“Is plagiarism a learned sin?”

Plagiarism is often presented as an essentialized phenomenon with practices and rules that are self-evident, universally applied, and unrelated to the historical and cultural context that led to their formation. These cultural assumptions and hidden practices can be very problematic for international students, who find these conventions neither obvious nor easily intelligible. Furthermore, it is assumed that the onus is on international students to strive to bridge the cultural gap that makes academic practices and conventions seem self-evident.

This chapter explores the contradictions inherent in the discourse and practices that surround notions of plagiarism in an Australian higher education setting. Using the backdrop of the controversy involving the literary theorist Stanley Fish, we de-construct institutional representations of plagiarism in “how to” guides and in formal codes of conduct. As we unravel the cultural assumptions and practices that inform the discourse of plagiarism, we expose several inherent contradictions that may cause difficulties and misunderstandings for international students. We conclude that plagiarism is indeed a “learned sin” and that rather than focusing on the assumed universality of the conventions surrounding plagiarism and academic integrity, we should focus instead on how we communicate and teach the “rules of the academic game.”