Sensitivity Writers. AKA: avoiding cultural appropriate in writing

[Bedrockgames]

But like any form of expression, freedom to express yourself does not free you from the consequences thereof. In this context, we’re talking about criticism, maybe protests and boycotts. Not death threats.

This is true, but again not all consequences are reasonable or well thought out. And some are more divisive. Being respectful and sensitive is one thing. I think that makes sense and most people understand what that entails. But cultural appropriation is a much bigger concept that makes it very hard to cross cultural lines and play with ideas from other cultures. Now I get there are strong arguments in its favor. I think most of us have seen the pro and con bullets of each side at this point. At the end of the day for me though, I think it is too dangerous to empathy, cultural exchange, art and free expression. And I don't know that fretting over cultural appropriation really solves anything in the end either. Just on a personal creative level, I found as concern about cultural appropriation increase I found myself a lot less comfortable as a designer (and not in a good way).

What I would say is creative people should obviously not try to be offensive to anyone and should be sensitive to cultural issues (provided they are reasonable). But I think they should be free to explore ideas from cultures outside their own, in ways that they want otherwise. And I think audiences and consumers should be somewhat charitable in their assessment. We shouldn't limit ourselves to working only with cultures in our creative efforts that match our background and skin tone. That seems like very dangerous territory to me. I know in my own experience, the only way I've learned more about other cultures is through experiencing their different elements directly.

I also think there is this notion in this debate that the best way to handle other cultures is to bring them in 100% accurately, with a perspective grounded in the culture you are borrowing from. But some of the most delightful movies and books are a product of people misunderstanding the culture they are handling. It creates something new and interesting (and this is something I see in my own culture but also from cultures borrowing from my culture).

One major concern I have about the appropriation debate, is it is a lot easier for people with masters degrees and PhDs (and to a lesser extent BAs) to navigate. And I do think it makes it harder to be creative if you are not versed in liberal arts disciplines at a high level. So I think there is a class and elite issue that arises from it.

 

[Deset Gled]

It is a very difficult topic, one where there is going to be disagreement. It is also one where it isn't easy to parse through all the different points of view and all the different lines of argument.

While there are a lot of gray areas in the topic of cultural appropriation, I would also like to point out that there are also some pretty clear areas of black and white (no pun intended). For example, pretty much everyone agrees that casting white actors in blackface isn't okay anymore. And while some historical cases of "savage Indian" mascots stick around (like the famous case of the Washington Redskins), its easy to say that a new team wouldn't get away with a similar name.

As a writer, it may be difficult to figure out every instance of cultural misappropriation in your work. But it shouldn't be so hard to look at the overall picture and make sure you're not being outright offensive. If you use influences from African/Native American/whatever culture, do you only use it for the bad guys, or do the good guys have it too? And remember to flip it the other way. Are European/Christian/whatever influences visible in only the good guys, or do the bad guys have it as well? While having a full blown sensitivity editor may not be practical, having at least a couple diverse test-readers familiar with the cultures you pull from will go a long way.

TLDR: You don't have to be the most culturally aware to not be evil.

 

[Bedrockgames]

While there are a lot of gray areas in the topic of cultural appropriation, I would also like to point out that there are also some pretty clear areas of black and white (no pun intended). For example, pretty much everyone agrees that casting white actors in blackface isn't okay anymore.

But that isn't appropriation. That is a taboo in US culture because of our history and because it comes from a style of entertainment that mocked black people. It is simply considered offensive. It isn't the cultural borrowing that is at issue. It is about wearing makeup that is a racist caricature of black people.

So again, I think the issue you can focus on rather than oppriation is simply: is this offensive? It handles most of the major concerns without getting into the 'stay in your lane' territory that, at least in my view, makes it harder for people to interact across cultural lines. We should be able to enjoy one another's cultures and not be so afraid of exploring cultures outside our own that a we have to hire sensitivity writers and walk around doing surveys with each step.

 

[Sacrosanct]

For clarification, stereotypes are not the same as cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriate is basically taking an aspect of a minority culture (dress, symbols, religion, etc) and adopting it yourself. Like sports mascots, or when white people say they have a spirit animal, or tribal tattoos. Etc.

In regards to how this relates to my OP, I'm not too worried about stereotypes (I can avoid those pretty easily). What I do want to avoid are the "another white game designer writing about African/Asian/etc culture and profiting from it by appropriating aspects of those cultures"

 

[Bedrockgames]

For clarification, stereotypes are not the same as cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriate is basically taking an aspect of a minority culture (dress, symbols, religion, etc) and adopting it yourself. Like sports mascots, or when white people say they have a spirit animal, or tribal tattoos. Etc.

