Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Tangible cultural heritage'

“Clothing always shows people’s personality.” said William Shakespeare. “Even we bow our heads with silence, our clothing and bearing will still reveal our past experiences.” As for a Chinese woman, Qipao reminds and even reveals her own background and roots. Qiapo is so widely recognized that people from different countries relate it to China once they see it. Such a Chinese female identity has been built for decades. Qipao has been seen as the National Costume throughout the 20th Century until nowadays. It expressed the patriotic purposes in the sense of Chinese and the rest of the world implicitly and explicitly. More importantly, it is an international symbol of Chinese femininity. The reason why Qipao can be preserved through history and time is that through the vicissitudes of the process of social and historical development, it has steadily given expression to the distinct character and individual style of the nation, making it distinctively different to the rest of the world. Qipao with its bewitching eastern charm, peerless style with its universal appeal established its unique place in the history of clothing in the world. It is an international symbol of Chinese femininity. In short, Qipao is a living heritage that has been evolving to adapt to the socio-historical circumstances of different times. This dissertation seeks to discover the process of this evolution through the tangibility and intangibility of Qipao.
published_or_final_version
Conservation
Master
Master of Science in Conservation

This thesis presents a novel approach to reduce the complexity and overload of information in Cultural Heritage (CH) on the Web through the use of a Tangible User Interface (TUI). It discusses how the Web and its technologies such as the Semantic Web have changed the interoperability and reach that knowledge, data and information can have. These technologies have allowed to link knowledge across CH organisations and helped to reduce uncertainty about the information used to create it. Nevertheless, it is cumbersome for a vast majority of online users to find relevant content, due to the overload of information available and the complexity of its nature. This research argues that this is because two main factors. The first factor is the dependency of Graphical User Interfaces on the Web that hinder complex exploration and technologic engagement for general users. The second factor identifies a requirement for CH organisations to become part of an Online Cultural Heritage ecosystem engaged through an interactive system on the Web. As a result, CH organisations do not have a meaningful system for their users to explore their content. This research addresses these problems by [1] developing an understanding on how CH knowledge is integrated across different organisations and different ways in which users engage and manipulate it and, [2] exploring how a TUI can facilitate the production of complex queries that enables the user to engage with the conceptual and technical information used to describe the knowledge about OCH collections. Chapter One presents an outline of the research problem, aims and objectives. It discusses the new challenges that CH organisation face when engaging with their users on the Web. Chapter Two presents a literature review of the current state of CH organisations, their information and knowledge and how they relate on the Web. Chapter Three argues that on the Web, CH organisations are conceptually and contextually integrated into a single entity that can be called Online Cultural Heritage (OCH). CH studies do not to consider that on the Web, visitors are no longer limited to a particular type of CH organisation (e.g. library, museum), nor to a particular collection held by that organisation. In addition, this chapter gives a brief introduction to Europeana as example of how information is shared across organisations on the Web, as it will be used as main case study later on. After describing the roles that data and information have on the production of knowledge, Chapter Three continues by presenting a literature review that highlights how users transform data into knowledge and their different needs of information when approaching information sources. It further identifies how users engage with Europeana’s information and the interfaces used to do it. Therefore, Chapter Four addresses the relevance that user interfaces have on accessing information, data or knowledge on the Web and particularly OCH. It explains how TUIs can boost performance by providing the required thought structure through physical activities and the use of constructivism as theoretical approach. It introduces interaction design principles (such as Token and Constraint (TAC) and OnObject) where physical affordances are used to convey information to users, thus reducing the complexity of an interactive system. Chapter Five presents the research framework general plan. It introduces the a-priori and aposteriori phases of the research, where the first one focuses on understanding users’ behaviours when querying Europeana and OCH, and Chapter Six will fully discuss Europeana as a case study. The research framework is fully described in Chapter 7 for the a priori section present the a-priori phase as a user centred design experiment where participants express their query behaviours. The test users included people with particular knowledge about cultural heritage objects (e.g. historians, archaeologists) analysing how they convert data into knowledge according to their different levels of need of information. The evaluated results are further used to contextualise the role of the interactive prototype to be designed. Such design process is presented in the following Chapter Eight. This chapter presents the integrated interaction design methodology adapted for the development of the TUI prototype. It presents the evaluation results for both experiments. It concentrates in Usability and UX evaluations to understand the engagement that users have with OCH information through the TUI. Such methods identify emotions and sense of helplessness related to the interactive process. It integrates a usability test to reveal users’ procedural task results that highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the system, which alter users’ engagement with the information. Chapter Nine concludes by reviewing the results obtained and highlighting the challenges posed, benefits that the Web and its particular technologies offer to CH organisations, and the need for the adoption of interactive systems such as these, that eases question making processes and allow users to explore complex datasets in a meaningful way, while it also describes future work that can be carried out.

East Asian lacquer (urushi) is a natural, thermosetting polymer, characterised by its durability and gloss. Prolonged exposure to light, however, causes photodegradation, which initiates microcracking in the surface layers. Accumulation of dirt, grease, or non-original materials, such as varnishes applied during attempted restoration, contributes to deterioration of the lacquer’s appearance through discolouration. This build up must be removed in order to conserve affected pieces, and the potential use of solvents to achieve this aim is investigated here. This work presents a review of the chemistry of this unique material, and the distinction between different East Asian lacquers is investigated. Valuable, rare lacquer samples could not be taken from naturally aged museum pieces in order to investigate the applicability of solvents in cleaning conservation processes, and so the damage featured on the models used was recreated artificially. The advantages and limitations of such an approach are assessed in terms of the practical value of the resulting samples as credible models compared to the naturally aged material. In free film studies, solubility parameters were determined for a range of lacquers, and the morphological changes that result from solvent exposure are also investigated to determine potential ‘safe’ solvents for conservation cleaning. These studies show that most solvents are damaging to photodegraded lacquers to some extent, and the possible risks must be assessed against the need for removal of a damaging layer. The findings reported here have implications for the choice of solvents used in conservation cleaning, but other solvent properties and behaviours must be considered along with these data when identifying the least damaging, yet effective solvents.

