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| Association of Critical Heritage Studies | |
|---|---|
| Name | Association of Critical Heritage Studies |
| Formation | 2010 |
| Type | Learned society |
| Headquarters | Unknown |
| Region served | International |
Association of Critical Heritage Studies is an international scholarly network that convenes researchers, practitioners, and activists focused on heritage scholarship linked to social justice, decolonization, and critical theory. The association connects participants from institutions such as University of Cambridge, Harvard University, University of Cape Town, University of Sydney, and University of Toronto with initiatives like UNESCO World Heritage Convention, ICOMOS, International Council on Museums, Endangered Languages Project, and Memory of the World Programme to interrogate heritage practice and policy.
The association emerged from cross-disciplinary dialogues among scholars affiliated with University College London, Australian National University, University of Oxford, Yale University, and University of California, Berkeley in response to debates sparked by events such as the UN World Conference on Cultural Policies, the 1992 Earth Summit, the ICOMOS Charter for the Conservation of Historic Towns and Urban Areas, and controversies around the Elgin Marbles and the Terracotta Army. Early figures linked to the network include researchers from Museum of London, Smithsonian Institution, British Museum, National Museum of Anthropology (Mexico), and Aga Khan Trust for Culture, who drew on theoretical interventions related to postcolonialism, critical theory, memory studies, public history, and perspectives shaped by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa), the Civil Rights Movement, and heritage disputes in contexts like Iraq war and Syrian Civil War.
The association advances critical reflection on heritage through collaboration with organizations such as UNESCO, European Union, African Union, World Bank, and United Nations Development Programme while engaging scholars from Columbia University, Princeton University, National University of Singapore, Seoul National University, and Universidade de São Paulo. Its objectives include challenging practices tied to colonialism, resisting forms of cultural appropriation, foregrounding claims linked to indigenous peoples of the Americas, Maori, and Aboriginal Australians, and promoting restorative approaches influenced by cases like the Māori return of ancestral remains, the Return of cultural property negotiations involving Greece, Nigeria, and Benin Kingdom.
Membership comprises academics and practitioners associated with institutions such as Royal Holloway, University of London, University of Leeds, University of Melbourne, McGill University, and University of Cape Town along with curators from Tate Modern, National Gallery (London), Metropolitan Museum of Art, and directors from ICOM, International Council on Monuments and Sites, and NGOs like Global Heritage Fund and Getty Conservation Institute. Governance structures echo models used by American Anthropological Association, Royal Historical Society, and International Council on Archives, with elected committees, regional chapters tied to hubs in London, New York City, Cape Town, Singapore, and São Paulo, and working groups that liaise with entities such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Transparency International on ethical frameworks.
The association organizes triennial congresses hosted at venues including University of Gothenburg, University of Cape Town, University of Toronto, University of Helsinki, and University of Hong Kong and co-sponsors panels at gatherings like the International Congress of Americanists, World Archaeological Congress, European Association of Archaeologists, American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting, and Society for American Archaeology. These events feature keynote speakers drawn from Zadie Smith-style public intellectuals, leading academics from Derrida-influenced circles, artists connected to Ai Weiwei, curators associated with Theaster Gates, and activists from movements like Black Lives Matter and Idle No More.
Research themes include contested heritage and restitution debates exemplified by discussions around the Benin Bronzes, the Parthenon Marbles, and the Kurdish cultural heritage; memory politics in settings such as Rwanda, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Cambodia; and heritage-led development projects in contexts like Venice, Cape Town, Istanbul, and Rio de Janeiro. The association's scholarly output appears in journals and edited volumes published by presses including Routledge, Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, University of California Press, and journals like International Journal of Heritage Studies, Public Archaeology, and Memory Studies, and engages with debates around frameworks such as the NAGPRA and restitution processes exemplified by cases involving Stolen Generations materials.
Collaborative partners span intergovernmental and civil society organizations such as UNESCO, ICOMOS, World Monuments Fund, Council of Europe, African World Heritage Fund, European Cultural Foundation, and academic partners including King's College London, Princeton University, Brown University, Durham University, and University of Buenos Aires. The association has worked with indigenous organizations like the Assembly of First Nations, National Congress of American Indians, Māori Council, and community heritage groups engaged in repatriation, co-management, and emancipatory archival projects related to collections at institutions like the Vancouver Museum, National Museum of Scotland, and Musée du quai Branly.
Critics from constituencies linked to conservative think tanks and scholars at Cato Institute or Hoover Institution have argued that critical approaches complicate heritage commodification models favored by stakeholders like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, while alternative critiques come from scholars at Princeton University, University of Chicago, and Central European University who debate methodological pluralism, historicist interpretations, and policy engagement. Debates also involve activists from Extinction Rebellion and cultural practitioners from Nigerian Nollywood and Bollywood over the balance between activism, curatorial practice, and scholarly production, and unresolved tensions persist regarding restitution cases involving Gabon, Nigeria, France, and United Kingdom.
Category:Heritage studies organizations