ABSTRACT
Cultural appropriation is sometimes described as a form of theft. Is it, and does the concept of theft explain what is morally wrong with cultural appropriation? This chapter discusses two kinds of cases where theft might indeed be at stake in wrongful cultural appropriation. One kind of case is the theft of physical objects—for example, artworks plundered in colonial expeditions. The chapter outlines the issues with rigid, legalistic understandings of cultural groups as “owners” of stolen art, while defending the idea that historical thievery might morally taint the present-day possession of art. A second kind of case is intellectual property theft. At least at first glance, this might seem to explain the wrongness of Western fashion labels plagiarizing Indigenous designs, or White artists copying the songs and musical styles of Black musicians. A more fine-grained analysis reveals a constellation of moral wrongs like exploitation, discrimination, and the denial of credit. Nevertheless, “theft” can be a meaningful shorthand when these wrongs recur in a pattern.
