Heritage as a Cultural Measure in a Postcolonial Setting

Abstract

The definition of ‘heritage’ has been stretching in recent decades as a result of the interaction of people and communities with heritage places (Byrne et al. 2001, 53). The definition has shifted from being situated in meaningful buildings (see Figures 11.1 and 11.2) to natural sites, oral histories and traditions. It went from considering tangible objects to including intangible heritage, recognising formerly excluded heritage (Ahmad 2006; Yin 2006). Both forms of heritage (intangible and tangible) comprise the concept of cultural heritage. This concept emphasises the traditional aspect of intangible cultural heritage. This means that some dominant groups value some forms of heritage over other forms, attributing social or cultural significance, and excluding Western intangible cultural forms. Tongyun Yin even argues (2006) that all manifestations of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity proclaimed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2001 belong to minority communities in developing countries.