Vernacular Heritage, Vernacular: Resilience: Introducing Asian Experiences and Perspectives

Abstract

Resilience in Asia’s urban life is itself a form of heritage. Local social practices have long sustained community identities, although increasingly under pressure from a combination of neoliberal developmen- talism and political authoritarianism. We present a small but suggestive sampling of case studies showing that local cultural resources often exceed the imagination of global and nationalistic forces; local communities cope better with disruptions of the natural environment. Yet politically stronger forces do threaten local communities’ cultural autonomy, especially where this challenges government authority or elite-driven planning. From the arts to disaster responses, these essays explore the possibilities and the limitations that local communities’ resilience faces. Official failures to recognize local resilience tragically wastes human resources and the creative value of human irrepressibility.