Heritage, though suggestive of an immanent sense of that which is inherited, is not given. What is construed and articulated as heritage is embedded in a cultural politics where different actors jostle to determine which inherited objects, sites and practices are to be valued above others and represented as markers of identities. Very often, the actors involved in this process of heritage-making include the state, civil society and international organizations. The relationship between them can swing from constructive engagement and negotiation to contestation, though in most situations the state and social elites attached to it have the final say.
While we recognize that the making of “heritage” is embedded in multi-vocality and the power of definition does not reside with the state alone, the state and its international extensions, such as the UNESCO, the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and other inter-state agencies, remain key actors in the articulation, preservation and promotion of “heritage”. This conference will focus on the multifaceted role of the state in determining which cultural attributes are considered “legitimate”.
The conference organisers invites papers that investigate the following themes:
- Neoliberalism, the state and heritage
- Heritage and representing the nation
- Heritage governance: legal framework and administration
- Policies and sustainability
- Tourism and heritage sites
- Memory and identity in vernacular landscapes
- Politics of language
- Heritage diplomacy
Papers can engage or compare the more general discursive contexts of nation-states in East and Southeast Asia, or focus on the heritage politics of major cities in these regions.
Requirements
Paper proposals should include a title, name of author, institutional affiliation, email address, an abstract (250 words) and a brief personal biography (150 words). The proposal should be submitted by 15 July 2013 to Dr Hui Yew-Foong (yfhui@iseas.edu.sg). Successful applicants will be notified by 15 August 2013 and will be required to send in a completed draft paper (5000 - 8000 words) by 15 December 2013.
For further information about the conference theme and accommodation, see the IIAS website.
Source: Culturelink Network