ABSTRACT
In public discourse, the ethics of cultural appropriation and the ethics of public shaming are sometimes debated together. When there's the perception that wrongful cultural appropriation has occurred, this can induce heated discussions on social media, inducing further heated discussions linking cultural appropriation accusations and “cancellation.” In this chapter, we lay out several factors for considering whether wrongful cultural appropriation warrants a response and what kind of response is warranted. This is followed by a defense of public shaming when the targets are companies and high-profile public figures who engage in wrongful appropriation. However, for ordinary individuals, private conversations are the right way to go. The chapter closes by considering social media responses to forms of cultural appropriation that disclose structural injustice without rising to the level of being morally wrong.
