ABSTRACT
Cultural appropriation is currently construed either as a violation of property law and rights or a form of oppression by a dominant group. Sometimes, it is difficult to trace the true source of appropriation; the sombrero brought back from Mexico by a US tourist is likely to have been manufactured, along with appropriated symbols of other cultures, in China. Searching the subject heading of “cultural appropriation” in the psychological research literature uncovers a quite substantial amount of research considering the topic, ranging from consideration of appropriation as a means of developing cultural diversity via music to description of the long-term harmful psychological effects of colonization to experimental demonstration of harm to intergroup relations. Fashion often provides an entry into personal examples of conflict about whether a particular item of clothing would be considered offensive if worn.
