I recently attended a discussion called “Who Owns Culture?” hosted by Raffles College of Higher Education and Fashion Revolution Singapore. Culture always plays a significant role in marketing, but I thought the topic was relevant due to the current cultural setting we’re in today. Essentially, it’s a necessary discussion because of the rapid spread of information and interconnectedness thanks to the Internet. In my perspective as an avid online user, this has led to 3 key happenings: a prevalence of cancel culture, its subsequent cultural sensitivity, and increased expectations of social impact and accountability expected from brands. 

​

The discussion was held between a cool mix of three brand owners, a fashion lecturer, and a creative strategist with a background in anthropology. The debate opened up with cultural gatekeeping and its limit to creativity. Essentially, would this fear of “messing” with culture limit creative liberty? I think that, like in all forms of art, it would; but pushing boundaries in art should always be done respectfully. Keeping in touch with culture goes beyond simply being educated, and different cultural lenses must be involved in the process. It was pointed out that rather than an active fear of cultural appropriation, adopting a conscious mentality and respectful posture would be more helpful. 

​

As a future marketer, I can see this mindset being impactful in planning campaigns and concepts. Obviously, if I were to design a campaign, would it not be easier to just avoid potentially controversial topics altogether? But would that just be an avoidance of accountability? This led to the second discussion: where we draw the line between creativity and cultural appropriation and how exactly do we avoid cultural appropriation? The answer is more complex than just giving credit. The intention behind using culture in art should be to record, preserve, and evolve a culture. This can only be done by respecting its origin and sanctity. We can’t stop the commodification of culture, but we can change how we do it.

​

So, finally, who owns culture? Based on the discussion, the argument on this seems almost pointless with the context of there being no such thing as originality. After all, variations of the same thing exist worldwide (e.g., dumplings and ravioli). I believe that respect again plays a big role in this. Let’s say the culture is simply a collection of ideas, and in the Venn diagram of all cultures, they all overlap. While each group shares same or similar ideas, it doesn’t negate how much they’re valued or their impact on identities. 

​

I believe the answer is everyone and no one. Everyone has the right to appreciate culture, but noone should own it. However, some people (particularly participants of said culture) do have more weight in the conversation regarding it. Gatekeeping culture limits art and cultural progress, but we cannot ignore that it must be done with a conscious approach. If not in respect of the culture itself as an entity, then for the people behind it.