Cultural heritage connects us with our shared history, promoting global solidarity. This is especially important in today’s world, with increasing polarization.
The preservation of cultural heritage contributes to economic growth, stimulating tourism and fostering job opportunities in the industry. Moreover, it fosters an appreciation of diversity in the myriad cultures coexisting around the globe.
Definition
Cultural heritage encompasses all that is part of a society’s history, identity and memory. It is a dynamic concept that is constantly evolving, as new aspects of culture become recognized and valued and others are forgotten or lost.
The UNESCO World Heritage Convention offers a broad definition of cultural heritage that includes works and sites, monuments and groups of buildings and areas that have “outstanding universal value” due to their historical, aesthetic, scientific, ethnological or anthropological significance. This broad definition also allows for the inclusion of cultural landscapes and underwater cultural heritage.
Despite its wide scope, the concept of cultural heritage remains complex and controversial. For example, some academics are concerned that the concept of cultural heritage excludes the negative aspects of a culture’s past, such as the Holocaust. In addition, the cultural heritage of a single person may be very different from that of another person or group. It is important to preserve cultural heritage in a way that it meets the needs of all individuals and communities.
Examples
The term cultural heritage can be used to describe anything that represents a historical culture that still has value to living cultures. It can include a wide range of tangible and intangible elements. Tangible cultural heritage includes movable and immobile physical artefacts, such as works of art, clothing, machinery and books. It also encompasses buildings and archaeological sites.
Intangible cultural heritage, as defined by UNESCO, is nonphysical intellectual wealth, including folklore, customs and traditions, beliefs and values. It can be as complex and varied as human creativity. Some examples of intangible cultural heritage include the indigenous Day of the Dead, tango dance and music from Argentina and Uruguay and flamenco from Spain.
Some intangible cultural heritage is embodied in particular people, for example, the skills of a luthier who produces string instruments according to traditional designs. Other intangible heritage consists of events, such as carnivals and religious processions and celebrations. This category can also include traditional sports and games that offer opportunities for competition, comradery and strategic thinking.
Significance
Cultural heritage is an integral part of individuals, communities and nations. It is key to their identities and well-being, influencing their decisions and actions. This is why a strong sense of heritage can help them to cope with current challenges and to design their own futures. It also plays a role in helping them to deal with the impact of disasters, conflicts and other negative events.
There are many threats to cultural heritage, including deliberate destruction, ahistorical or propagandistic interpretations and natural deterioration. Moreover, cultural heritage often transcends national borders and requires international cooperation to preserve it.
It is important to recognize that cultural heritage has many different aspects, and a holistic approach to its preservation is needed. This includes legal protection, imaginative reuse of existing buildings and mobilization of financial resources. Moreover, the importance of considering economic issues alongside traditional concerns about conservation and research is now widely acknowledged in the heritage field, although still with some resistance.
Sustainability
Increasing cultural diversity and the growing ability to travel and experience it has created greater interest in heritage around the globe. This has led to an increase in demand for heritage tourism, which has the potential to create jobs and boost local economies.
It also has the capacity to strengthen a sense of place and community, as well as foster intergenerational learning. It can even help us understand other cultures. Think of the influence of Japanese prints on Paul Gauguin’s paintings or Liberian homes built in the neoclassical style by freed African-American enslaved people.
Effective fundamental sustainability programs often depend on fostering community involvement, such as onsite workshops teaching preservation techniques or clean-up initiatives at heritage sites. These efforts can help communities become stewards of their own heritage, while bringing in visitors who can generate revenue to fund preservation activities. Cultural heritage can also serve as a model for sustainable development, demonstrating the need to integrate social and environmental considerations into economic growth.