Cultural exploitation or cultural Exchange? The roles of perceived group status and others' psychological investment on reactions to consumption of traditional cultural products

Abstract

When do people react negatively versus positively to other groups' adoption of their culture's traditional products? Extending research on social identity theory and cultural appropriation, we predicted that consumers would respond less positively to others' adoption of products from their culture when they felt their ingroup's status was relatively low. In Study 1, Indian participants induced to think of their country as low (vs. high) in status exhibited less positivity toward Westerners' consumption of traditional Indian clothing and evaluated such clothing more negatively themselves; these effects were mediated by reduced perceptions of consumers' psychological investment. In Study 2, we experimentally manipulated perceived psychological investment to further establish causality. Specifically, among racial/ethnic minority participants in the United States, the relationship between low perceived group status and feelings toward cultural appropriation (and, indirectly, evaluations of traditional cultural products) was attenuated when participants recalled instances of others being psychologically invested in the products.

Collective psychological ownership as a new angle for understanding group dynamics

“…For example, the notion of cultural appropriation is based on the idea that specific groups own specific cultures and that acts of appropriation implicate cultural thievery and theft, making it necessary to protect the cultural property rights of minorities. And among minorities feelings of minority cultural appropriation are attenuated when outgroup consumers are psychologically invested in traditional cultural products and therefore might be seen more strongly as having some sense of ownership of that product (Finkelstein & Rios, 2022 ). However, the theoretical and limited empirical work on cultural appropriation has not systematically used the perspective of collective psychological ownership for understanding the sometimes hotly debated issues about cultural entitlements and exploitation (e.g., Mosley & Biernat, 2021 ).…”

The role of intraminority relations in perceptions of cultural appropriation.

“…For example, Native Americans reminded of outgroups' use of Native American school mascots report reduced self-esteem and self-worth, as it reminds them that people see their culture in a limited way (Fryberg et al, 2008). Black Americans also experience distinctiveness threat or concerns about their group remaining unique, when White Americans appropriate their cultural practices (Mosley & Biernat, 2021; also see Finkelstein & Rios, 2022).…”

Appropriate or Appropriative? Diversity Ideologies, Judgment Factors, and Condemnation of Cultural Borrowing

“…When the more powerful group borrows from the less powerfulsuch as when white people adopt styles, symbols, and artefacts associated with African Americans and indigenous peoplesit tends to stir public outrage. That is, asymmetry in perception of appropriation is mirrored in asymmetry in power (Finkelstein & Rios, 2022;Mosley & Biernat, 2021). Thus, we focus on prototypical cases of cultural borrowing (borrowing by the dominant group) in this research.…”

“…For instance, in his seminal work, Rogers (2006) distinguished four forms of cultural borrowing: cultural exchange, cultural exploitation, transculturation, and cultural dominance. Consider, for a moment, construing cultural borrowing as exploitation versus exchange (Finkelstein & Rios, 2022). Exploitation is often invoked in condemnation of cultural borrowing by the majority group.…”