Introduction: Approaches to Heritage and Communities

Abstract

In this chapter, I expose the varied understandings, definitions and uses of ‘heritage’ and ‘community’ and illustrate the interlinkage between these two concepts. While the discussion here focuses on a direct link between cultural heritage, specifically in terms of material culture, and community, it is also necessary to look at ways of sharing knowledge, power and effective means of community engagement. This chapter highlights cases from different parts of the world as the value and meaning of material culture are distinct, defined by the different life experiences of communities. These communities are of central importance in a consideration of cultural heritage as they are the key drivers in the processes affecting cultural heritage. This chapter discusses these issues of cultural heritage and community engagement and argues for the necessity of a more inclusive, democratic and bottom-up approach to engaging communities to identify, preserve and maintain cultural heritage resources.