In regards to how this relates to my OP, I'm not too worried about stereotypes (I can avoid those pretty easily). What I do want to avoid are the "another white game designer writing about African/Asian/etc culture and profiting from it by appropriating aspects of those cultures"

I think twitter is going to be your best bet in terms of finding a gauge for that because there are a lot of creative communities where this is discussed and commented on. If you are active there, I would be happy to send you some suggestions by PM.

 

[Derren]

That’s pretty...cynical.

I would retort that the discussion is NOT arbitrary, but rather evidence that people are starting to finally hear and understand long-standing complaints.

Sure it is.
The first arbitrary selection is which cultures can be appropriated and which not. No one complains when German culture is appropriated (Oktoberfest, Lederhosen, etc.). The general response is that it is ok to appropriate "white" cultures because they are "in power" or something like that. But for example the Greek were not "in power" for a long time, but are still fair game.
Entirely arbitrary.
The second arbitrary selection is which culture "owns" what. Are dreadlocks part of "black culture" and no whites are allowed to have them as it was claimed? What about Vikings (ignoring for now that as white people no one cares if they are appropriated), who owns them? The Swedes? Norwegians? Danish? British? French? Ukrainian?
And it was already mentioned that the selection who is allowed to use which culture is arbitrary, too. Can an african american safely use things from an central african culture even though he never visited it just because of his skin color? What about cultures that have been gone for centuries? Why does an ancestry make someone qualified to use a culture?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I am not 100% sure what you mean by restrain themselves, but I think it would depend on the criticism. Not all critiques have the same value or merit.

What I mean is, mere criticism will not prevent you from making something. Barring actual use of tactics like denial of resources, only your own self-restraint will.

So if A&F wanted to do something Native Americans themed that, for sake of this discussion, used sacred imagery in a way considered to be disrespectful or profane, mere accusations of cultural appropriation wouldn’t stop them from doing so. Ditto protests or boycotts. They could still release said product and let the chips fall where they may. And there are no guarantees as to how that could turn out.

There was a guitar pedal released last year that had a name that some women considered offensive. Certain outlets refused to sell it, including some used gear resale sites. They released it anyway, and not only did it sell well, a certain portion of the market bought it precisely because there were protests.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

And I don't know that fretting over cultural appropriation really solves anything in the end either. Just on a personal creative level, I found as concern about cultural appropriation increase I found myself a lot less comfortable as a designer (and not in a good way).

Has your empathy and awareness that some people might find X, Y, or Z increased? Are you more conscious of the impact of relying on negative stereotypes? Are you less likely do rely on such?

If “yes” is your answer to any of those, I would assert that’s a good thing.

What about being more culturally aware has harmed you? Has diminished the quality of your output?

 

[Bedrockgames]

Has your empathy and awareness that some people might find X, Y, or Z increased? Are you more conscious of the impact of relying on negative stereotypes? Are you less likely do rely on such?

No, I think if anything the fretting has made me more skeptical of peoples complaints and I have had to remind myself to hit the reset button and take every argument and criticism I hear seriously. But after a while the constant criticisms on these grounds start to water down other, more legitimate complaints, because I think it gets easier for people to dismiss it as an overreaction (even if it isn't). I think the things that have increased my awareness and my empathy have nothing to do with people saying this or that is cultural appropriation, and everything to do with knowing people from other places, reading about other cultures, and generally having an open mind. I've always been very open to other cultures and points of view. And I think if anything the increase in this kind of concern about appropriation has made me feel more reluctant to engage with other cultures (an impulse I resist, but you can feel it when you try to explore things). In my experience it has just made people incredibly self conscious and hesitant.

If “yes” is your answer to any of those,mI would assert that’s a good thing.

I think my answer to the above is no.

What about being more culturally aware has harmed you? Has diminished the quality of your output?

Being culturally aware hasn't harmed me at all. But that isn't the same thing as the dialogue about cultural appropriation. Being culturally aware is good. But adhering to the dogma surrounding cultural appropariton concerns isn't the same thing as that. In fact, I've found talking to people in cultures outside the US and Europe that appropriation is even less of a concern. Like I said, cultural sensitivity matters. I not denying the importance of avoiding being offensive and of respecting people. But I think cultural appropriation offers a very simplified solution to that problem, and I think it is a solution that actually separates people, makes movement between cultures more difficult and creates resentment.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Has your empathy and awareness that some people might find X, Y, or Z increased?

My main point about this is that I think empathy comes from engaging with other cultures. Getting to know people. Playing with cultural concepts outside your own. I think that is hard to do when battle lines are drawn around appropriation concerns and when people are postured for negative reactions rather than open to one another. I think openness is the most important quality here. But what I get from the cultural appropriation discussion isn't openness. It is more of "don't go there", "don't do it that way", etc. It is like if you have ever had a boss at work where every little detail was criticized and you ended up freezing anytime you sat down to work on something. It is just a very paralyzing phenomenon in my experience. And I think that makes openness and crossing boundaries hard.