Studying at York
Concepts, Principles & Practice - ARC00012M
Module summary
The module seeks to introduce students to the idea of heritage as something constructed by people in the present. We create it and then have to manage it as something for the benefit of future generations. This involves a relationship between professional practitioners and the public, all in the context of public policy and legislation. We will explore what heritage is, why it matters, how we manage and protect it, along with various controversies like whether modern values apply to the past, we can be neutral in modern conflicts over heritage and if curated decay is a viable option for heritage management. Students will be encouraged to develop their critical thinking about all these issues.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Autumn Term 2022-23 |
Module aims
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Introduce students to the basic principles, concepts and philosophy of cultural heritage management and conservation and place these within a historical and cultural context
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identify and understand the formal cultural heritage management process
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introduce the notion of the multiplicity of meaning and value attributed to heritage, archaeology and the past and the consequence of this
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identify the legislation, national policy documents and international charters and conventions that frame cultural heritage management and conservation
Module learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should:
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develop a critical understanding of the concept of heritage, the principles of cultural heritage management and their cultural and political consequences
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critically understand the role of expertise in the mediation of conflicts over the management and meaning of heritage
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understand the consequences of the use of expert values and knowledge in the regulation of cultural values and in the mediation of conflict
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understand the role of legislation and public policy in cultural heritage management and conservation
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understand the role of international charters and conventions on the practices of cultural heritage management and conservation
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understand the inter-relationship of legislation and policy and the conservation and management process
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understand the role of both public and private lobby/interest groups in the development of conservation and heritage policy
Module content
We will begin by exploring how we define and create heritage before looking at the values we say that it has for people today. Once we understand this then we will take a look at how heritage is managed and protected. One aspect of this that we will cover is that of modern and contemporary heritage from the 20th and 21st centuries. This will lead us into thinking about aspects of heritage that tend to be ignored in the UK, such as intangible heritage and the heritage of the future. We will also look at heritage controversies (the toppling of the Colston statue in Bristol, the destruction of Palmyra in Syria and the National Trust’s managed decay at the site of Orford Ness. We will end by a consideration of heritage practice can be democratised and our role as the experts in relation to the rest of society.
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Module feedback
Feedback to be available within 6 weeks
Indicative reading
Fairclough, G, Harrison, R, Jameson, J Jnr and Schofield, J (eds) (2008) The heritage reader. London: Routledge.
Harrison, R (2013) Heritage: critical approaches. London: Routledge. Available at: https://www-taylorfrancis-com.libproxy.york.ac.uk/books/9780203108857
Lowenthal, D (1985) The past is a foreign country. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.