There is a lot of published literature in the disciplines of Archaeology and Anthropology on ceramics that amongst others focus on their typologies, dating sequences, manufacture and trade with reference to groups of people that inhabit the Southern African region. Additionally, several studies have focussed on the use of ceramic objects including figurines in ritual practices of these societies. However, the emphasis has been differential and skewed as it has largely been focussed on certain cultures such as that of the Zulu group or linked to archaeological sites, to the exclusion of other groups. For example, there is scant literature that focuses on the description or discussion of ceramic vessels by the Basotho-Batswana people of Southern Africa, who, like the Zulu have an active ceramic tradition including the manufacture and reverence of spiritual ceramic vessels. The thrust of this dissertation is therefore to widen our understanding and knowledge of the spiritual significance of African ceramic vessels by focusing particular attention on how these Sotho-Tswana groups practice this tradition with the ultimate objective of encouraging the appropriate recognition and preservation of traditional African ceramic vessels.
Mini Dissertation (MSocSci)--University of Pretoria, 2020.
Mellon Foundation
Tangible Heritage Conservation
MSocSci (Tangible Heritage Conservation)
Unrestricted

La relation entre droit international des investissements et patrimoine culturel a fait l’objet de rares études et réflexions, et ce uniquement de manière récente. D’une part, le droit international des investissements a connu une croissance et un développement considérables uniquement dans les dernières trois décennies. D’autre part, comme certains auteurs l’ont souligné, le patrimoine culturel a un statut quelque peu ‘incertain’ en droit international. À la lumière des rares études sur ce sujet, qui généralement mettent en évidence les rapports conflictuels et ambigus entre droit international des investissements et patrimoine culturel, la thèse s’est proposée d’analyser la relation existant entre la réglementation internationale des investissements étrangers et le patrimoine culturel dans se multiples expressions, et cela aussi bien sur le plan des règles substantielles que du contentieux et de la résolution des différends d’investissements concernant la culture. L’idée que la relation entre les investissements étrangers et le patrimoine, réglés par le droit international de manière et amplitude différentes, puisse apporter des avantages mutuels a servi de prémisse générale pour toutes les études menées dans le cadre de la thèse. Parmi les investissements, les investissements étrangers revêtent une grande importance dans les périodes de crise économique et de difficulté à rassembler les ressources nécessaires à préserver le patrimoine. Les investissements sont donc vitaux pour la culture. Cela ne contredit pas l’idée qu’il existe des situations de ‘conflit’, quand les activités économiques peuvent potentiellement causer des dommages et/ou représenter un danger pour le patrimoine. Les recherches et les analyses effectuées ont montré que les traités en matière d’investissements contiennent souvent plusieurs dispositions concernant la culture et le patrimoine culturel. En matière de litiges, les différends d’investissement ont impliqué ou touché aux formes et expressions les plus variées de la culture : des sites UNESCO patrimoine de l’humanité aux industries culturelles, aux lieux de mémoire et au patrimoine des communautés indigènes. En outre, d’une façon quelque peu surprenante et inattendue mais significative, les règles qui protègent les investisseurs internationaux ont été invoquées par des investisseurs qui avaient réalisé des investissements dans les biens et ‘ressources’ culturelles ainsi que pour défendre les activités économiques relatives au « capital culturel » des communautés indigènes. Les diverses études conduites dans le cadre de la présente thèse ont permis de montrer plusieurs aspects et facettes de la relation entre investissements étrangers et patrimoine et de tirer diverses conclusions. Les recherches effectuées ont montré la nécessité d’investissements étrangers pour la protection, sauvegarde, conservation et valorisation de chaque expression culturelle, et les avantages d’une interaction entre régulation internationale des investissements et patrimoine culturel : la relation symbiotique entre droit international des investissements et patrimoine culturel a été démontrée. Cette première réflexion conclusive « soulève » un deuxième élément : il existe, dans le droit international de la culture et du patrimoine, un espace légitime et ample réservé au droit international des investissements. Symétriquement, l’arbitrage d’investissements peut représenter un instrument valide de résolution des différends en matière de patrimoine. Enfin, on peut soutenir que l’intersection des règles internationales en matière d’investissements étrangers avec les règles internationales en matière culturelle peut être déterminante dans la création, ou soutenir la présence, d’un système qui tienne compte – à travers des standards précis de transparence, légalité et légitimité – de l’ensemble des intérêts impliqués
The relationship between international investment law and cultural heritage has commanded little attention and only recently. Certainly, international investment law has become one of the most prominent branches of international law. Its development has been strictly connected to the soaring growth of bilateral treaties on the promotion and protection of foreign investment and free trade agreements with foreign investment chapters. n turn, the status and place of cultural heritage under international law has grown, significantly progressing from some provisions included in international humanitarian conventions on the protection of heritage during armed conflicts. In light of the few studies existing on the subject of this thesis, which have in general concluded that conflictual and ambiguous relations exist between international investment law and cultural heritage, this thesis proposes to analyze this relation from both the substantive and dispute settlement standpoints. The idea that the relation between foreign investment and cultural heritage, regulated in different ways and ‘intensities’ by international law, could be positive was a general premise for all the research. Indeed, among investments, foreign investments have a great importance in a moment of economic crisis and difficulty in finding appropriate resources to safeguard heritage. Investments are hence vital for culture. The researches and analyses carried out for the thesis have shown that investment treaties often contain a number of provisions concerning culture and cultural heritage. With regard to international disputes, investment disputes have involved or touched upon different cultural forms and expressions: from UNESCO sites to cultural industries, to lieux de mémoire and indigenous communities’ heritage. Further, quite surprisingly, the international rules protecting foreign investors have sometimes been invoked, or resorted to, by subjects that had invested specifically in cultural ‘resources’ or to protect economic activities based on indigenous communities’ culture. The studies and researches carried out for this thesis have made it possible to reach and demonstrate a number of conclusions. First, the researches carried out have demonstrated that foreign investments are necessary to protect, safeguard, preserve and promote any form of cultural expression, and a strong interaction exists between the international regulation of foreign investments and cultural heritage. It has thus been shown that there exists a symbiotic relationship between international investment law and cultural heritage. Second, it has been possible to prove that, within international culture and cultural heritage law, there exists a ‘legitimate space’ for international investment law. Symmetrically, international investment arbitration can represent a valid cultural dispute settlement mechanism. Lastly, it is possible to assert that merging international rules on foreign investments and international rules on culture or cultural heritage can lead to create, or support the existence of, a more transparent, legitimate and rule-of-law-based system. In the light of all these considerations, the research, analysis and reflection carried out for the thesis has demonstrated how positive the relation between international investment law and cultural heritage can be fro states and the society. This, without denying any potentially negative effect. One might hope that the results obtained allow to adapt any practice in the field of culture. The protection of cultural heritage can indeed be strongly enhanced through the regulation of foreign investment

Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) and the Circular Economy (CE) concept might delineate a convergence point between growth and sustainability, in a general context as well as in an urban environment. The CE paradigm, indeed, introduces a new perspective to look at the industrial ecosystem, where the economic growth is decoupled from resource consumption and pollutant emissions as end-of-life materials and products are conceived as resources rather than waste (Sauvé et al., 2015). LCT introduces a holistic viewpoint, which considers all the lifecycle aspects of a product system or a service, from the extraction of the raw materials to the end-of-life of the latter. Both LCT and CE are implementable using a Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) approach where all the three pillars of sustainability (environmental, social and economic) are taken into account in order to set the right targets and improve the efficacy and efficiency of production systems or services. However, the latter are still far from being reached at a global level, due to a lack of practical examples of LCT implementation, to an uneducated mind-set and to missing regulations. In particular, the tangible Cultural Heritage (CH) field is lacking a clear and applicable instrument to support conservation management decisions and the emission of related regulations and directives. The Cultural Heritage field recalls what can be considered another hotspot in the scientific and political agendas, in a sustainable development perspective: urban environment and cities growth management. Recovering, conservation and valorisation of Cultural Heritage - in particular built CH - are part of a transition management process for the urban environment towards more sustainable cities. Being a shared, non-replaceable, unique resource and a common good confronted with important environmental challenges and possible under-funding, looking after CH to avoid neglect and possible decay is a common responsibility. The management of cultural heritage requires continuous conservation and restoration work, involving diverse professionals mainly in technical and scientific activities. A sustainable approach to the processes of Cultural Heritage restoration and conservation involves the selection of safe materials and methods both in terms of human and environmental health but also a quantification of the benefits deriving from the conservation process. It is therefore necessary to create comprehensive models for Cultural Heritage management in order to fulfil environmental, economic and social sustainability criteria. This study aims to apply the concept of Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment and Management to Cultural Heritage restoration and conservation. Pereira Roders and van Oers (2011) pointed out that Cultural Heritage Management is a relatively young field of research can be considered as being at an earlier stage of development than other related studies, such as the architectural conservation field (Van Oers and Pereira Roders, 2012). If LCA has been extensively applied in the building sector for assessing the environmental performance and impact of construction materials and products throughout the entire life cycle of a construction (Ortiz-Rodrıguez et al., 2010; Sharma et al., 2011), the use of LCA is practically unknown in the field of cultural heritage (Settembre Blundo et al., 2014). Applying the LCSA approach to tangible Cultural Heritage Management allows creating a decision-making instrument tailor made for built CH, in order to implement the recent design process for restoration, providing quantitative outputs as well. On the one side, the LCSA approach ensures to maintain interdisciplinarity, a mandatory requirement for CH related investigations. On the other side, it fulfils the need for one single deliverable unit decipherable by all the parties involved and by non-expert decision makers.
Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) and the Circular Economy (CE) concept might delineate a convergence point between growth and sustainability, in a general context as well as in an urban environment. The CE paradigm, indeed, introduces a new perspective to look at the industrial ecosystem, where the economic growth is decoupled from resource consumption and pollutant emissions as end-of-life materials and products are conceived as resources rather than waste (Sauvé et al., 2015). LCT introduces a holistic viewpoint, which considers all the lifecycle aspects of a product system or a service, from the extraction of the raw materials to the end-of-life of the latter. Both LCT and CE are implementable using a Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) approach where all the three pillars of sustainability (environmental, social and economic) are taken into account in order to set the right targets and improve the efficacy and efficiency of production systems or services. However, the latter are still far from being reached at a global level, due to a lack of practical examples of LCT implementation, to an uneducated mind-set and to missing regulations. In particular, the tangible Cultural Heritage (CH) field is lacking a clear and applicable instrument to support conservation management decisions and the emission of related regulations and directives. The Cultural Heritage field recalls what can be considered another hotspot in the scientific and political agendas, in a sustainable development perspective: urban environment and cities growth management. Recovering, conservation and valorisation of Cultural Heritage - in particular built CH - are part of a transition management process for the urban environment towards more sustainable cities. Being a shared, non-replaceable, unique resource and a common good confronted with important environmental challenges and possible under-funding, looking after CH to avoid neglect and possible decay is a common responsibility. The management of cultural heritage requires continuous conservation and restoration work, involving diverse professionals mainly in technical and scientific activities. A sustainable approach to the processes of Cultural Heritage restoration and conservation involves the selection of safe materials and methods both in terms of human and environmental health but also a quantification of the benefits deriving from the conservation process. It is therefore necessary to create comprehensive models for Cultural Heritage management in order to fulfil environmental, economic and social sustainability criteria. This study aims to apply the concept of Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment and Management to Cultural Heritage restoration and conservation. Pereira Roders and van Oers (2011) pointed out that Cultural Heritage Management is a relatively young field of research can be considered as being at an earlier stage of development than other related studies, such as the architectural conservation field (Van Oers and Pereira Roders, 2012). If LCA has been extensively applied in the building sector for assessing the environmental performance and impact of construction materials and products throughout the entire life cycle of a construction (Ortiz-Rodrıguez et al., 2010; Sharma et al., 2011), the use of LCA is practically unknown in the field of cultural heritage (Settembre Blundo et al., 2014). Applying the LCSA approach to tangible Cultural Heritage Management allows creating a decision-making instrument tailor made for built CH, in order to implement the recent design process for restoration, providing quantitative outputs as well. On the one side, the LCSA approach ensures to maintain interdisciplinarity, a mandatory requirement for CH related investigations. On the other side, it fulfils the need for one single deliverable unit decipherable by all the parties involved and by non-expert decision makers.

This thesis engages with the problem of valuing the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of the Mediterranean Diet (MD), into the overall context of its progressive erosion due to general decline in adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern by Mediterranean people, especially young generations. This work is also engaged with the problem of what it may be done to preserve, safeguard and revitalize the ICH of the MD. In this context, with the double specific objective to calculate economic value of the Mediterranean Diet - Intangible Cultural Heritage and to define the specific determinants of respondents WTP for MD heritage and, consequently, for preserving it, a contingent valuation (CV) survey was conducted between July and October 2016, using nationwide internet-based interviews on a sample of 897 Italian respondents. To this scope, ICH of MD was declined in a prototypical project, which factoring the most affective elements of the intangible cultural heritage of the Mediterranean diet into a tangible product related with cultural as well as tourism sector: the “Mediterranean Diet District”. It was designed to let people, physically and actively, “experience” the ICH of the MD, making explicit and tangible its use value. The results of this study provide quantitative information and important insights for both policymaking and research.

