
Cultural Appropriation
Wrongs and Rights
Routledge (Publisher)
1st Edition
Will be published approx. on 20. July 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
112 pages
978-1-041-05820-5 (ISBN)
Description
From the fashion label Dior being accused of cultural appropriation after using American Indian imagery in an ad campaign for its "Sauvage" fragrance, to the backlash against Kendall Jenner's afro-esque hairstyle in Vogue, debates about cultural appropriation have reached a fever pitch. In this much-needed analysis of the phenomenon Aurelia Bardon and Jennifer Page step back and ask: when is cultural appropriation wrong and when are we right to criticize it?
Their analysis of wrongful cultural appropriation centers on three questions: whether appropriation involves theft; whether it communicates disrespect; and whether it disregards requests made by marginalized groups about their cultural practices. Sometimes, they argue, it is structural injustice rather than individual wrongdoing that is at stake. They examine cultural appropriation's political dimensions, asking whether the state should be neutral between appropriative and non-appropriative artistic expression. They contrast bans on wrongful cultural appropriation and the state's using its expressive power as a speaker, spender, and educator to discourage it. They also consider the ethical questions that arise when cultural appropriation debates spur further debates about online shaming and cancel culture.
Using cases from music, fashion and the arts, Cultural Appropriation: Wrongs and Rights will be of great interest to students and researchers in philosophy, politics and related subjects, such as race and ethnic studies, sociology, and cultural studies.
The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC BY)] 4.0 license. Supported by the Publication Fund of the University of Konstanz, Germany, and the Open-Access Publication Funding Program of the Office for the Advancement of Research at John Jay College, City University of New York, USA.
Their analysis of wrongful cultural appropriation centers on three questions: whether appropriation involves theft; whether it communicates disrespect; and whether it disregards requests made by marginalized groups about their cultural practices. Sometimes, they argue, it is structural injustice rather than individual wrongdoing that is at stake. They examine cultural appropriation's political dimensions, asking whether the state should be neutral between appropriative and non-appropriative artistic expression. They contrast bans on wrongful cultural appropriation and the state's using its expressive power as a speaker, spender, and educator to discourage it. They also consider the ethical questions that arise when cultural appropriation debates spur further debates about online shaming and cancel culture.
Using cases from music, fashion and the arts, Cultural Appropriation: Wrongs and Rights will be of great interest to students and researchers in philosophy, politics and related subjects, such as race and ethnic studies, sociology, and cultural studies.
The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC BY)] 4.0 license. Supported by the Publication Fund of the University of Konstanz, Germany, and the Open-Access Publication Funding Program of the Office for the Advancement of Research at John Jay College, City University of New York, USA.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Postgraduate and Undergraduate Advanced
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 138 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-041-05820-5 (9781041058205)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
04/2025
1st Edition
Routledge
€28.99
Available for download

E-Book
04/2025
1st Edition
Routledge
€28.99
Available for download

Book
04/2025
1st Edition
Routledge
€77.70
Shipment within 15-20 days
Persons
Aurelia Bardon is a Junior Professor in Political Theory at the University of Konstanz, Germany.
Jennifer M. Page is an Assistant Professor in Philosophy at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York.
Jennifer M. Page is an Assistant Professor in Philosophy at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York.
Author
University of Konstanz, Germany
University of Zurich, Switzerland
Content
Acknowledgments 1. Introduction: What is Cultural Appropriation, Anyway? 2. The Theft Argument 3. The Disrespect Argument 4. The Request Argument 5. How Should the State Respond to Cultural Appropriation? 6. How Should Individuals Respond to Cultural Appropriation? References Index