Heritage and Heritage Processes in a Critical Perspective

Module Coordinator:

Asst. Prof. Marjeta Pisk Research associate at the Institute of Etnnomusicology, ZRC SAZU and assistant professor in the field of Assistant Professor of Folklore Studies and Comparative Mythology

The module Heritage and Heritage Processes in a Critical Perspective examines the broad field of heritage, with a special emphasis on intangible heritage. It approaches this field with a conceptually and theoretically sophisticated apparatus of critical heritage studies, which does not understand heritage in essentialist terms, but rather as a process shaped by various actors. Heritage as a dynamic and multifaceted social process is intertwined with power relations, linked to the formation of identities, embedded in politics and economics, and raises questions of representation. Instead of an essentialist understanding of heritage as an unchanging set of traditions, the module analyzes the ways in which heritage is established, institutionalized, and used in different contexts. The focus is on intangible heritage, especially rituals, music, dance, sound, literary folklore, food, eco-culture, and mobility, with special attention paid to the critical examination of heritage policies, institutional frameworks, and practices of heritage preservation and heritage diplomacy. The module is the first comprehensive study program of critical heritage studies in Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans. It represents an important contribution to the development of research competencies and offers a platform for reflection on contemporary heritage practices and their impact on society and culture.

The module’s syllabus covers both individual scientific disciplines and discourses as well as the direct characteristics of individual heritage fields. The complex dynamics of heritage processes are addressed in an interdisciplinary and multi-level manner, without neglecting the methodological and local specifics of individual heritage fields. The module thus offers in-depth knowledge in the field of contemporary theoretical, methodological, and epistemological approaches stemming from the research traditions of ethnology, folklore studies, musicology, ethnomusicology, anthropology, cultural studies, migration studies, and heritage studies. The module is designed to sensitize students to the complexity of individual heritage cases and their integration into broader heritage mechanisms. The courses are practically oriented and based on extensive fieldwork and research by lecturers who conduct research at the Institute of Slovenian Ethnology ZRC SAZU, the Institute of Ethnomusicology ZRC SAZU, the Musicological Institute ZRC SAZU, the Institute for Slovenian Migration Institute ZRC SAZU, and the Institute for Ethnic Studies. Each individual course in the module is a complete whole, while also allowing for connections with other courses in this module and with courses in other modules of the Postgraduate School ZRC SAZU.

The module enables future students and researchers to approach the study of individual cases of heritage with appropriate methodological, epistemological, and theoretical approaches. In this way, it helps them to think about the complexity of heritage and its specificities in a particular field and in a specific environment. A modern approach to heritage research offers relevant knowledge and a comparative advantage for the employment of future doctors in various fields who encounter heritage and heritage processes in a wide variety of forms in their work. Career development is possible in various heritage, museum, and educational institutions, as well as in municipal and government subsystems, non-governmental organizations, economic, tourism, and development organizations, scientific and research institutions, and cultural and artistic institutions.

The lecturers in the module Heritage and Heritage Processes in a Critical Perspective are established researchers in various fields of heritage, heritage processes, and practices. In addition to extensive fieldwork at home and abroad, they develop new conceptual and methodological approaches with which they comprehensively and analytically question established conceptualizations. In doing so, they draw on the findings of critical heritage studies, which are quite widespread in the Anglo-Saxon world and are gradually gaining ground in our region. They do not approach heritage from an essentialist perspective, but rather as a process involving numerous actors. Since heritage is still predominantly understood in an essentialist way in official cultural policies – as a stable, unproblematic and predetermined set of traditions – researchers with fresh approaches are bringing new perspectives to this field. By understanding heritage as a processual and dynamic phenomenon that emerges through the actions of actors, power relations, and historical transformations, they open up possibilities for a deeper and more critical understanding of its social functions and effects.

For the study process itself, it is very important for lecturers to collaborate with foreign and domestic researchers, academic institutions, public, governmental, and non-governmental actors, as well as individuals outside institutional frameworks who are important actors in heritage preservation in the local environment. Lecturers have a well-developed research and teaching network at home and abroad, which will give students access to recent international research, methods, and professional networks. This will significantly expand the possibilities for their own research work and give them a solid foundation for integration into international academic circles.