Heritage and Politics

Abstract

To preserve, protect, present, and examine heritage is a political act. It is framed by the values and agendas of the individuals, communities, and societies that invest importance in objects, sites, places, and practices in their environment. From the 1980s, scholars in the field have stressed the political agenda inherent in the delineation of heritage. This has formed the basis of critical heritage studies, an approach that emphasizes how the representation of the past serves as a tool of social control but also possesses the capacity for resistance and dissent. However, such associations have been present since the origins of the antiquarian movement in the West during the early modern period (1500–1750 ce ). By defining heritage, whether cultural or natural, we engage in debates regarding power, capitalism, democracy, identity, and place.