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Values of Cultural Heritage for Society. