ABSTRACT
This chapter considers what is arguably the most controversial kind of cultural appropriation case: When outsiders appropriate attire, hairstyles, musical styles, etc., associated with a cultural group they don't belong to, and neither overt disrespect nor theft appear to be at stake. In this chapter, we argue that cultural appropriation can be wrong when outsiders ignore requests made by marginalized groups concerning the use of their cultural practices. “Appropriation-related requests” might involve requesting that outsiders not appropriate a group's cultural practices, and/or concerning the way in which outsiders engage in appropriation. We defend the idea that only marginalized groups may issue valid appropriation-related requests and propose a democratic benchmark for determining whether a group has made an appropriation-related request in the first place. Finally, we consider the objection that outsiders should abide by certain ethical standards in appropriating from marginalized groups just because they're marginalized, regardless of whether requests concerning outsider appropriation are made. An important distinction is drawn between (1) appropriation characterized by structural injustice but without individual wronging, and (2) appropriation characterized by individual wronging against a backdrop of structural injustice.
