Can cultural economy be social? Discussing about the rural heritage of Greece

Abstract

This article examines the landscape of heritage management in Greece, as shaped by social, political, and economic factors. It deconstructs the emerging state policy rationale and its ambitions for the sectors' economic role, tuned to the neoliberal agendas of western-type economies. Considering ramifications for the future of cultural heritage, the idea of commons is analyzed as an alternative paradigm-solution. As it is argued, community-led governing models, following social and solidarity economy principles within a commons structure, could suggest a viable heritage management option that is worth exploring. This is further illustrated through the example of Naxos' rural heritage.