New Approach to Cultural Heritage


Book Description

This book addresses questions about theories of heritage, its methodologies of research, and where its boundaries lie with tourism, urban development, post-disaster recovery, collective identities, memory, or conflict. This book is a collection of heritage studies from a critical perspective as a product of the 2018 ACHS (Association of Critical Heritage Studies) Conference in Hangzhou, the largest conference of its kind in Asia. The contributors cover a wide spectrum of issues in heritage studies, such as heritage management, accessibility to heritage, heritage conservation and heritage policy, and heritage representation. It also examines the various contexts within which heritage emerges and how heritage is constructed within that context. Analyses are based on not only representations of heritage but also on the performativity. Explorations touch upon community involvement, landscape history, children’s literature, endangered food, architecture, advertisement, allotment garden, and gender and visual art. As heritage has always been a locus of contested verities, the book offers a variegated approach to heritage studies. It provides students and scholars new perspectives on heritage study.




Cultural Heritage and Value Creation


Book Description

Informed by systems thinking, this book explores new perspectives in which culture and management are harmoniously integrated and cultural heritage is interpreted both as an essential part of the social and economic context and as an expression of community identity. The combination of a multidisciplinary approach, methodological rigor and reference to robust empirical findings in the fertile field of analysis of UNESCO’s contribution mean that the book can be considered a reference for the management of cultural heritage. It casts new light on the complex relation of culture and management, which has long occupied both scholars and practitioners and should enable the development of new pathways for value creation. The book is based on research conducted within the framework of the Consorzio Universitario di Economia Industriale e Manageriale (University Consortium for Industrial and Managerial Economics), a network of universities, businesses and public and private institutions that is dedicated to the production and dissemination of knowledge in the field. This volume will be of interest to all who are involved in the study and management of the cultural heritage.




Heritage


Book Description

Historic sites, memorials, national parks, museumsewe live in an age in which heritage is ever-present. But what does it mean to live amongst the spectral traces of the past, the heterogeneous piling up of historic materials in the present? How did heritage grow from the concern of a handful of enthusiasts and specialists in one part of the world to something which is considered to be universally cherished? And what concepts and approaches are necessary to understanding this global obsession? Over the decades, since the adoption of the World Heritage Convention, various e~crisese(tm) of definition have significantly influenced the ways in which heritage is classified, perceived and managed in contemporary global societies. Taking an interdisciplinary approach to the many tangible and intangible e~thingse(tm) now defined as heritage, this book attempts simultaneously to account for this global phenomenon and the industry which has grown up around it, as well as to develop a e~toolkit of conceptse(tm) with which it might be studied. In doing so, it provides a critical account of the emergence of heritage studies as an interdisciplinary field of academic study. This is presented as part of a broader examination of the function of heritage in late modern societies, with a particular focus on the changes which have resulted from the globalisation of heritage during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Developing new theoretical approaches and innovative models for more dialogically democratic heritage decision making processes, Heritage: Critical Approaches unravels the relationship between heritage and the experience of late modernity, whilst reorienting heritage so that it might be more productively connected with other pressing social, economic, political and environmental issues of our time.




Conserving Cultural Heritage


Book Description

The third International congress of Science and Technology for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage, TechnoHeritage 2017, was held in Cadiz, from 21 to 24 May 2017, under the umbrella of the TechnoHeritage network. TechnoHeritage is an initiative funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity dedicated to the creation of a network which integrates CSIC and University groups, private companies and end users such as foundations, museums or institutions. The network’s purpose is to foster the creation of transdisciplinary (and not only multidisciplinary) initiatives focused on the study of all assets, movable or immovable, that make up Cultural Heritage. A high-quality scientific programme was prepared, which includes new emerging topics on Cultural Heritage (1) Nanomaterials and other Products for Conservation, (2) New Technologies for Analysis, Protection and Conservation, (3) 20th Century Cultural Heritage, (4) Significance of Cultural Heritage. Policies for Conservation, (5) Deterioration of Cultural Heritage, (6) Biodeterioration: Fundamentals, Present and Future Perspectives and (7) Underwater Cultural Heritage. A special session "Biodeterioration: Fundamentals, present and future perspectives, a session in honour of Prof. Cesáreo Sáiz Jiménez" took place. Our intention was to recognise the work of Prof. Sáiz Jiménez, who recently retired, and its impact on the Cultural Heritage conservation community, which he has helped to promote through numerous activities including, in 2011, the creation of the TechnoHeritage network. This volume publishes a total of eighty-three contributions which reflect the state of the art investigations on different aspects of cultural heritage conservation.




The Past in the Present


Book Description

The Past in the Present deals with the complexities in the operation and management of living heritage sites. It presents a new interpretation of such sites based on the concept of continuity, and its evolution to the present. It is demonstrated that the current theoretical framework and practice of conservation, as best epitomised in a values-based approach and the World Heritage concept, is based on discontinuity created between the monuments (considered to belong to the past) and the people of the present, thus seemingly unable to embrace living heritage sites. From this position, the study suggests an innovative approach that views communities and sites as an inseparable entity: a Living Heritage Approach. This approach brings a new insight into key concepts such as authenticity and sustainable development. Through the use of the monastic site of Meteora, Greece, as a case study, the discussion generated aims to shift the focus of conservation from ‘preservation’ towards a continual process of ‘creation’ in an ongoing present, attempting to change the way heritage is perceived, protected and, more importantly, further created. “The Past in the Present is an important and much-needed contribution to the debate about living heritage – and it is particularly significant in the context of the heritage of the past in the modern world. Anyone concerned with how the past is, or should be, integrated within modern lives and identities will need to read this book.” – Leslie Brubaker, Director, Centre for Byzantine, Ottoman and Modern Greek Studies, University of Birmingham, UK. “This interesting and thoroughly researched book by Ioannis Poulios is a useful tool in promoting the Living Heritage Approach, and provides a sound theoretical basis for future work. Living Heritage Approach is a paradigm shift that suggests a new way of addressing conservation for our heritage. ICCROM is proud to have introduced this approach, also with the contribution of Ioannis.” – Gamini Wijesuriya, Project Manager, ICCROM.




