Concept Of Intangible Heritage Research Articles

The Tautology of “Intangible Values” and the Misrecognition of Intangible Cultural Heritage

ABSTRACTThis paper explores the contradictions of the advent, dissemination and use of the terms “intangible value” and “tangible value.” We examine their logical and grammatical incoherence, and the “work” that these strange terms, so often used in tandem, do to domesticate what are for some people the uncomfortable implications of the concept of intangible cultural heritage. In developing our argument, the paper draws on a range of policy and academic documents to illustrate the extent of the professional and academic unease with the concept of intangible heritage, and the degree to which this unease unintentionally fosters the maintenance of the authorized heritage discourse.

In the Service of National Culture: Japanese Preservation and Its Political Context, 1871–1994

Japanese preservation is rightfully credited with the development of the concept of intangible heritage. But it has become cliche to attribute the singular traits of Japanese preservation to its isolation from foreign influences. This essay shows that the development of Japanese preservation policies from the Meiji Period (1868–1926) to the recent past were far more politically driven, and in dialogue with foreign ideas, than is often acknowledged. Early twentieth-century politicians often secured power by stoking popular fears that the country was becoming too Buddhist or too Westernized and promoted preservation policies that produced a sense of cultural uniqueness. During the postwar years, American rule shifted social power dynamics and saw the emergence of bottom-up, citizen-led preservation groups more concerned with preserving their “cultural space,” conceived as traditional neighborhoods and lifestyles, against Westernization. As Japan joined the international community, a new generation of preservationists jockeyed for power within UNESCO by emphasizing their unique intellectual contributions, seizing upon the recent concept of cultural space and eventually recasting it according to Zen and Buddhist philosophy into a concept of intangible heritage that defied Western chronologies.

De politiek van immaterieel erfgoed: een besprekingsartikel

Owing to the Intangible Heritage Convention of UNESCO, the concept of intangible heritage has come to the forefront of the international cultural debate on heritage and identity. It coincides with a more general awareness of the so-called softer sides of heritage, with more attention to identity processes, meaning, and experience, sometimes labeled ‘the emotional turn’. UNESCO has adopted a bottom-up approach. Local communities play a central role in the Convention, which is a way of democratizing heritage. Recent publications show that intangible heritage also has significant political dimensions. Some even speak of intangible heritage as a political minefield. Intangible heritage is instrumentalised for political benefit or as a way of gaining public acclaim. The books reviewed present some striking examples. Until now historians have not been involved in these discussions. But because of their historical expertise and their critical antennae for the role of politics in history, they can help to deconstruct the politics of intangible heritage.

Towards a new vision of restoration in the context of global change

Abstract There is currently much discussion in the UK around skills and other workforce development issues within the cultural heritage sector. This coincides with wider debate within the international heritage community around the meaning and purpose of heritage preservation in the context of globalisation. Issues around representation, access, ownership and diversity, inclusivity and human rights are today associated with concepts of authenticity, values and democracy in a global setting and embodied today, for example, by the United Nations in the concept of intangible heritage—which refers to aspects of ‘living’ heritage. This paper brings to light, through an assessment of key international heritage charters, declarations and political conventions, how changes in attitudes towards the past have lead to the formal re‐constitution of the heritage field in recent times. Attention is drawn to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO's) guidelines for safeguarding int...

Museums and Intangible Heritage: The Dynamics of an 'Unconventional' Relationship

<span style="font-size: xx-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"> The concept of intangible heritage can have significant implications for museums in the areas of collecting, making exhibitions and working with communities. Drawing on the model of the ‘post-museum' envisioned by Hooper-Greenhill (2000), some of the ways in which the concept of intangible heritage can affect museum practice are examined. The limitations and concerns around the engagement of museums with intangible heritage are analysed and future challenges are identified. It is hoped that this paper will provide practical insights and help explain how the concept of intangible heritage can contribute to the discussions around the ‘post-museum'. The aim is that the issues discussed will raise awareness with respect to the impact of intangible heritage and invite museums to extend their concern from objects <em>per se </em>to the human element inherent in objects. </span>