Culture and heritage define identity, give a sense of belonging, and explain our ancestors. It also provides a foundation for the future. Therefore, it is important to preserve cultural heritage. This article examines the value and importance of cultural heritage as well as the challenges that we face in preserving it.
Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) includes the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – and the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated with them – that communities, groups and individuals recognize as part of their culture. This is a vast category of heritage that can include traditional foods, music, dance, languages, and even the way people interact with nature.
The first step to understanding your cultural heritage is identifying your backgrounds. This can be done by determining your ethnicity, religion, and family line. It can also be as simple as recognizing a tradition or belief that your ancestors held onto. However, you shouldn’t feel obligated to live your heritage as it is. If it’s a negative or harmful one, don’t be afraid to break the cycle and let go.
Unlike the past, where cultures tended to be localized and stable, many of today’s cultures are spread out over the globe. As such, they often compete for space in the same geographical areas. In this context, heritage and cultures are subject to a process of homogenization that is largely driven by political hierarchies and power relations.
While it is a fact that some elements of culture change over time, it’s also true that many of these changes are positive. These include a shift in values, the development of new technologies, and the evolution of cultural identities. In addition, changes in the perception of heritage can be due to a variety of factors such as globalization, war and conflict, and economic issues.
In the past, cultural heritage was primarily seen as a collection of physical artefacts and buildings, but the idea has expanded greatly over the years. Now it is considered a process of conservation that involves the preservation and management of cultural heritage and cultural landscapes for the benefit of current and future generations.
A good example of this is the way in which UNESCO works to protect world heritage sites. They use educational programs to help people understand the value of these cultural sites and the way in which they can be protected for all future generations.
Traditionally, people who worked with cultural heritage came from academic backgrounds such as archaeology, art history, or sociology. While this training still remains critical, it’s becoming increasingly clear that people working with heritage need management skills as well. The ability to raise funds, manage diverse staff members from different disciplines, and ensure that the project achieves its intended outcomes are all crucial for preserving cultural heritage in the future. The ability to connect with a global audience is also important. The globalization of cultural heritage can be harnessed to preserve heritage sustainably, but it’s vital that the next generation is able to do so.