The Return of Cultural Heritage to Latin America


Book Description

The Return of Cultural Heritage to Latin America takes a new approach to the question of returns and restitutions. It is the first publication to look at the domestic politics of claiming countries in order to understand who supports the claims and why. Drawing on analysis of articles published in national newspapers and archival documents and interviews with individuals involved in return claims, the book demonstrates that such claims are inherently political. Focusing on Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, the book analyses how return claims contribute to the strengthening of state-sponsored discourses on the nation; the policy formation process that leads to the formulation of return claims; and who the main actors of the claims are, including civil society individuals, experts, state authorities, and Indigenous communities. The book proposes explanations for why Latin American countries are interested in specific objects held in Western museums and why these claims have come to light over the past three decades. The Return of Cultural Heritage to Latin America argues that return claims ought to be the object of public debate, allowing contemporary societies to address the legacy of colonialism. The book will be essential reading for scholars and students engaged in the study of museums and heritage, political science, history, anthropology, cultural policy, and Latin America.




Conservation of Cultural Heritage


Book Description

Conservation of Cultural Heritage covers the methods and practices needed for future museum professionals who will be working in various capacities with museum collections and artifacts. It also assists current professionals in understanding the complex decision making processes that faces conservators on a daily basis. Covering a broad range of topics that are key to sound conservation in the museum, this volume is an important tool for students and professional alike in ensuring that best practice is followed in the preservation of important collections.




Management Planning for Cultural Heritage


Book Description

Management Planning for Cultural Heritage challenges traditional perceptions of and about the heritage planning process while also presenting a comprehensive analysis of the ever-widening field of Cultural Heritage Conservation. Drawing on the authors’ experience in teaching and involvement in international practice, the book examines the changes that are taking place in modes of thinking about heritage as part of increasingly complex urban transformations, and considers how these must engage with, and inform, professional practice. The book also acknowledges that international best practice has developed a great deal over the last 40 years and needs to be adapted, applied and refined through the recognition and application of regional values – tangible and intangible – based on cultural attitudes and practices. Emphasising the critical role of heritage planning and management in guiding change, Taylor and Verdini argue that this is especially critical if we are to safeguard values, identity and significance. In this sense, heritage is understood not only as a technical process but also as a social construct. The book therefore promotes a people-centred approach to cultural heritage management. Management Planning for Cultural Heritage will be of interest to students, scholars and practitioners working in heritage studies and conservation. While the text has professional application, it also sets out to present a sound theoretical foundation relevant to the body of knowledge associated with management of cultural heritage places.




Cultural Heritage Communities


Book Description

Cultural heritage communities of interest have increasingly expanded from cultural heritage professionals to volunteers, special interest groups and independent citizen-led initiative groups. Digital technology has also increasingly impacted cultural heritage by affording novel experiences of it – it features in a number of activities for all the aforementioned groups, as well as acting as support for visitors to cultural heritage centres. With different degrees of formality and training, these communities are increasingly defining and taking ownership of what is of value to them, thus reconfiguring the care, communication, interpretation and validation of heritage. Digital technology has played a crucial role in this transformative process. In a fully international context, cultural heritage practitioners, community champions and academics from different fields of study have contributed to this book. Each chapter brings to the fore the multiple relationships between heritage, communities and technologies as a focus of study and reflection in an inclusive way. Contributions touch upon present and future opportunities for technology, as well as participatory design processes with different stakeholders. This book brings together ideas from different disciplines, cultures, methods and goals, to inspire scholars and practitioners involved in community heritage projects.




UNESCO on the Ground


Book Description

For nearly 70 years, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has played a crucial role in developing policies and recommendations for dealing with intangible cultural heritage. What has been the effect of such sweeping global policies on those actually affected by them? How connected is UNESCO with what is happening every day, on the ground, in local communities? Drawing upon six communities ranging across three continents—from India, South Korea, Malawi, Japan, Macedonia and China—and focusing on festival, ritual, and dance, this volume illuminates the complexities and challenges faced by those who find themselves drawn, in different ways, into UNESCO's orbit. Some struggle to incorporate UNESCO recognition into their own local understanding of tradition; others cope with the fallout of a failed intangible cultural heritage nomination. By exploring locally, by looking outward from the inside, the essays show how a normative policy such as UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage policy can take on specific associations and inflections. A number of the key questions and themes emerge across the case studies and three accompanying commentaries: issues of terminology; power struggles between local, national and international stakeholders; the value of international recognition; and what forces shape selection processes. With examples from around the world, and a balance of local experiences with broader perspectives, this volume provides a unique comparative approach to timely questions of tradition and change in a rapidly globalizing world.