Course Description
This course is an introduction to the politics of heritage. Heritage sites, monuments and museums are frequently sites of controversy, as various groups with different and often conflicting experiences contest interpretations of the past. We will focus on the major themes, ideas and debates shaping the theoretical and methodological frameworks for studying cultural heritage. We will learn the ways in which colonialism, nationalism, apartheid, conflict and independence and impact cultural heritage. We will also critically examine contemporary possibilities, problems and challenges presented by cultural tourism, development, international law, war and illicit trafficking. Through a series of case studies we will examine the historical, political, social and cultural contexts in which nations, communities and individuals assert their rights through heritage.
This course is an introduction to the politics of heritage. Heritage sites, monuments and museums are frequently sites of controversy, as various groups with different and often conflicting experiences contest interpretations of the past. We will focus on the major themes, ideas and debates shaping the theoretical and methodological frameworks for studying cultural heritage. We will learn the ways in which colonialism, nationalism, apartheid, conflict and independence and impact cultural heritage. We will also critically examine contemporary possibilities, problems and challenges presented by cultural tourism, development, international law, war and illicit trafficking. Through a series of case studies we will examine the historical, political, social and cultural contexts in which nations, communities and individuals assert their rights through heritage.
- Teacher: Rachel Engmann