D. Fairchild Ruggles – författare

In today’s world, there seems to be no corner of the world that has not been affected by globalization – for good and for bad. While the world becomes more hegemonized socially and culturally, local communities are fighting to preserve their way of life as part of their heritage. Travel and cultural institutions use this “uniqueness” to promote travel and tourism; and while this brings in revenue and exposure, cultural heritage sites that were preserved by virtue of their isolation are now being severely damaged and even destroyed. At the same time, there is a growing awareness that while this unique heritage is used to define a community, society or nation, it also can be a basis for conflict.

The volume addresses a deeply political aspect of heritage preservation and management as it relates to human rights. Social and community advocates assert that heritage is necessary for the articulation and preservation of cultural identity. The display of heritage monuments and performance can be a strategy for asserting minority identity in the face of majority pressure – as well as a tool for resistance and the expression of difference.

Conversely, the erasure of cultural expressions—such as buildings, monuments, language, religion, and social practices—is a powerful tool in warfare and political regulation. In the assault on human lives and political autonomy, the cultural history and values of a community are also attacked, destroying not only individuals but the very fabric of society.

Is there a universal right to the free expression and preservation of cultural heritage, and if so, where is that right articulated and can it be protected? How is the notion of “heritage” used variously to unite and divide communities? Who defines cultural heritage and who should control stewardship and the benefits of cultural heritage? 

Cultural Heritage and Human Rights, the first volumein the Cultural Heritage in a Globalized World series, use these issues and questions to contemplate cultural heritage and human rights. The cases presented are world-wide with their implications presented on a global level. This interdisciplinary volume brings together contributors from such diverse fields as: history, culture studies, anthropology, urban and regional planning, archaeology, gender studies, landscape architecture, heritage and museum studies, political economy, and legal studies. It will be of interest to scholars and practitioners in fields that are affected by heritage, globalization and social/cultural studies.

Archaeological research has long focused on studying tangible artifacts to build a picture of the cultures it examines. Equally important to understanding a culture, however, are the intangible elements that become part of its heritage. In 2003, UNESCO adopted a convention specifically to protect intangible heritage, including the following: oral traditions and expressions, including language; performing arts (such as traditional music, dance, and theater); social practices, rituals, and festive events; knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe; and traditional craftsmanship.

Since this convention was adopted, scholars and preservationists have struggled with how to best approach intangible heritage. This volume specifically focuses on embodied intangible heritage, or the human body as a vehicle for memory, movement, and sound. The contributors to this work examine ritual and artistic movement, theater, music, oral literature, as well as the role of the internet in cultural transmission. Globalization and particularly the internet, has a complex effect on the transmission of intangible heritage: while music, dance, and other expressions are now shared easily, the performances often lack context and may be shared with a group that does not fully understand what they are seeing or hearing.

This volume draws on case studies from around the world to examine the problems and possibilities of implementing the new UNESCO convention. The findings in this volume will be vital to both professionals and academics in anthropology, archaeology, history, museum studies, architecture, and anyone else who deals with issues of cultural heritage and preservation.

 On Location: Heritage Cities and Sites merges the material and the social perspectives of preservation and historical interpretation in urban landscapes. The essays in this volume focus on the social life of historic cities and large-scale sites. They examine the ways that cities are dynamically changing as they are made and then remade by the people who inhabit or simply visit them, and concentrate on change, pluralism, and fragmentation. The strength of  On Location: Heritage Cities and Sites is its comparative approach to both theory and grounded research.  It includes an introductory essay that explains the heritage principle under study--the challenges of scale in the environment of a city or large complex--and its development as seen in the policy instruments of ICOMOS, UNESCO, and other major heritage organizations.The combination of wide-ranging case studies (including essays on North America, South America, Central America, the Middle East, and Europe) and the theoretical background make this volume an invaluable asset for researchers in archaeology, urban studies, art and architecture, cultural heritage, public policy, and tourism.