Heritage: Local Identity, Agency, and Sustainability

The focus of this research circle is to explore relationships of natural and cultural heritage to who we are as place-based peoples—historically, today, and in the future.

As such, we anticipate potential initial research questions to explore could include:

  • What is the role of heritage in identify formation for individuals, communities, and society?
  • What are the intersection between heritage, authenticity, and culture?
  • How does the tangible and intangible dichotomy influence heritage studies?
  • In what ways do heritage preservation provide spaces for identity building?
  • How does oral archiving and written archiving influence heritage preservation?      
  • What and how are ‘historical narratives’ selected and maintained?
  • How do economics and development impact heritage preservation?
  • What role does, or could, education of heritage play in formal K-12 curriculum?
  • How is governance for heritage balanced with sustainable development?
  • How can tensions between heritage and tourism be more fully understood?
  • What role do heritage play in sustaining the folk arts and their meaning in the larger socio-cultural landscape?
  • How do archeological issues intersect and help preserve local skills?
  • In what ways can traditional skills be developed with the vocational education system to preserve disappearing knowledge for preservation and restoration?
  • How could students in K-12 settings be engaged in heritage preservation, conservation, and interpretation as a way of preserving languages, culture, local knowledge, and identities?