Cultural heritage is a complex and nuanced concept. Its boundaries are fluid, and its value can be felt across cultures and time. For instance, the influence of Japanese prints on Paul Gauguin’s works or neoclassical architecture in Liberian homes built by former American-enslaved people can be considered as cultural heritage.
Definition
Cultural heritage refers to the tangible and intangible attributes of a society that are inherited from past generations. The term is a broad one that covers everything from art to buildings and archaeological sites. It also includes intangible things like traditions, languages and songs that define a culture.
A major challenge with cultural heritage is preservation and maintenance. It is important to prevent the destruction of historical sites and the looting of artifacts. New technology can help to preserve cultural heritage by creating digital records of historic objects. For example, a non-profit organization called CyArk is scanning cultural heritage sites to create 3D models of them.
Cultural heritage can also be a source of economic development for communities that care for it. By promoting tourism, they can generate revenue that will help fund preservation efforts for monuments, language, traditions and other aspects of their heritage. The community that lives with the heritage can also be a valuable resource in preserving it, since they are the ones who have an intimate knowledge of it.
Meaning
It is the collective memory of a group of people, whether it be a community, a nation or an ethnicity and includes both tangible (things that can be seen such as art or monuments) and intangible heritage. This includes traditions, oral history, social practices, crafts and knowledge, representations and rituals which are passed on from generation to generation. It can be expressed as a product or service and it is a crucial component of identity, increasing feelings of belonging to groups or communities. It also connects individuals to the past and their ancestors and to nature.
However, cultural heritage can be under threat from deliberate destruction and distorted or propagandistic interpretations. It can also be difficult to achieve a consensus on how to define it which is why stated preference (SP) methods for the valuation of cultural heritage are important. In addition, the contributions that cultural heritage makes to soft location factors are not always fully realized.
Examples
The term cultural heritage encompasses a broad array of items, places and traditions. It can include tangible heritage such as historic buildings or art, intangible heritage such as language or dance, and natural heritage such as the world’s oldest trees or the Great Wall of China. It also includes all of the values, beliefs and traditions associated with a particular culture.
There are many different ways to protect cultural heritage. Some examples include preserving monuments, providing funding to keep sites open for visitors and encouraging locals to take part in traditional activities. Cultural heritage can also be protected through laws and international agreements like UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention.
UNESCO defines intangible cultural heritage as “practices, representations, expressions, knowledge and skills” that communities, groups or individuals recognize as a vital part of their identity and culture. Some examples of intangible cultural heritage include the Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico, tango music and dance from Argentina and Uruguay, and the tradition of making kimchi in Korea.
Scope
Intangible cultural heritage comprises the practices, representations and expressions, knowledge and skills as well as instruments and objects associated with them that communities, groups or individuals recognize as their own. These include oral traditions and expressions such as proverbs, riddles, folk tales, legends and myths; music, dance and theatre, chants and songs; craftsmanship including traditional methods of architecture, agriculture, cattle breeding and cuisine; and social practices and rituals like feasts, ceremonies, initiation rites and seasonal celebrations.
Solutions to cultural heritage conservation and resource management issues are complex and multifaceted. They are best served by a combination of theoretical and applied approaches ranging from archaeological and historical research to public education programs and risk management. They must also take into account socio-cultural issues such as heritage ownership, censorship and moral rights. It is also important to keep in mind that the concept of cultural heritage is constantly evolving, with new elements being recognized and added by society as their own.