Ethnic minorities in Hong Kong are usually ignored. However, their participation and contribution in the Hong Kong history are not negligible. There are a group of Thai settled in Kowloon City for decades. And because of their existence, Kowloon City is known as the “Little Thailand” in Hong Kong. By understanding this group of people through their history and development, one can recognize that they are very special to Hong Kong. With the removal of the Kai Tak International Airport, Kowloon City is now under re-development pressure. The Thai, which has been settling in the area since 1970s, may face the risk of losing their living places. It can be seen that some Thai stores and restaurants have already been closed or moved to other areas due to the increasing shop rents over these few years. It is crucial to record their significances in Kowloon City before this unique culture vanishes. Kowloon City is an area with a very characteristic historical background and setting. The area is famous of its dense streets forming a fish-bone shape, with Nga Tsin Wai Road as the main street which connects all other streets together. Kowloon City is a place for different styles of food. There are oven 200 restaurants which many of them are in Thai style. As a result, Kowloon City is also called “Little Thailand”. Thai is one of the ethnic minority groups in Hong Kong. The 2011 Hong Kong by-census report showed that about 14,000 Thais living in Hong Kong, making up around 2.9% of the total non-Chinese population, and about 0.2% of the total Hong Kong population. Most of them live on the Kowloon side, with the majority in Kowloon City and Kwun Tong1.Many Thais live and own restaurants and stores in Kowloon City. Due to the Kai Tak Airport nearby, the height of buildings in Kowloon City is limited. With the demolishment of Kai Tak Airport, the area is under re-development pressure. Developers start to purchase old buildings for high rise modern buildings and the rents of shops significantly increase over these years. The Thais who used to base around the area are under threat of moving to other areas, and the characteristic of “Little Thailand” may start to vanish. The objective of this dissertation is to understand the Thai community in Kowloon City, document their activities, identify their character-defining elements and values and study their potential challenges. The study area is focused on South Wall Road, which has a high density for Thai-related businesses and activities. This dissertation aims to study the tangible and intangible character-defining cultural heritage elements of the Thai community at Kowloon City. To achieve this research goal, it is essential to understand the place and the community’s origins, history and culture. However, given the limited time, it is not possible to carry out a comprehensive research of the Thai community in the entire Kowloon City. Instead, the research must limit its scope by focusing on a small but representative study area within Kowloon City. The purpose of this is more about demonstrating the research process through a smaller study area so as to set a “template” for future research that extends to other study areas at Kowloon City. This dissertation adopts the research methodology of cultural mapping for documenting the tangible and intangible assets of the area in order to better understand the place and its culture, and focuses on the area with more Thai-related activities in Kowloon City. South Wall Road, which is chosen as the study area, is one of the major streets for Thai activities including shops and restaurants, and festivals. By conducting field studies and interviews, the lives of the Thai and their unique cultures can be recorded and understood. --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------
published_or_final_version
Conservation
Master
Master of Science in Conservation

The New Territories of Hong Kong has faced the drastic change since the 20th century. As concluded by the Lockhart Report in 1899, the landscape and village setting in the New Territories were much the same in few hundred years before 1900. However, with the social and economic developments, the natural and cultural landscapes of the New Territories have been shaped and evolved obviously. Being one of the witnesses of these changes is because that my family live at Tai Tseng Wai of Wang Chau in Yuen Long, I have my personal attachment and memory to my home village. The precious tangible and intangible heritage is required to record before it will be gone by the threads of development. There is no comprehensive and systematic research on the heritage resources at Tai Tseng of Wang Chau. As Tai Tseng is far from Yuen Long, there is no published research or study in this area. Most of heritage resources, especially the intangible heritage has been neglected. Most of the reports which are prepared by the Government or consultants are related to the natural environment and historic fabrics for the requirement of planning application and the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO) such as the construction of sewerage and sewage disposal facilities in Yuen Long. However, the concept of cultural landscape, cultural mapping and intangible heritage are ignored. This research is expected to serve as the documentation and inventory study of heritage resources of Tai Tseng. The natural and cultural heritage will be evaluated and the driven forces will be studied. It is also expected that this study will help us learning more about the current condition of heritage resources in the traditional villages in Hong Kong. As Tai Tseng is one of Hong Kong surviving living village in the New Territories, it is expected that the research results could be the reference and resources for the challenges and future developments. The research results will also provide the direction and insight for the heritage conservation policy in Hong Kong such as applying the concept of cultural landscape, assessment of intangible heritage and cultural mapping skills to the traditional village in the New Territories. The study area is Tai Tseng of Wang Chau where is located in the north of Yuen Long. Although there are about ten villages in Wang Chau, only three villages which are located in the north of Wang Chau, including Shing Uk Tsuen, Tai Tseng Wai and Ng Uk Tsuen as labeled in Fig. 1.1 will be studied. Tai Tseng is the collective name which includes Three Villages in the north of Wang Chau. Tai Tseng is selected because of my personal attachment and connections. As my family is rooted at Tai Tseng Wai, many interesting stories about their cultural practices and ritual customs can be shared with my professional views and theories which I have learnt from the Architectural Conservation Programme (ACP) in The University of Hong Kong. As I am one of the witnesses, its conditions and changes could be assessed. With my family connections, the oral interviews can be conducted with the indigenous villagers to understand their views to Tai Tseng. Their experienced stories can be shared in the research. Tai Tseng is a good example for the cultural landscape study. Although Tai Tseng is not the oldest village in Wang Chau (the oldest village is Sau Tau Wai), many tangible and intangible heritage resources are still well-preserved. This project also is the example to apply some new conservation concepts and methods such as the concept of cultural landscape and application of cultural mapping. This research is the pilot study to capture the indigenous villagers’ views on the heritage resources through the cultural mapping techniques. Their views to heritage resources will be analyzed and visualized by the form of cultural map. As the landscape and setting of Tai Tseng have been evolved in the 20th century, many precious traditional customs and ritual practices should be recorded before it would be gone. The temporal changes and the driven forces over the last century also provide the insight to us for studying the evolution in the natural and cultural landscapes. This site is a good example to study the development of cultural landscape in the New Territories of Hong Kong.
published_or_final_version
Conservation
Master
Master of Science in Conservation

Comment l’imaginaire des lieux issu de la littérature contribue-t-il à valoriser un territoire ? À l’heure où des territoires ruraux, soucieux de renforcer leur attractivité, mènent des actions visant à renouveler leur image, la littérature patrimonialisée peut être considérée comme une ressource : maisons d’écrivains, routes ou sentiers littéraires contribuent ainsi à l’inscription territoriale d’une littérature et de ses imaginaires. Cette thèse s’intéresse à l’invention de tels lieux, à leur animation et à leur intégration territoriale. Elle traite aussi de leur réception et de leur appropriation par les habitants et les touristes. Une analyse statistique des maisons d’écrivain en France dresse une typologie qui souligne les spécificités structurelles, spatiales et organisationnelles de ces lieux polymorphes. En complément,des études de cas renseignent sur la singularité de la relation entre l’auteur et le lieu, et sur la dynamique de la maison en tant que projet de territoire multi-acteurs. Deux méthodes sont mises en œuvre afin de saisir les représentations des visiteurs : une enquête par questionnaire, prolongée par l’analyse d’une voie plus créative et sensible d’expression, les livres d’or. L'analyse des questionnaires souligne la diversité des motifs de visite, non exclusivement littéraires. L'étude des livres d'or met en évidence la dimension immersive d’une expérience où les émotions vont à la rencontre des souvenirs et des imaginaires. Une typologie multiscalaire de parcours littéraires est ensuite réalisée, enrichie par des études de cas. Du Berry à la Provence, des Cévennes au Québec en passant par le Livradois, des parcours littéraires proposent de découvrir une région en compagnie d’un écrivain et de personnages imaginaires. Transcendant l’habituelle démarcation entre le réel et la fiction, ils redéfinissent ainsi la notion d’authenticité. L'ensemble des éléments analysés dans la thèse concourt à qualifier une forme de tourisme combinant connaissance, imaginaire et expérience des lieux, dressant les contours d’une nouvelle pratique touristique de l’espace : celle d’un tourisme littéraire tourné sur l’itinérance et la créativité
How does the imaginary of places stemming from literature contributes to enhance a territory? At a time when rural areas, aspiring to strengthen their attractiveness, take actions to renew their image, the literary heritage can be considered a resource: writers' houses, routes or literary trails thus contribute to the territorial inscription of literature and its imagination. This thesis is interested in the creation of such places, in their animation and in their territorial integration. It also deals with their reception and with their appropriation by the inhabitants and tourists. A statistical analysis of writer's houses in France allows for a typology which underlines the structural, spatial and organizational specificities of these polymorphic places. In addition, case studies inform about the peculiarities of the relation between author and place, and about the dynamics of the house as multi-actors territorial project. Two methods are implemented to seize the visitors’ representations: a survey by questionnaire, extended by the analysis of a more creative and more sensitive way of expression, visitors' log (« livres d’or »). The analysis of questionnaires underlines the diversity of the motives for visits which are not exclusively literary. The study of visitors' log highlights the immersive dimensions of an experience where feelings meet memories and imagination. A multiscalar typology of literary routes is then realized, enriched by case studies. From Berry to Provence, from the Cévennes to Quebec via Livradois, literary routes propose the exploring of a region together with a writer and imaginary characters. They so redefine the notion of authenticity by transcending the usual demarcation between the reality and fiction. All the analyzed elements contribute to consider a form of tourism combining knowledge, imagination and experimentation of places, drawing the outlines of a new tourist practice of space : that of a literary tourism focused on itinerancy and creativity

