Understanding Avatar Cultural Appropriation: Respectful versus Offensive Cultural Borrowing
Cultural appropriation is a topic that has gained a lot of attention in recent years. When you borrow something from a culture that’s not your own without permission or understanding, it can be disrespectful and hurtful. One area where cultural appropriation can be observed is in avatars- virtual representations of individuals in online gaming or other virtual communities.
Introduction
Many avatars in online games represent a great deal more than simple pixels on a screen. Avatars can hold a great importance to their users, who often invest time and energy into developing and customizing them. However, it’s important to consider the significance of avatars from different cultures that you may not belong to.
Understanding Cultural Appropriation
Cultural appropriation is a relatively old theory and refers to the act of borrowing or taking elements from another culture without permission or understanding. When the act of borrowing is done without respect, it can be seen as disrespectful, offensive, and even harmful to the culture in question. This is why it’s important to understand the difference between respectful and offensive cultural borrowing.
Respectful cultural borrowing happens when the borrowing culture recognizes the significance and history of the borrowed custom, and treats it with respect and reverence. For example, if someone chose to wear a traditional Korean Hanbok for a cultural festival, and respects the culture while doing so, it can be seen as respectful.
On the other hand, offensive cultural borrowing occurs when the borrowing culture takes something from another culture, and twists or distorts it in a disrespectful, or inappropriate way. For example, wearing a Native American headdress for fashion, when the headdress is a sacred item in the Native American culture, would be seen as offensive.
Avatars and Cultural Appropriation
So how does cultural appropriation relate to avatars? Many players in online gaming and other virtual communities choose to develop and customize their avatars, often with items or designs borrowed from other cultures. While it might seem innocent to borrow from other cultures in this context, it’s important to keep in mind the concepts outlined above – respectful vs. offensive borrowing.
For example, if a player chooses to customize their avatar with a traditional African dashiki, it’s crucial that they understand and respect the significance of the garment in African culture. Additionally, if a player decides to use an avatar that is modeled after an ethnic stereotype, such as an Arab character with a turban and hookah, it’s important to understand the harmful implications of racial stereotypes and avoid perpetuating them.
Conclusion
In conclusion, avatars can hold a significant place in online gaming and virtual communities. However, it’s important to consider the implications of cultural appropriation when customizing avatars. As described above, understanding the difference between respectful vs. offensive cultural borrowing is crucial, as is making sure that the representations are not modeled after racial stereotypes. By following these guidelines, players can create avatars that are respectful and don’t perpetuate harmful stereotypes.
