What is cultural appropriation?

Cultural appropriation is the theft of elements of another culture for personal gain.

Question: What is cultural appropriation?
Position‹3 of 5›: Cultural theft
Argument: Cultural appropriation is the theft of elements of another culture for personal gain.

Borrowing elements from another culture is not cultural appropriation. But leveraging them or exploiting them for financial gain is cultural appropriation.

The argument

There is a difference between borrowing and stealing. Cultural appropriation is when someone steals from another culture for their own financial gain. For example, if someone who is not Native American, begins making jewellery in a Native American style and selling it for profit, they are stealing from Native American culture.

Context

Borrowing from another culture is a gesture of appreciation and is not cultural appreciation. Stealing or exploiting another culture for financial gain is cultural appropriation.

Premises

[P1]Taking elements of another culture for personal financial gain, without belonging to or contributing to that culture, constitutes theft rather than borrowing. [P2] Cultural appropriation, such as a non-Native American profiting from Native American–style jewellery, fits this pattern of taking for personal gain. [C] Therefore, cultural appropriation is the theft of elements of another culture for personal gain.

Counter-arguments

Ideas don't work like physical objects - you can't "steal" them; if I use your idea of an aspect of your culture, you still can have it at the same time. Cultural expressions belong to the realm of ideas, which propagate and multiply when shared. Sharing culture makes it richer, and cultures that are not shared become abandonded and die.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P2] Cultural appropriation does not require personal financial gain.