A ancestral relação entre a arquitectura e a gastronomia estabeleceu-se desde que o abrigo e a alimentação se assumiram como necessidades básicas do Homem. Enquanto expressões culturais materiais e imateriais do território do sotavento algarvio, a arquitectura e a gastronomia reflectem-se nas habitações vernáculas e na Dieta Mediterrânica. Os alimentos ali cultivados e confeccionados, e os espaços habitacionais dos montes, construídos com técnicas tradicionais e complementados por estruturas de apoio à produção agrícola, constituem um património relevante, mas na sua maioria, pouco estudado. Procurando identificar as expressões da Dieta Mediterrânica na arquitectura vernácula do sotavento algarvio., investigação suportou-se em levantamentos arquitectónicos e em investigações já conduzidas na região do Algarve, seleccionando o monte de Fortes, no concelho de Castro Marim, como lugar de estudo. Em trabalho de campo, detalhados registos gráficos e fotográficos foram complementados por entrevistas aos poucos habitantes que ainda residem no monte. Conclui-se que, embora as práticas comunitárias inerentes estejam extintas, resistem algumas das expressões culturais, como o uso do pátio como espaço de sociabilização e partilha de alimentos, da Dieta Mediterrânica na arquitectura vernácula da serra do sotavento algarvio; Abstract: Cultural expressions of gastronomy in architecture: the Mediterranean Diet and the vernacular architecture of the eastern Algarve - The ancestral relationship between architecture and gastronomy has been established since shelter and nourishment was assumed as human basic needs. As tangible and intangible cultural expressions in the eastern Algarve, architecture and gastronomy are reflected in the vernacular dwellings and in the Mediterranean Diet. The food grown and made there, and the dwellings that compose the montes, built using traditional techniques and complemented by support structures for agricultural production, are a relevant but under-studied heritage. To identify the expressions of the Mediterranean Diet in the vernacular architecture of the eastern Algarve, the research was supported by architecture surveys and investigations already conducted in the Algarve region, selecting the monte of Fortes, in the municipality of Castro Marim, as place of study. In the fieldwork, detailed graphic and photographic records were completed by interviews with the few inhabitants still residing in Fortes. It is concluded that, although the inherent community practices are extinct, some of the cultural expressions still resist, such as the use of the patio as a space for socialization and food sharing, of the Mediterranean Diet in the vernacular architecture of the eastern Algarve.

L’obiettivo di questo lavoro di tesi è studiare un prototipo di applicazione per device mobili che offra agli utenti la possibilità di personalizzare percorsi urbani attraverso punti di interesse identificabili come beni culturali tangibili e intangibili, utilizzando meccanismi di augmented reality per ottenere un maggiore engagement da parte loro. Il prototipo realizzato nell’ambito di questo lavoro di tesi, si basa sui punti di interesse geolocalizzati per le città di Bologna e Cesena, per cui l’utente avrà una panoramica dei principali beni culturali tangibili e intangibili. I target users individuati per questo tipo di prototipo non sono solo gli appassionati di beni culturali, viaggiatori, turisti, ma anche semplicemente i cittadini che desiderano raggiungere un punto di interesse in città. Per agevolare l’utilizzo si è deciso di creare una app cross-platform che funzioni sia su Android che su iOS, attraverso l’uso del framework React Native. Il volume di tesi presenta una rassegna delle applicazioni presenti nel panorama attuale che hanno obiettivi simili a quella oggetto di questa tesi, ovvero progetti di intangible cultural heritage, progetti di cultural heritage, augmented reality in ambiente mobile, progetti per il calcolo del percorso personalizzato, con possibilità di configurazione da parte dell’utente e descrive le fasi di design, di implementazione e di testing del prototipo realizzato.

Pour une valorisation durable des espaces patrimoniaux de CorseLa valorisation du patrimoine peut-elle constituer un axe fort d’une politique de développement durable pour la Corse de demain ?Un Plan d’Aménagement et de Développement DUrable de la Corse, le PADDUC, a été adopté par l’assemblée de Corse en 2015, préconisant un rééquilibrage entre le littoral et l’intérieur, mettant fin à la spéculation immobilière. La collectivité unique en préparation et devant voir le jour en 2018, représente l’aboutissement d’un processus de décentralisation rapprochant le pouvoir décisionnaire des territoires. C’est aussi un pas vers une plus large autonomie de gestion de la Corse ainsi qu’une plus grande reconnaissance de son identité. Ce contexte est propice à la mise en œuvre d’une démarche ambitieuse et volontariste de valorisation durable du patrimoine matériel et immatériel de la Corse. Afin de dépasser les postures symboliques et les intentions, la création d’une Agence de valorisation du patrimoine de la Corse permettrait au patrimoine de rester vivant et authentique, afin de trouver le chemin de la ressource à la richesse
Fostering a sustainable enhancement of Corsican heritage sitesCan heritage enhancement be the pillar of a sustainable enhancement policy for tomorrow’s Corsica ?A Land Management and Sustainable Development Plan for Corsica (Padduc) was adopted by the Corsican assembly in 2015, therefore encouraging more balance between the coastal and inland areas, by trying to put an end to real estate speculation. A single local authority, planned for 2018 and currently in a gestation period, represents the outcome of a decentralisation process which would bring the decision-making power closer to the areas in question. It is also a step towards greater autonomy regarding the management of Corsica, as well as larger recognition of its identity.This context is conducive to implementing an ambitious and pro-active process of sustainable enhancement of both the tangible and intangible heritages of Corsica. Going beyond symbolic postures and mere intentions, the creation of an Enhancement of Corsican Heritage Agency would permit the heritage of Corsica to remain alive and authentic, and find a path from resources to wealth

