Not only is cultural appropriation a sensitive topic to touch on nowadays, it is also a difficult topic to get through to young children because one needs to understand the context before being able to identify if a certain culture is being appropriated, and children do not understand enough of the world to have that contextual background, which is why the responsibility of teaching the children lies with the parents.

 

Cultural appropriation is relevant to everyone because our society is becoming more and more globalized, cultures are no longer exclusive anymore. Even if people do not understand another’s culture, it is important to at least have respect for them.

 

The Lion King touches on profound concepts, but portrays them through simple notions. It goes into culturally loaded themes such as patriarchy and authority without blatantly pointing them out. The way that The Lion King embeds these themes within the audience is the reason why it is an excellent tool to teach children the concept of cultural appropriation. Higher level concepts such as this is not easily explained to children through words, but by utilising the themes explored in The Lion King, along with observations in the children’s daily lives, as a parent, you can slowly get through to them.

 

One way to open up the topic with your children is to let them watch the movie, then ask for their opinions of certain scenes in the movie that contain elements of cultural appropriation, such as the patriarchal society of the lions or the monarchical mindset that Simba has throughout the movie. After this, you could drop hints on how to have the correct mindset when thinking about such matters so that even if the child doesn’t understand, they at least have respect for these matters.

 

Other Disney films that you can use to teach your children about cultural appropriation include Mulan, Aladdin and The Hunchback of Notredame. Using these films in conjunction with The Lion King really broadens the perspective as to what umbrellas cultural appropriation, giving your children a more comprehensive understanding of the concept.