- Heritage & Communities

Catalog description

Examination of how heritage is used to empower and disempower contemporary communities (global, local, Indigenous, descendant, diasporic). Students critically examine the ideas, theories, methods, and questions that shape efforts to protect and interpret cultural heritage and how these are impacted by modern society. Students will explore and debate issues such as current threats, ideas of universal value, the role of tourism, impacts of development, questions of authenticity and identity, international law, and ethics. Practical considerations such as public policy, international organizations, and legal frameworks are examined alongside factors such as colonialism, nationalism, and conflict. Students will conduct research and work on a real-world heritage project.