It's a matter of emphasis though, isn't it. Few people complain about scholars investigating the relationship between social structures and artistic production.

It's a matter of emphasis though, isn't it. Few people complain about scholars investigating the relationship between social structures and artistic production. They complain when that becomes the dominant focus to the exclusion of all else, or when it becomes weaponized to condemn cultural artefacts and practices because they are "too white" or "too male"—neither of which have anything to do with the artifact itself. The social conditions of artistic production are a niche academic concern and that's fine, but it's not what the vast majority of people care about in art or history.