碩士
國立東華大學
藝術創意產業學系
99
The preservation and management of cultural heritage have attracted significant attention from the general public and further produced increasing demand for tourism. In light of that, the economic evaluation of both cultural goods and services has been seriously taken by all circles in consideration of a variety of circumstances including human resources, time, and capital. Both cultural goods and services present the characteristic of public goods and benefit public welfare, hence cultural heritage organizations and sites often receive financial subsidies or tax reduction from public sectors for their development. Due to the frequent need of public participation in management-related matters, such as research, preservation, restoration, exhibition, public access, etc., as far as cultural heritage is concerned, this study adopts the method of Choice Modeling to conduct case evaluation upon “Fort San Domingo and Surrounding Historical Buildings, Danshuei” and “Beinan Site and Mt. Dulan” to further examine the public’s preferred scenarios as well as economic interest in terms of cultural heritage. The findings of this study are stated below: 1.The model fitness of both cultural heritage sites is satisfactory, and able to explain the relevance between variables. 2.The major factors affecting the utilization of “Fort San Domingo and Surrounding Historical Buildings, Danshuei” are tour-guide facilities, explaining systems, number of tourists, degree of public access, and the remodeling project of Chung-Cheng Market. The major factors affecting the utilization of “Beinan Site and Mt. Dulan” are excavation and research, preservation of original sites, plans for exhibition, and number of tourists. 3.The Willingness-to-Pay (WTP) attributes of “Fort San Domingo and Surrounding Historical Buildings, Danshuei” in descending order are: introducing PDA or cell-phone audio-visual tour-guide services, increasing the sites with public access to 27, increasing the sites with public access to 20, implementing the remodeling project of Chung-Cheng Market, and boosting the number of tourists. The WTP attributes of “Beinan Site and Mt. Dulan”, also in descending order, are: continuing the site excavation and research, implementing the site-preserving and displaying projects, and boosting the number of tourists. The primary contribution of this study is the clarification upon the significance of the multi-attribute evaluation model. The results of this study will help related organizations and/or sectors with the establishment of strategies for preservation, maintenance, operation, and management.

This thesis investigates the crossover from and intersection between tangible and intangible heritage in the context of World Heritage. Since the start of the twenty-first century, intangible heritage has become increasingly important in international cultural heritage conservation theory and practice. In heritage literature, intangible heritage has been theorized in relation to tangible or built heritage, thereby extending the definition of cultural heritage to consider a holistic perspective. New heritage conservation instruments have been created for the protection of intangible heritage, such as most prominently the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The changing conception of cultural heritage that goes beyond tangible heritage has also influenced existing instruments like the 1972 UNESCO Convention concerning the protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The thesis studies how intangible heritage has been recognized and interpreted in implementing the concept of cultural heritage as defined by the World Heritage Convention. It examines the historical development of the concept of World Cultural Heritage with the aim of tracing the construction of intangible heritage in this context. The thesis consists of six chapters. The introduction sets out the research problem and research question. In the literature review, international cultural heritage conservation is portrayed as the research context, the knowledge gap between World Heritage and intangible heritage is identified and an understanding of the research problem deepened, and methods from similar research in the subject area are presented. The methodology in the third chapter describes choices made concerning the research paradigm, research approach and strategy, the use of concepts and illustrative examples, as well as data collection and analysis methods. Knowledge is constructed using primarily a historical approach and related methods. Through the analysis of pertinent documents and heritage discourses, an understanding of the concept of intangible heritage is developed and the concept of World Cultural Heritage is investigated. In the fourth chapter, intangible heritage is studied by looking at specific cultural heritage discourses, that is, a scientific, a UNESCO, and an ICOMOS discourse. Intangible heritage is theorized in relation to the concepts of tangible heritage, heritage value, and cultural heritage. Knowledge gained in this chapter serves as a theoretical lens to trace the recognition of and tease out interpretations of intangible heritage in the context of implementing the concept of World Cultural Heritage. The results are presented in chapter five. A historical development is portrayed in five time periods and for the concepts of cultural heritage, Outstanding Universal Value, the criteria to assess World Heritage value, and authenticity. The conclusion summarizes the main outcomes, assesses the thesis’ contribution to scientific knowledge as well as its limitations, and outlines possible further research. The main results include the identification of the term intangible heritage as an indicator for a paradigm shift and a new approach to conceiving cultural heritage in international cultural heritage conservation. By focusing on processes and the living relationship between people and their environment or place, intangible heritage emphasizes the anthropological. In the context of this conception, intangible heritage takes on two meanings. First, value is attributed by people and hence, is inherently immaterial. Secondly, place is constituted of a tangible-intangible continuum in terms of attributes. A paradigm shift and increasing recognition of an anthropological approach to cultural heritage were identified for all discourses, that is, UNESCO, ICOMOS, the scientific field, and World Heritage. For World Heritage, intangible heritage was recognized indirectly in terms of historical associations during the 1970s and 1980s. The anthropological shift occurred in the early 1990s. The term intangible was introduced and the meaning of intangible heritage was extended to include cultural associations. The subsequent decade is characterized by a process of internalization and implementation of the new approach to cultural heritage. The 2003 Intangible Cultural Heritage Convention created momentum. By the early 2010s, while not explicitly recognizing the immaterial character of values, a holistic approach to cultural heritage was fully endorsed that considers the idea of intangible attributes as carriers of values. An understanding of the recognition of intangible heritage through the implementation of the World Heritage Convention and scientific research in general provide an important knowledge base for implementing the Convention in a more coherent, objective, and well-informed way.
Cette thèse étudie le croisement et l’intersection entre le patrimoine matériel et immatériel dans le contexte du patrimoine mondial. Depuis le début du vingt-et-unième siècle, le patrimoine immatériel est devenu de plus en plus important dans la théorie et la pratique de la conservation internationale du patrimoine culturel. Dans la littérature, le patrimoine immatériel a été théorisé par rapport au patrimoine matériel ou bâti et la définition du patrimoine culturel a été envisagée dans une perspective holistique. De nouveaux instruments de conservation du patrimoine ont été créés pour la protection du patrimoine immatériel, comme notamment la Convention pour la sauvegarde du patrimoine culturel immatériel de l’UNESCO de 2003. La conception du patrimoine culturel, qui va au-delà du patrimoine matériel, a également influencé des instruments existants comme la Convention concernant la protection du patrimoine mondial, culturel et naturel de l’UNESCO de 1972. La thèse étudie comment le patrimoine immatériel a été reconnu et interprété dans la mise en œuvre du concept du patrimoine culturel, tel que défini par la Convention du patrimoine mondial. Dans ce contexte, elle examine le développement historique de la notion du patrimoine mondial culturel dans le but de retracer la construction du patrimoine immatériel. La thèse se compose de six chapitres. L’introduction expose la problématique et la question de recherche. La revue de littérature dépeint la conservation internationale du patrimoine culturel comme contexte de recherche, identifie l’écart de connaissances entre le patrimoine mondial et le patrimoine immatériel en approfondissant une compréhension de la problématique, tout en présentant des méthodes de recherche similaires dans le domaine. La méthodologie du troisième chapitre décrit les choix faits concernant le paradigme de recherche, l’approche et la stratégie de recherche, l’utilisation des concepts et des exemples, ainsi que les méthodes de collecte et d’analyse des données. La connaissance est construite principalement en utilisant une approche historique et des méthodes qui lui sont reliées. La compréhension de la notion de patrimoine immatériel et l’étude du concept du patrimoine mondial culturel se basent sur l’analyse de documents pertinents et de discours du patrimoine. Le quatrième chapitre examine le patrimoine immatériel en regardant des discours spécifiques au patrimoine culturel, soit le discours scientifique, de l’UNESCO et de l’ICOMOS. Le patrimoine immatériel est théorisé par rapport aux concepts du patrimoine matériel, de la valeur du patrimoine et du patrimoine culturel. Les connaissances acquises dans ce chapitre servent de perspective théorique pour retracer la reconnaissance et clarifier les interprétations du patrimoine immatériel dans le contexte de la mise en œuvre du concept du patrimoine mondial culturel. Les résultats de cette analyse sont présentés dans le chapitre cinq. À travers cinq périodes différentes, une analyse historique retrace l’interprétation des concepts de patrimoine culturel, de valeur universelle exceptionnelle, ainsi que les critères d’évaluation de la valeur du patrimoine mondial et de l’authenticité. La conclusion résume les principaux résultats, évalue la contribution de la recherche à la connaissance scientifique, ainsi que ses limites, tout en décrivant d’autres avenues de recherches ultérieures. Les principaux résultats comprennent l’identification du terme de patrimoine immatériel comme l’indicateur d’un changement de paradigme et d’une nouvelle approche de la conception du patrimoine culturel dans la conservation internationale du patrimoine culturel. En se concentrant sur les processus et la relation continue entre les personnes et leur environnement ou le lieu, le patrimoine immatériel en souligne l’aspect anthropologique. Dans le cadre de cette conception, le patrimoine immatériel prend deux significations. Tout d’abord, la valeur est attribuée par les gens et par conséquent, est intrinsèquement immatérielle. Deuxièmement, le lieu est constitué d’un continuum matériel-immatériel en termes d’attributs. Un changement de paradigme et la reconnaissance croissante d’une approche anthropologique de patrimoine culturel ont été identifiés dans tous les discours, c’est-à-dire, ceux de l’UNESCO, de l’ICOMOS, le discours scientifique, et le patrimoine mondial. Dans le contexte du patrimoine mondial, le patrimoine immatériel a été reconnu indirectement en termes d’associations historiques durant les années 1970 et 1980. Le changement anthropologique se manifeste au début des années 1990. Le terme de patrimoine immatériel a été introduit dans le discours et sa signification a été élargie pour inclure les associations culturelles. La décennie suivante est caractérisée par un processus d’internalisation et de mise en œuvre de la nouvelle approche du patrimoine culturel. La Convention du patrimoine culturel immatériel de 2003 a créé une dynamique. Au début des années 2010, même si le caractère immatériel des valeurs n’est pas reconnu explicitement, une approche holistique du patrimoine culturel a été mise en œuvre, laquelle considère l’idée d’attributs immatériels comme porteurs de valeurs. Une compréhension de la reconnaissance du patrimoine immatériel à travers la mise en œuvre de la Convention du patrimoine mondial et de la recherche scientifique en général fournit une base de connaissances importante pour la mise en œuvre de la Convention d’une manière plus cohérente, objective, et mieux informée.

