This is an interesting poll for me, because I've been having to deal with learning vs. appropriation on several fronts: my town, my coworkers, and the family I married into.
The line I use is that if it helps me learn more about a culture or fit in while I'm there, I'll go for it. If I'm borrowing something you don't understand just because it looks cool, it's appropriation. I think food always goes in the "learning" bucket (to the extent that I really enjoy visiting foreign grocery stores, because it's a learning experience), while tattoos almost always go in the "appropriation" bucket, for example.
I will admit to a certain amount of appropriation on my part, however.
The way I feel about it...
The line I use is that if it helps me learn more about a culture or fit in while I'm there, I'll go for it. If I'm borrowing something you don't understand just because it looks cool, it's appropriation. I think food always goes in the "learning" bucket (to the extent that I really enjoy visiting foreign grocery stores, because it's a learning experience), while tattoos almost always go in the "appropriation" bucket, for example.
I will admit to a certain amount of appropriation on my part, however.