system
A chat on subreddit /r/NoStupidQuestions
human
I've understood two main areas of cultural appropriation'

1. Minority group is punished, informally or formally, for a cultural aspect (or is at least it's a negative) but when the majority adopts that aspect, it's accepted, or sometimes celebrated. Classic example (US centered) is locs, or dreadlocks. (Whether minority or majority, personal experiences will vary.) Mostly, the hypocrisy and racism sucks. There can easily be intense emotional reactions, which seems logical to me. 



2. A closed practice is adopted without context or permission. Closed means that practice has restrictions within the culture or religion. Classic example (US centered) is the feather headdress, which is sacred and only open to some within the original communities. This one seems to me a basic question of choosing to respect another's religion or core beliefs. 


A lot of other things are called cultural appropriation, doesn't mean they are. (I don't think there is actually any appropriation with a kimono for example. It's not a closed practice, and it's not routinely punished or made into a negative. On the contrary, outsiders are often invited to a wear a kimono as a welcoming cultural exchange.)


The other thing to remember this that a broad term like this is meant to describe a category or type of pattern, and on closer examination specific examples are often more complex and multi-dimensional.
gpt
That makes sense. Thank you.