碩士
龍華科技大學
資訊管理系碩士班
101
I am now a manager at Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, a professional agency helping Hanoi City People’s Committee in State management on Culture, Sports and Tourism including management of tangible and intangible cultural heritage in the locality. The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism is under sector management by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and directly managed by the Bureau of Cultural Heritage for tangible cultural heritages. During my professional work, I directed offices, divisions, units in heritage field under the Department to implement assigned functions and tasks, participated in many scientific conferences and discussions at ministerial level and City level on religion, belief, cultural institution and cultural heritage, etc. and also cooperated with leaders of People’s Committees in districts, communes, towns to open training courses, participated in teaching to improve the quality of staff, propagandized to enhance awareness of resident community in behaviors towards tangible cultural heritage. From the fact of nearly 20 years of work, I realized that cultural heritage management is a complex, sensitive issue having great impact on feelings, spiritual life of each resident, attracting concern from many social classes as well as mass media. From studying theory of knowledge management, analyzing contents of knowledge management in managing tangible cultural heritage, I chose the topic “Applying knowledge management in enhancing the quality of management, preservation and value promotion of tangible cultural heritage of Hanoi” as my thesis topic. During my research, I built research method, collected information, analyzed and evaluated through primary and secondary data and used some statistic and research results of other topics currently presided and directed by myself and which were carried out at agencies to study the status-quo of tangible cultural heritage management in Hanoi, issues in management and decentralization, establishment and management of heritage list, training, propaganda to improve heritage value, repair, inspection and supervision at cultural heritage. Finally, the topic gave out recommendations which are relatively synchronous and feasible in main contents about management of heritage through knowledge management and bravely proposed the heritage value- based model of knowledge management to apply at the Hanoi's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in order to improve the quality of managing cultural heritage in the City. I hope and wish that my contributions through my research results will be useful for the agency where I am working for.

碩士
中央警察大學
消防科學研究所
107
In view of many fires of tangible cultural heritages have happened in recent years, tangible cultural heritages are vulnerable that may be difficult to recover once they are exposed to fire. Tangible cultural heritages are the trace of local history. There are the significance of culture, history, art, science, ethnology and anthropology. Therefore, the sustainable preservation and utilization of tangible cultural heritages is the responsibility of everyone. In Taiwan, fire safety strategy of tangible cultural heritages is still limited to the use of water-discharge guns that block external fire spread, fire safety equipment that requires manual operation, or fire prevention management methods. The internal space safety of buildings depends too much on human factors, so this study uses automatic sprinkler system as a trial design to enhance the spatial safety of tangible cultural heritages. This study is based on performance-based design and risk management that uses risk identification, value identification and risk communication to enable stakeholders to realize the risks of tangible cultural heritages. The goal is to limit the damage, and to protect the collections of great significance and value. The water curtain formed by automatic sprinkler equipments is used as a trial design.The study evaluate the fire risk factors in typical situations, challenging situations, and special situations, while assess feasibility of trial design in fire. The results show that: First, automatic sprinkler system can reduce the total heat release rate effectively, decreasing the possibility of fire spread, improving the recoverability of collections and the safety of rescue route, so that the survival of tangible cultural heritages can be improved. Second, we achieve fire hazard factors by simulating different fire scenarios. Third, we provide the optimization design by consensus goals.Fourth, we can provide the data that public assistance can’t rescue immediately by simulating. The study provide reference that the authorities make disaster prevention strategy by FDS simulation results, and keep the cultural heritage preservation and utilization forever.

