Introduction: (in)significance–values and valuing in heritage

Abstract

The notion and possibilities of (in)significance arose in 2015 when we developed an idea for a one-day symposium titled ‘(in)significance: a discussion about values and valuing in heritage’. At the symposium, we aimed to explore the history, theory and practical application of the concept of significance and broach the idea and potential application of ‘(in)significance’. Based on the level of interest generated, this special edition of the International Journal of Heritage Studies was developed in order to build upon some of the thinking and discussion that arose from these experiments. Together, the six papers presented here explore a broad range of approaches to significance and value as enacted in different parts of the world and at different scales: from the local, to the national and the international.