Dr Qian Gao qian.gao@durham.ac.uk
Assistant Professor
Authenticity and heritage conservation: seeking common complexities beyond the ‘Eastern’ and ‘Western’ dichotomy
Gao, Qian; Jones, Siân
Authors
Siân Jones
Abstract
This article challenges the claimed gulf between ‘Eastern’ and ‘Western’ concepts and approaches to heritage conservation through an analysis of the common complexities surrounding authenticity. The past few decades have witnessed an important critique of ‘Eurocentric’ notions of heritage conservation, drawing on ‘non-Western’, particularly Asian, contexts. Authenticity has been a core principle and defining element in this development. Endorsed by a series of charters and documents, a relativistic approach emphasising the cultural specificity of authenticity has been introduced alongside the European-originated materialist approach in international policy and conservation philosophy. However, the promotion of Asian difference has also contributed to an increasingly entrenched and unproductive dichotomy between ‘Eastern’ and ‘Western’ approaches to heritage. This article reveals common complexities surrounding authenticity in two countries crosscutting this dualism – China and Scotland. Drawing on a number of ethnographic projects, our analysis identifies themes that characterise the experience of authenticity across different cultural contexts. It contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the evolving relationships between heritage conservation and contemporary societies with important implications for global heritage discourses and collaborative ventures crosscutting ‘Eastern’ and ‘Western’ contexts.
Citation
Gao, Q., & Jones, S. (2021). Authenticity and heritage conservation: seeking common complexities beyond the ‘Eastern’ and ‘Western’ dichotomy. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 27(1), 90-106. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2020.1793377
Journal Article Type | Article |
---|---|
Acceptance Date | Jul 4, 2020 |
Online Publication Date | Jul 21, 2020 |
Publication Date | 2021 |
Deposit Date | Oct 13, 2021 |
Publicly Available Date | Jan 21, 2022 |
Journal | International Journal of Heritage Studies |
Print ISSN | 1352-7258 |
Electronic ISSN | 1470-3610 |
Publisher | Taylor and Francis Group |
Peer Reviewed | Peer Reviewed |
Volume | 27 |
Issue | 1 |
Pages | 90-106 |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2020.1793377 |
Files
Accepted Journal Article
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http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Copyright Statement
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in International Journal of Heritage Studies on 21 July 2020, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/13527258.2020.1793377.
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