Chapter 4. Decolonization of design
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Chapter 4. Decolonization of design
Cultural colonization Definition of cultural colonization The assumption that colonization patterns and imperialism in general, regard only territories or space is a huge mistake. Along with conquering the area, the culture is also affected. It is colonized. Nowadays the term “cultural colonization” is exchanged with “cultural appropriation”, but they mean the same thing. 31 Cultural colonization, or appropriation, is a one-sided process of adopting the elements from the culture of a minority and benefiting from it without the permission and approval of the group, as well as not giving back anything valuable in return. One of the consequences of cultural appropriation is the oblivion of the marginalized group’s culture. Because of the changing of the cultural symbols’ initial meanings and by providing no references to the culture of origin, the history of the oppressed group is erased and allowed to be misinterpreted, left undocumented, and thus, forgotten. But while appropriating the culture of the minority and exploiting it, the colonizer rewards the group with “universal” and “standard” western culturalcodes, claiming that it will enhance an “undeveloped” culture, educate it and allow it to enter the high society of the world. The results of this process are called “cultural crisis”. In this concept western culture is seen as the highest step of evolution. Even though the evolutionary concept of culture was largely abandoned, it is still embedded in our status quo. 32
