South SFV Today

Elvis Presley, often hailed as the king of rock 'n' roll, drew inspiration from various musical genres, including country and gospel music, as well as Black artists like Arthur Crudup and B.B. King. While some critics later accused him of "stealing" Black music for profit, during his rise in the late 1950s, few discussed cultural theft. Instead, segregationists criticized him for influencing white youths with what they termed vulgar "race music."

The concept of cultural appropriation gained prominence in the 1990s to address concerns about borrowing elements from other cultures without permission. Amir Goldberg, a Stanford professor, explores why certain individuals are seen as appropriating practices they shouldn't.

Goldberg cites examples such as Hilaria Baldwin facing backlash for adopting Spanish culture despite her lack of Hispanic heritage, while Whoopi Goldberg did not receive similar criticism for her Jewish surname. According to Abraham Oshotse from Emory University and Yael Berda from Hebrew University of Jerusalem, social status plays a role in perceptions of cultural borrowing. "Crossing cultural boundaries seemed to be viewed as more transgressive when the borrower belonged to a more powerful group than the one they drew from," Oshotse notes.

In their study published in the American Sociological Review, researchers presented hypothetical scenarios to test subjects. The findings indicated that people were more offended by cultural borrowing when it involved wealthier or socially advantaged individuals. For instance, a white musician performing blues faced more disapproval than an Asian American adopting a preppy persona.

Race emerged as a significant factor; a white rapper received more criticism than a Black country musician. Additionally, borrowers who immersed themselves in the borrowed culture were viewed more favorably.

Oshotse observes that historically higher-status individuals enforced cultural boundaries to exclude lower-status groups. However, recent trends show an inversion where higher-status actors face exclusion from lower-status cultures.

Goldberg suggests that accusations of cultural appropriation stem from "cultural omnivorousness," where elites adopt diverse tastes while potentially devaluing them. He describes this phenomenon as "cultural tariffing," where outsiders must earn access through immersion or hardship.

Responses to white rappers Eminem and Macklemore illustrate this dynamic; Eminem's tough upbringing lent him credibility compared to Macklemore's suburban background.

Interestingly, disapproval often comes from educated white and Asian Americans rather than members of the cultures being borrowed from. Goldberg attributes this criticism to liberals advocating for symbolic redistribution of power amid societal inequalities.

Charges of appropriation may be recent but reflect longstanding discomfort with privileged groups adopting elements from other cultures without acknowledgment or restitution.

This story was originally published by Stanford Graduate School of Business.