Abstract
Despite its presence in everyday life, cultural appropriation is not well understood, perhaps because its definition, bounds, and conditions have not been clearly unpacked. The present study uses a between-subjects, mixed-methods approach and culinary-related scenarios to address possible factors that constitute appropriation (e.g., actor background and intent). Utilizing a sample of emerging adults from a small, liberal arts university (N = 167, 52% female, 65% white), results suggest that an actor’s background is not the sole factor in deeming an act appropriative. Rather, intent appears to be an even more pertinent factor to examine. Participants believe that it is possible to engage with cultural products or practices in a respectful manner, further emphasizing the role intent plays in perceptions of appropriation. Although our results help define the bounds of cultural appropriation, future research should consider connections between authenticity and appropriation as well as how observer background might impact perceptions of appropriation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
2020 Fact Sheet. (2020). Office of Institutional Research; FSU. https://ir.fsu.edu/facts.aspx
Black, J. (2002). The “mascotting” of Native America: Construction, commodity, and assimilation. The American Indian Quarterly, 26(4), 605–622. https://doi.org/10.1353/aiq.2004.0003
Creswell, J. (2007). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage.
Etienne, V. (2021). Kendall Jenner faces accusations of cultural appropriation in new 818 tequila ad. People; Meredith Corporation. https://people.com/food/kendall-jenner-faces-accusations-of-cultural-appropriation-new-818-tequila-ad/
Gallagher, C. A. (2003). Color-blind privilege: The social and political functions of erasing the color line in post-race America. Race, Gender & Class, 10(4), 22–37.
Han, H. (2019). Moving from cultural appropriation to cultural appreciation. Art Education, 72(2), 8–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/00043125.2019.1559575
Hanson, J., Weeden, D., Pascarella, E., & Blaich, C. (2012). Do liberal arts colleges make students more liberal? Some initial evidence. Higher Education, 64(3), 355–369.
Howard, K. (2020). Equity in music education: Cultural appropriation versus cultural appreciation—Understanding the difference. Music Educators Journal, 106(3), 68–70. https://doi.org/10.1177/0027432119892926
Hui, A. (2019). Inside the preview of Gordon Ramsay’s ‘vibrant Asian eating house.’ Eater London; Vox Media, LLC. https://london.eater.com/2019/4/11/18306082/gordon-ramsay-cultural-appropriation-lucky-cat-london-preview
Katzarska-Miller, I., Faucher, F., Kramer, L., & Reysen, S. (2021). Lay definitions of cultural appropriation in U. S. community and college student samples. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(12), 580–598. https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.712.9497
Lenard, P. T., & Balint, P. (2020). What is (the wrong of) cultural appropriation? Ethnicities, 20(2), 331–352. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468796819866498
Lennon, R., & Eisenberg, N. (1987). Gender and age differences in empathy and sympathy. In N. Eisenberg & J. Strayer (Eds.), Empathy and its development (pp. 195–217). Cambridge University Press.
Lomotey, K. (2010). Predominantly white institutions. In Encyclopedia of African American education (Vol. 1, pp. 524–526). SAGE Publications, Inc.
Mangalassary, S. (2016). Indian cuisine: The cultural connection. In J. Xing & P. Ng (Eds.), Indigenous culture, education and globalization (pp. 119–134). Springer.
Manovich, L. (2009). The practice of everyday (media) life: From mass consumption to mass cultural production? Critical Inquiry, 35(2), 319–331. https://doi.org/10.1086/596645
Meisenzahl, M. (2021). The typical Chipotle customer is a white millennial who spends their money on skincare and wine, according to the data. Business Insider; Insider Inc. https://www.businessinsider.com/typical-chipotle-customer-demographic-white-married-millennial-2021-8
Mezzofiore, G. (2019). Gordon Ramsay’s new “authentic Asian” restaurant kicks off cultural appropriation dispute. CNN; Warner Media Company. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/gordon-ramsey-asian-restaurant-cultural-appropriation-intl-scli/index.html
Mosley, A. J., & Biernat, M. (2020). The new identity theft: Perceptions of cultural appropriation in intergroup contexts. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000327
NDTV Food Desk. (2019). Exclusive interaction with British celebrity chef Marco Pierre White. NDTV Food; New Delhi Television Ltd. https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/exclusive-interaction-with-british-celebrity-chef-marco-pierre-white-2049109
Ono, K. A., & Buescher, D. T. (2001). Deciphering Pocahontas: Unpackaging the commodification of a Native American woman. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 18(1), 23–43. https://doi.org/10.1080/15295030109367122
Rodriquez, J. (2006). Color-blind ideology and the cultural appropriation of hip-hop. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 35(6), 645–668. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891241606286997
Rogers, R. A. (2006). From cultural exchange to transculturation: A review and reconceptualization of cultural appropriation. Communication Theory, 16(4), 474–503. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2885.2006.00277.x
Rose, T. (1994). Black noise: Rap music and Black culture in contemporary America. University Press of New England.
Siems, M. (2019). The law and ethics of ‘cultural appropriation.’ International Journal of Law in Context, 15(4), 408–423. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1744552319000405
Tropp, L. R., & Barlow, F. K. (2018). Making advantaged racial groups care about inequality: Intergroup contact as a route to psychological investment. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 27(3), 194–199. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721417743282
Turgeon, L., & Pastinelli, M. (2002). “Eat the World”: Postcolonial encounters in Quebec City’s ethnic restaurants. Journal of American Folklore, 115(456), 247–268. https://doi.org/10.2307/4129222
Villanti, A., Johnson, A., Ilakkuvan, V., Jacobs, M., Graham, A., & Rath, J. (2017). Social media use and access to digital technology in US young adults in 2016. Journal of Medical Internet Research. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.7303
Yin, J. (2011). Popular culture and public imaginary: Disney vs. Chinese stories of Mulan. Javnost - The Public, 18(1), 53–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/13183222.2011.11009051
Ziff, B., & Rao, P. (1997). Introduction to cultural appropriation: A framework for analysis. In Borrowed power: Essays on cultural appropriation (pp. 1–27). Rutgers Press.
Zirin, D. (2014). The Florida State Seminoles: The champions of racist mascots. The Nation; The Nation Company. https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/florida-state-seminoles-champions-racist-mascots/
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
This study was registered with the Wake Forest University institutional review board. We have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Alexanian, M.G., Kiang, L., Lassiter, R. et al. Unpacking Appropriation: Examining the Effect of Actor-Related Factors on Perceptions of Cultural Appropriation in Culinary Scenarios. Race Soc Probl (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12552-023-09409-3
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12552-023-09409-3