Title: Cultural appropriation or cultural appreciation?

Word count: 400-800

Time: 160 minutes

Style: Formal - ensure that you have checked what you have written with regard to appropriateness of language, content and structure

The acclaimed international magazine The Daily Globe hosts an annual essay writing contest and this year’s topic is cultural appropriation. The aim is to discuss the complex issues concerning the adaption to or mimicry of customs or practices from various cultures. The Daily Globe has distributed a background material - short stories written by the best-selling author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and a selection of articles from international magazines - to be read by contestants before submitting their work.

After reading the short stories and articles, decide on ideas, claims, statements, examples or arguments that you wish to discuss in your essay. You are allowed to summarise these into 200 words which you may bring with you when writing the essay.

Essay checklist:

• Describe cultural appropriation

• You must refer to at least two of the texts in order to discuss and expand upon the material

• Expand upon these examples by clarifying and motivating your personal opinions

• Discuss and come to a conclusion

• As inspiration, you may want to consider the following questions:

  • How is a person’s identity affected by adaptation, mimicry and cultural appropriation?

  • What cultural customs or practices are acceptable or unacceptable to mimic?

  • How far should one attempt to fit in when in new cultures without losing one’s original culture or identity?

  • In what ways can adapting or mimicking lead to cultural appropriation?