The concept of cultural heritage dates back centuries. The contributions of historians, philologists, archaeologists, archivists, and art collectors have helped build the world’s great libraries and museums. The creation of national identities and the construction of an internationalist order also owe a lot to the preservation of cultural heritage. Regardless of what type of heritage you’re considering, here are some ways you can ensure that your community preserves its cultural treasures.
Most discussions of cultural heritage assume a common concept. This can lead to moral and political critiques. The following subsections explore some of the conceptual questions surrounding cultural heritage. This section begins with an overview of some common concepts about cultural heritage and its management. Regardless of how your community views cultural heritage, it’s important to consider its cultural meaning. The first step in preserving cultural heritage is recognizing its existence. It should be celebrated and preserved for future generations.
The distinction between official and unofficial heritage is helpful for challenging dominant historical narratives. Some heritage scholars are hesitant to embrace process-oriented approaches to heritage at the expense of material concerns. They might argue that there’s something meaningful about the material values of official heritage, but this is only one perspective. Other cultural perspectives will challenge this stance. If you’re interested in cultural heritage, the following articles are worth reading. So what’s cultural heritage?
The first module addresses issues relating to the ownership of art, cultural property, and repatriation. This module explores various approaches to grounding cultural property claims. Some of these approaches are grounded on an ancestor’s legacy, the production of art by a cultural group member, and a qualified defense of value. In addition to discussing the viability of cultural property claims, this section examines repatriation issues. If the rights of the cultural property owner are properly recognized, the resulting dispute will not be as severe as it might have been.
While cultural heritage is a collective, massively creative enterprise, its origins are often related to individual participation. This is not to say that individual participation is unimportant. In fact, it’s crucial for sustaining collective higher level practices. However, individuals are a crucial part of heritage creation. Thus, depriving someone of the resources to create a cultural heritage is not only detrimental to their wellbeing, but is also potentially as systematic as genocide.
The second goal of culturally responsive practice is to promote self-exploration. It emphasizes the importance of a counselor’s cultural identity and worldview in order to provide culturally sensitive services. Cultural competence requires a counselor to understand the cultural identity of their client and to work with them. Culturally responsive services involve community and client participation. By engaging the community in a cultural competency plan, a counselor increases their client’s trust and ability to use the services.