Social Uses, Socioeconomic Benefits and Indicators in Cultural Heritage: A Correlational Study

Abstract

Cultural heritage sites are meeting spaces where cultural assets are socialized and validated, generating multiple social benefits. However, the academic literature on cultural heritage has presented little empirical evidence about the relationship between cultural heritage and its benefits. This article aims to evaluate the statistical correlation of three impact indicators frequently dealt with in the literature on cultural heritage: heritage valuation, national identity, and social equity, with exposure to cultural heritage. The study's method involved interviewing 401 university students in Salamanca-Spain and Barranquilla-Colombia. Thus, the model's reliability was tested through exploratory factor analysis and internal consistency analysis; the dimensions of the scales were identified, as well as the criterion and construct validity. The correlational analyses resulted in insignificant relationships between exposure to heritage with the indicators mentioned: K. Social, I. National and Valuation.