Cultural appropriation whilst travelling is a pretty hot topic at the moment, yet not a lot of people completely understand it. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t fully understand all of the issues surrounding the appropriation of various cultures, but I am making a conscious effort to learn about it. There is a fine line between the appreciation and appropriation of cultures, particularly whilst travelling, but at times this lines seems a little blurred, and even I have a problem distinguishing between the two.

Travel can be a wonderful way to learn about the huge variety of cultures from around the world, but we should all keep in mind that taking pieces of a culture that you don’t belong to and using them as trends or fashion statements in actually offensive and inappropriate.

Avoiding Cultural Appropriation Whilst Travelling

Never reduce a part of another culture to a trend or fashion statement. If you are buying something that belongs to a cultural community simply because you think it will look cool, then you probably shouldn’t buy it in the first place.

When you are travelling, it is a good opportunity to participate in the local customs, but it turns into appropriation once you take a part of that culture home with you.

Pay attention to whether local communities and businesses are being exploited by larger companies, if you want to buy souvenirs consider giving your money and custom to local producers, artists and makers, avoid buying reproductions from larger sellers aimed specifically at tourists.

Traditional Costume, Headwear and Jewellery

If you are in a country and invited to wear traditional dress, a headdress, the makeup or jewellery then feel free to do so. An invitation to join people invites cultural appreciation and helps to avoid the opportunity to get it wrong.

In many cultures the way an item of clothing is worn can have its own significant meaning, to get this wrong by taking them for fancy dress or even simply buying them as a souvenir to wear home is wrong and crosses the line from appreciation to appropriation, for instance if you are not Japanese there is no reason why you need to buy a kimono and wear it at home in your two bedroom terraced house in the UK.

If the only reason why you want to wear traditional clothing is to post on Instagram and falsely claim to be appreciating  a group of people then you need to realise how wrong it is.

Taking a symbol without understanding its historical and cultural significance and turning it into a tattoo is usually inappropriate and I’m always amused by the ones that have been incorrectly translated. 

Yoga 

Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice originating from ancient India. If you haven’t taken the time to fully understand and appreciate the philosophy and theology behind the discipline then you are appropriating it for the wrong reasons.

I read of people travelling to India and attending Yoga retreats, this is fine if your are fully taking the time to immerse yourself in the culture and teachings. However, if the week-long retreat is being run by a white man with a beard and dreadlocks you need to rethink your intentions.

If you join a Yoga group at home and it is being run by a white woman who has only ever been on a retreat herself then you need to look harder for a group that is not appropriating and commercialising a historic and cultural practice.

If you are hoping to take part in an activity or religious practice, look for one that is run by someone of the faith or culture, find someone who knows of the philosophies. Do not just join the first group that you find and think that chanting “Ommm” makes you a spiritual person and that because you can put your feet behind your head that you have found enlightenment. You haven’t… and if the group involves the purchasing of books, clothing and equipment, this should also ring alarm bells.

Regardless of where you travel, it is always important to make sure you have sufficient Travel Insurance – single trip and annual multi trip cover is available from Unite Travel Insurance

How do you avoid cultural appropriation whilst travelling?

Let me know in the comments.