A Theory of Cultural Heritage provides a structured and comprehensive picture of the concept of cultural heritage (CH) and its theoretical and practical derivatives.
Arguing that the expanded notion of CH brings with it a number of unresolved conceptual tensions, Muñoz-Viñas summarizes the strong and weak points of the current discourse. Gathering together a range of existing views on cultural heritage and its practices, the book provides a dynamic overview of the theoretical underpinnings behind the notion and also considers how these could evolve in the future. By analyzing the conflicting meanings of the term ‘cultural heritage’ and establishing a more nuanced ontological taxonomy, this book challenges some well-established views and outlines a framework that will allow the reader to better grasp the theoretical and practical complexities of this fascinating notion.
A Theory of Cultural Heritage is a thought-provoking and valuable contribution to the existing literature, written in an engaging, clear style that will make it accessible to academics, students and heritage professionals alike.
Author(s): Salvador Muñoz-Viñas
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 202
City: London
Cover
Half Title
Title
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
List of Figures
Foreword
A note on the thought style of this book
A note on the meaning of the terms
Acronyms used throughout the book
PART I Setting the background
1 How to not be axiological: A brief history of cultural heritage
1.1 Before heritage
1.2 The original CH discourse
1.3 The expanded CH discourse
1.4 Nature as culture
2 (Un)definitions of ICH
2.1 Introduction: the undefinition of ICH
2.2 Expanding ICH (1): ICH as culture
2.3 Expanding ICH (2): tangible CH as ICH
2.4 An “intellectual aberration”?
2.5 And yet
3 (Un)definitions of CH
3.1 Introduction
3.2 (Un)definitions of CH
3.3 Ontologies of CH
3.4 Plural ontologies
3.5 Theoretical nihilism
3.6 Panheritage
4 A note on CH practices
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Listing
4.3 Research
4.4 Musealization
4.5 Conservation
PART II Setting the limits
5 Westernness, colonialism, and CH
5.1 Hard colonialism (and CH)
5.2 Criticizing the original CHD
5.3 East-West
5.4 Western roots
5.5 A criticism of a universal CHD
5.6 Spotting Westernness: an exercise
5.7 Interval: a case study
5.8 CH is made the Western way
5.9 Westernness as a feature of CH
5.10 Coming to terms with Westernness
5.11 Some paradoxes and a solution
6 Elitism, authority, and CH
6.1 The problem and the solutions
6.2 Avoiding elitism
6.3 Selection/exclusion as a trait of the CH discourse
6.4 Exerting authority
6.5 Wrapping up
7 CH, authenticity, and fabrication
7.1 Ways to be authentic: the Nara document
7.2 Many authenticities
7.3 The tautological argument
7.4 Authenticity and TCH
7.5 A thought experiment: the Theseus parade
7.6 Assessing authenticity
7.7 ICH as fabrication
7.8 Safeguarding as fabrication
7.9 Being and not being authentic
PART III Notes for a theory of cultural heritage
8 The ontologies of cultural heritage
8.1 A need for better ontologies of ICH
8.2 A case study in the ontologies of cultural heritage: K.331
8.3 CH ontologies: physical ICH
8.4 Can a performance be inherited?
8.5 CH ontologies: metaphysical ICH
8.6 CH ontologies: mindsets and datasets
8.7 The epistemic horizons of mindsets and datasets
8.8 A four-ontology CH model
8.9 Entangled ontologies
8.10 Heritageness ascription is not homogeneous
8.11 Ontological misunderstandings: recreation
8.12 Ontological misunderstandings: phenomenological approaches
8.13 Tangible and intangible
8.14 A step forward: beyond the intangible
9 Notes for a theory of CH
9.1 Humpty-Dumptying heritage: CH is a set of items
9.2 CH can be passed down
9.3 Modes of being: a four-ontology CH model
9.4 Caring for heritage so that it can be inherited
9.5 CH items are selected
9.6 CH impacts the world
9.7 CH is implemented through practices
9.8 Westernness (I)
9.9 Westernness (II)
9.10 CH is based on authority
9.11 The role of the experts
9.12 Authenticity as expectation
9.13 Epilogue. What is CH, then?
Index
