly. One of the benefits of a flat structure is that CSA provides customers with a hands-on approach to dealing with the customers needs. This creates a friendly and trusting environment. Another benefit to a flat structure is that it alleviates the high costs of multiple management and employees costs. With a flat structure that outsources key positions to subcontractors CSA can focus directly on maximizing profits. Customers/promoter will pay the subcontractors directly and only pay CSA the event representative fee and the standard sanctioning fee for services rendered. The resources factors was classified as an internal strength because there are very little resources and overhead needed to start up a sanctioning body. Essentially the initial resources needed are a computer, home office, and standard office supply. Very little capitol is needed to start this business. Some additional costs will be a business license, incorporation fees, legal fees to ensure contracts with customers are properly written to reduce CSA liabilities. CSA has established relationships with the best subcontractor/officials (Referees, judges, timekeepers, scorekeepers, inspectors, and physicians) in the combat sports industry. These relationships will help CSA move forward to become the premiere sanctioning body in Nevada. By using qualified and training officials CSA will create a culture of safe and fair competition for its customers that will attract the best competitors. This will result in a larger fan base for the promoters thus generating higher ticket sales and increased revenue. The comprehensive SWOT analysis conducted by CSA has achieved compound result that provides CSA with multiple areas of focus. It identified the internal strength and weaknesses of the organization. The opportunity and threat identified external factor that need to be focused on. The competitive analysis provided a current snapshot of how CSA currently ranks within the industry. The SWOT analysis also shows CSA where it can make improvements. The overall assessment for CSA is that it can gain a considerable market share of the combat sports industry within Nevada considering the growth of combat sports.

Essay on Stagnant Lives in Streetcar Named Desire and Glass Menagerie

Stagnant Lives in Streetcar Named Desire and Glass Menagerie   Ã‚  Ã‚   The Stagnant Lives of Blanche DuBois and Amanda Wingfield  Ã‚  Ã‚   "All of Williams' significant characters are pathetic victims--of time, of their own passions, of immutable circumstance" (Gantz 110). This assessment of Tennessee Williams' plays proves true when one looks closely at the characters of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire and Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie. Their lives run closely parallel to one another in their respective dramas. They reject their present lives, yet their methods of escape are dissimilar. Both women have lost someone they cared for, and so seek to hold, and unintentionally suffocate, those they have left. A major problem that both Blanche and Amanda face is their misconception of reality and the "New South." "The predominant theme of these plays is Southern womanhood helpless in the grip of the new world, while its old world of social position and financial security is a paradise lost (Gassner 78). They are victims of a society that taught them that virtue, attractiveness, and gentility all led to happiness. When tragedy strikes, Blanche and Amanda are unable to adjust to modem society and eventually withdraw into the securities of the past. "For Blanche and Amanda, the South forms an image of youth, love, purity and all of the ideals that have crumbled along with mansions and family fortunes" (Tischier 319). Tragedy after tragedy has struck the character of Blanche DuBois of Streetcar until nothing is left except her tenuous grasp on sanity. Her young homosexual husband, Allan, kills himself, leaving her racked with guilt with which she cannot deal. It s as if the "Grim Reaper set up his tent," taking the... ... New York: Chelsea Publishers, 1987. 99-112.    Gassner, John. â€Å"Theatre at the Crossroads.New York,† Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1960. pp. 77-91, 218-231.    Howell, Elmo. "The Function of Gentlemen Callers: A Note on Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie." Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie: Modern Critical Interpretations. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea, 1988. Contemporary Literary Criticism 11 (1979): 575-576.    Nelson, Benjamin. Tennessee Williams: The Man and His Work. New York: Ivan Obolensky, 1961.    Tischler, Nancy M. "The Glass Menagerie: From Story to Play." Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie: Modern Critical Interpretations. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea Publishers, 1988.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Williams, Tennessee. A Streetcar Named Desire. New York: Viking Penguin, 1976.   

