A Companion to Heritage Studies

A Companion to Heritage Studies is a comprehensive, state-of-the-art survey of the interdisciplinary study of cultural heritage. Featuring a substantial framework-setting essay by the editors and contributions from an international array of scholars, including some with extensive experience in heritage practice through UNESCO, World Heritage Centre, ICOMOS and national heritage systems, this Companion offers a cutting-edge guide to this emergent and increasingly important field that is global in scope, cross-cultural in focus and critical in approach. The selected essays have been innovatively organized into three sections on the expansion, use and abuse, and the recasting of heritage. The Companion covers all of the key themes in research, including old and new outlooks on cultural heritage and its management, heritage as a form of cultural politics, emergence of critical heritage studies, the role of heritage in times of rapid change and conflict, heritage in environmental protection, the rise of intangible heritage, museums and digital heritage, World Heritage and tourism, and heritage ethics and human rights.

A Companion to Heritage Studies will be an invaluable resource for students and scholars of anthropology, archaeology, and cultural studies, as well as anyone interested in better understanding the historical, social, and political significance of heritage.