Relatório de Estágio do Mestrado em Arte e Património apresentado à Faculdade de Letras
A Cultura como estratégia de desenvolvimento das regiões periféricas é cada vez mais um factor determinante para a compreensão identitária das comunidades numa era de desafios, na qual questões dicotómicas que se prendem com o significado do que representa serlocal num mundo cada vez mais global pedem, cada vez mais, respostas inovadoras por parte dos governos locais. A ética da igualdade e inclusividade desafiam variantes sociais que outrora eram tidas como características intrínsecas do retalho social, anulando narrativas que já não cabem nas características sociais da época pós-moderna. Através da análise de um concelho periférico como é o de Miranda do Corvo, podemos ter uma percepção do mundo rural onde ainda persistem mitos e lendas como verdades históricas e onde é necessário o fomento e a promoção de uma efectiva educação para a Identidade, através de políticas culturais nas quais o contributo da preservação do Património Cultural Material serve de mote para uma compreensão do “Eu” e do “Outro” numa simbiose orgânica, através de uma visão criativa e prospectiva, para uma efectiva sustentabilidade das comunidades e regiões periféricas. Assim, a compreensão do papel das indústrias culturais e seu aproveitamento em prol do desenvolvimento económico e social é de primordial importância, sendo a conservação e promoção do património material de interesse, uma estratégia de fulcral valor neste sector, servindo de força motriz à envolvência do tecido social das comunidades no seu legado histórico.
Culture, as a strategic tool of development of peripheral regions is a factor that is becoming more determinant to the understanding of communities’ identities in an age of challenges, in which dichotomous questions related to the meaning of being local in a world that is becoming more and more global are yet to be answered in an innovative way by local governments. The ethics of equality and inclusiveness are challenging social variants once taken as intrinsic characteristics of the social tapestry, cancelling the narratives that do not fit in social characteristics in a post-modern age. Through the analysis of a peripheral county as it is Miranda do Corvo, we can have a perception of the rural world where myths and tales still persist as historic facts and where the promotion of an effective education for its own identity, through cultural policies focused on the contribution for the preservation of the Tangible Cultural Heritage serves as motto for the understanding of the “Self” and the “Other”, in an organic symbiosis, through a creative and prospective vision, to achieve an effective sustainability of the peripheral communities and regions. So, the understanding of the role of the cultural industries and their use in favor of economic and social development is of prime importance, as the preservation and the promotion of tangible heritage of interest is a pivotal strategy of value in this sector, serving as a driving force of social involvement for the communities through their historical legacy.

The thesis has investigated the place of Zimbabwean indigenous intangible heritage in a globalising environment. It used the Shona language and intangible heritage situation as a case study. It argued that Zimbabwean intangible heritage is continually being eroded by the agents of globalisation and that the only way of safeguarding it from extinction is through the preservation of Zimbabwean indigenous languages. The thesis has come to this conclusion after having established that there is an intimate and inseparable bond between language and its intangible values so much that it is not possible to talk of one devoid of the other. The relationship has been seen to be symbiotic. The Shona language has been established to embody, express and to be a carrier of all the intangible heritage of its speakers into the future by re-living them in the people’s daily life while these intangible values have been seen to conserve the language through their continued practice by the people. The research has also established that Zimbabwean intangible heritage marginalisation has roots in colonialism, dating as far back as the early Christian missionary days. The Shona intangible heritage has also been seen to be still of value despite the global threats as evidenced by the people’s continued re-living of it through language. The thesis has also noted that the Zimbabwean Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture is still using out-dated colonial language policies that still further the ascendancy of English and the intangible values it stands for while indigenous languages and values are marginalised in the education system, in government and in industry thereby worsening their predicament in the global environment. The current socio-economic and political developments in the country and some Shona novelists in Shona and in English are also culprits in this whole process as they continue to demonise and infantilise Zimbabwean intangible heritage. The thesis has therefore asserted that Zimbabwean intangible heritage is most likely to be eroded from the face of the earth if no measures are taken to safeguard it from extinction. It has therefore wound up by arguing that the survival of Zimbabwean intangible heritage lies in the survival of Zimbabwean indigenous languages through which it continues to be practised and felt by its people. The thesis has therefore recommended that the Zimbabwean government adopt sound language policies that safeguard the survival of Zimbabwean indigenous languages to enable the indigenous intangible heritage of the people to survive as well as the two are intricately related.
African Languages
D. Litt. et. Phil.(African Languages)

Porque grande parte do património cultural, tangível e intangível da humanidade não se encontra documentado, tem-se verificado nos últimos anos por parte de algumas instituições iniciativas que vão no sentido de salvaguarda deste legado que se encontra disperso e na grande parte das vezes apenas ao alcance de indivíduos que por alguma razão estão ligados a um determinado período da História. Por este motivo, na última década, um número crescente de instituições na área do património tem vindo a explorar o potencial do crowdsourcing através das suas plataformas online, porque nunca, como nos últimos anos, foi tão fácil chegar a tanta gente em tão pouco tempo. Este trabalho de investigação pretendeu verificar a possibilidade de as instituições arquivísticas se reinventarem e, em colaboração com outro tipo de organizações trabalharem em conjunto, com um público curioso e interessado, na construção do que se poderá caracterizar como Memória Colectiva. Propusemo-nos, assim, analisar a ampla gama de desafios e novas oportunidades, que o grande potencial do crowdsourcing pode constituir para as instituições de memória, recaindo o estudo de caso sobre o projecto Memórias da I Guerra 1914-1918 do Instituto de História Contemporânea da Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas da Universidade Nova de Lisboa – IHC/FCSH, com especial incidência na iniciativa Dias da Memória. Palavras-chave
As a great part of the cultural heritage, tangible and intangible of Humanity is not documented, in recent years, some institutions took initiatives towards safeguarding such heritage and that is dispersed and that the most of times can only be reached by individuals who for some reason are linked to a given time in history. With this purpose, in the last decade, an increasing number of institutions in the heritage area have been exploring the potential of crowdsourcing through their online platforms, because never, as in recent years, it was so easy to get to so many people in such short period. This research intend to study the possibility of archival institutions to reinvent themselves and, in collaboration with other type of organizations, work together with a curious and interested public in the building of what can be characterized as collective memory. In this way we proposed to examine the wide range of challenges and opportunities that the great potential of crowdsourcing opens can be for memory institutions, being our case study about the project First World War Memories 1914-1918 from the Institute of Contemporary History of the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences of the New University of Lisbon – IHC/FCSH, with a focus on the initiative Days of Remembrance.