My Hips My Caderas

In the excerpt, â€Å"My Hips, My Caderas† by Alisa Valdes, gives distinctive examples of her life story to develop a meaning for how society perceives women. America strives to fit the perception of beauty because it is the single physical characteristic that makes us matter. Her anecdotes show us how the world shapes our thoughts to brainwash us. Alisa Valdes personal experiences are a service to provide a better explanation of how we perpetrate in order to be welcomed in society. â€Å"Beauty is in the eye of the culture. † This is an essential quote that summarizes the moral of Valdes story.Being a biracial woman, she received perspectives from two cultures about the way she looks. Valdes is white and Cuban. She is a girl with hips and curves. She is seen as voluptuous. White Americans and Cubans have different viewpoints on how women should look and what beauty is considered to be. Valdes body type isn’t accepted in by all of her family because of the type o f the different type of society they live in. As a child it confused her as to what herself image should be. Her mother’s side of the family is white Americans who believed being skinny was the key to beauty.In America, we have several reminders of what we should look like. Our models are size zeros. All our foods are low fat or reduced in calories producing dieting. We also promote surgery to stay skinny. Hips or la caderas are seen as fat which is ugly, ugly being the antonym for beauty. On the contrary her father’s side believed that the thicker you were or the more curves that complimented one’s body made you more of a woman. That notion highlighted a woman’s beauty. Caderas, often referred to in her explanation, simply translated is hips.In Latin cultures caderas are the stomach, waist, and thighs. It’s all that makes a â€Å"real woman†. La caderas are the essence of a woman. Those who don’t posses these caderas are seen as sick . It’s unattractive to the eye. The different cultures that she exemplifies contradict each other. Valdes has significant times in her child hood where she remembers the two cultures impacted the way she thought about herself. Being involved in her father’s culture, being voluptuous was a blessing. When Valdes was 12 she remembers the Chicanos making catcalls at her because she was so curators.She took those signs of beauty for granted and started to diet, taking to the American way of beauty. She also talks about her and her friend going to dance and men lining up to dance with her and her turning them down because she said â€Å"I often say †no†, because I can†. This leads me to infer that she felt beautiful and she knew she was due to her hips. If she didn’t think so she wouldn’t turn the men down. That culture made her appreciate herself and have positive outlooks about how she looked. In America she remembers being in a step aerobi cs class and women making negative statements about how she looks.She sometimes hear the woman in the front row whisper â€Å"My God, would you look at those hips†. Her attributes are looked down upon as if they are a bad thing in America. She has experienced both cultures and have a gotten a different response on her body. Self image is destructive but it’s what makes civilization significant. The world revolves around images that are acceptable and it’s the drive around the world. In the society we live in, civilization is based on appearance. Our world rotates on its axis because of it. It’s deadly to walk outside without makeup on or above a certain weight.American’s have reality television that are designed just for losing weight and to critique the appearance of our celebrities. Everyone is a target in America to bee objectified. There is no discrimination. In middle school I was often picked on for being so skinny and I hated my body. When I got to high school I started to gain weight not in my â€Å"caderas† but my butt. I started to love my body more because everyone else did. Girls would tell me how they would kill for my shape and I would tell them how I would love to have theirs. I wanted breast and hips like those girls but they wanted to be a stick like me, I couldn’t understand.Those girls were envisioning themselves as being the females they see on the television and I was the closest thing to their dreams. Continuously taking my body for granted the next teenage girl was admiring my imperfections perfectly. I learn eventually to embrace my small figure but looking at celebrities like Beyonce’ and other full figured women I get self conscious sometime. It’s as if my body isn’t good enough and I fall back into the depression of why my body can’t look a certain way. It is a struggle in itself because your image is your introduction.

3.2 Aging . The Physiology Of Aging Hematopoiesis Represents

3.2 Aging The physiology of aging hematopoiesis represents an attractive research field given complex interaction between bone marrow microenvironment and hemopoietic stem cells. During aging, a gradual functional decline of various cellular subsets with different self-renewal and differentiation potential is dominant. However, it is recognized that shift toward preferential myeloid-biased hematopoiesis is a common event that anticipates disruption of normal molecular marrow homeostasis.(17) Among others, low bone marrow concentration of TGF-ÃŽ ² can provide signaling to induce myeloid-biased bone marrow microenvironment. (18) At the molecular level, in aging HSC, TGF-ÃŽ ² regulated genes, such as Nr4a1, Cepba, Jun and Junb were found to be†¦show more content†¦(22) In this context of subclinical mutational carriers, individual patient genetic, epigenetic and immunological variables that govern full acquisition of malignant potential are expected to have predictive and therapeutic im plications. In addition, investigation of clonal adaptive processes especially those associated with pre-MDS/MDS transition could facilitate understanding of disease pathogenesis. 2.2 Mutational analysis Advances in MDS therapy will derive from molecular precision and identification of potential druggable targets for the disease. In 2005, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and during 2008, The International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) were designed as large-scale projects to improve understanding of cancer associated recurrent somatic mutations. In AML, robust prognostic relevant mutations were reported with mutational subgroups frequently observed in MDS suggesting similar ability to detect a significant impact on MDS outcome. Seven subgroups including activating signaling, DNA methylation, chromatin modifiers, spliceosome, myeloid transcription factors, tumor suppressor genes, and less commonly observed mutations including cohesin complex, BCOR, and BCORL1 (Fig.3). In this section, we will describe frequency, prognostic and functional implication of