Intangible Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development: The Valorisation of Heritage Practices

Intangible Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development: The Valorisation of Heritage Practices
Marlen Meissner, 2021

Based on Pierre Bourdieu’s ‘Theory of Practice’ this book reflects and discusses the developmental potentials of intangible cultural heritage as formulated in the 2003 Convention. The Convention interprets intangible cultural heritage as ‘driver’ and ‘enabler’ of development, implying paradigms of sustainable and human development. This includes that intangible cultural practices hold potentials for growth-based sustainable development as well as for human development in the broadest sense. This publication systemises the developmental potentials of intangible cultural heritage to support their active valorisation. The theoretical approach is complemented by an empirical case study on the ‘Finsterwalder Sängerfest’, a German choral tradition. The main result of this work is a model for the valorisation of heritage practices which illustrates the interrelation between intangible heritage and sustainable as well as human development. Moreover, the model exemplifies how the goals of the 2003 Convention may be implemented beyond a UNESCO nomination.

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