Cultural Appropriation and the Arts

Informationen zum Autor James O. Young is Professor and Head of the Department of Philosophy, University of Victoria. He has published extensively on philosophy of language and philosophy of art. His previous books include Global Anti-realism (1995) and Art and Knowledge (2001), and he is editor (with Conrad Brunk) of The Ethics of Cultural Appropriation (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009). Klappentext Cultural appropriation is a pervasive feature of the contemporary world. The Parthenon Marbles remain in London. Works of art from indigenous cultures are held by many metropolitan museums. White musicians from Bix Beiderbeck to Eric Clapton have appropriated musical styles from African-American culture. From North America to Australasia, artists have appropriated motifs and stories from aboriginal cultures. Novelists and filmmakers from one culture have taken as their subject matter the lives and practices of members of other cultures. The practice of cultural appropriation has given rise to important ethical and aesthetic questions: Can cultural appropriation result in the production of aesthetically successful works of art? Is cultural appropriation in the arts morally objectionable? These questions have been widely debated by anthropologists, archaeologists, lawyers, art historians, advocates of the rights of indigenous peoples, literary critics, museum curators and others. At root, however, these questions are philosophical questions. Now, for the first time, a philosopher undertakes a systematic investigation of the moral and aesthetic issues to which cultural appropriation gives rise. Zusammenfassung Now! for the first time! a philosopher undertakes a systematic investigation of the moral and aesthetic issues to which cultural appropriation gives rise. Inhaltsverzeichnis Preface ix 1 What Is Cultural Appropriation? 1 Art, Culture, and Appropriation 1 Types of Cultural Appropriation 5 What is a Culture? 9 Objections to Cultural Appropriation 18 In Praise of Cultural Appropriation 27 2 The Aesthetics of Cultural Appropriation 32 The Aesthetic Handicap Thesis 32 The Cultural Experience Argument 34 Aesthetic Properties and Cultural Context 41 Authenticity and Appropriation 44 Authentic Appropriation 46 Cultural Experience and Subject Appropriation 55 Appropriation and the Authentic Expression of a Culture 60 3 Cultural Appropriation as Theft 63 Harm by Theft 63 Possible Owners of Artworks 64 Cultures and Inheritance 68 Lost and Abandoned Property 70 Cultural Property and Traditional Law 74 Collective Knowledge and Collective Property 78 Ownership of Land and Ownership of Art 85 Property and Value to a Culture 88 Cultures and Intellectual Property 93 Some Conclusions About Ownership and Appropriation 97 The Rescue Argument 102 4 Cultural Appropriation as Assault 106 Other Forms of Harm 106 Cultural Appropriation and Harmful Misrepresentation 107 Harm and Accurate Representation 113 Cultural Appropriation and Economic Opportunity 114 Cultural Appropriation and Assimilation 118 Art, Insignia, and Cultural Identity 120 Cultural Appropriation and Privacy 125 5 Profound Offence and Cultural Appropriation 129 Harm, Offence, and Profound Offence 129 Examples of Offensive Cultural Appropriation 131 The Problem and the Key to its Solution 134 Social Value and Offensive Art 136 Freedom of Expression 137 The Sacred and the Offensive 141 Time and Place Restrictions 143 Toleration of Offensive Art 145 Reasonable and Unreasonable Offence 147 Conclusion: Responding to Cultural Appropriation 152 Summing ...

Autorentext

James O. Young is Professor and Head of the Department of Philosophy, University of Victoria. He has published extensively on philosophy of language and philosophy of art. His previous books include Global Anti-realism (1995) and Art and Knowledge (2001), and he is editor (with Conrad Brunk) of The Ethics of Cultural Appropriation (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009).

Klappentext

Cultural appropriation is a pervasive feature of the contemporary world. The Parthenon Marbles remain in London. Works of art from indigenous cultures are held by many metropolitan museums. White musicians from Bix Beiderbeck to Eric Clapton have appropriated musical styles from African-American culture. From North America to Australasia, artists have appropriated motifs and stories from aboriginal cultures. Novelists and filmmakers from one culture have taken as their subject matter the lives and practices of members of other cultures. The practice of cultural appropriation has given rise to important ethical and aesthetic questions: Can cultural appropriation result in the production of aesthetically successful works of art? Is cultural appropriation in the arts morally objectionable? These questions have been widely debated by anthropologists, archaeologists, lawyers, art historians, advocates of the rights of indigenous peoples, literary critics, museum curators and others. At root, however, these questions are philosophical questions. Now, for the first time, a philosopher undertakes a systematic investigation of the moral and aesthetic issues to which cultural appropriation gives rise.

Zusammenfassung
Now, for the first time, a philosopher undertakes a systematic investigation of the moral and aesthetic issues to which cultural appropriation gives rise.

Inhalt

Preface ix

1 What Is Cultural Appropriation? 1

Art, Culture, and Appropriation 1

Types of Cultural Appropriation 5

What is a Culture? 9

Objections to Cultural Appropriation 18

In Praise of Cultural Appropriation 27

2 The Aesthetics of Cultural Appropriation 32

The Aesthetic Handicap Thesis 32

The Cultural Experience Argument 34

Aesthetic Properties and Cultural Context 41

Authenticity and Appropriation 44

Authentic Appropriation 46

Cultural Experience and Subject Appropriation 55

Appropriation and the Authentic Expression of a Culture 60

3 Cultural Appropriation as Theft 63

Harm by Theft 63

Possible Owners of Artworks 64

Cultures and Inheritance 68

Lost and Abandoned Property 70

Cultural Property and Traditional Law 74

Collective Knowledge and Collective Property 78

Ownership of Land and Ownership of Art 85

Property and Value to a Culture 88

Cultures and Intellectual Property 93

Some Conclusions About Ownership and Appropriation 97

The Rescue Argument 102

4 Cultural Appropriation as Assault 106

Other Forms of Harm 106

Cultural Appropriation and Harmful Misrepresentation 107

Harm and Accurate Representation 113

Cultural Appropriation and Economic Opportunity 114

Cultural Appropriation and Assimilation 118

Art, Insignia, and Cultural Identity 120

Cultural Appropriation and Privacy 125

5 Profound Offence and Cultural Appropriation 129

Harm, Offence, and Profound Offence 129

Examples of Offensive Cultural Appropriation 131

The Problem and the Key to its Solution 134

Social Value and Offensive Art 136

Freedom of Expression 137

The Sacred and the Offensive 141

Time and Place Restrictions 143

Toleration of Offensive Art 145

Reasonable and Unreasonable Offence 147

Conclusion: Responding to Cultural Appropriation 152

Summing Up 152

Supporting Minority Artists 154

Envoy 157

Bibliography of Works Cited and Consulted 159

Index 166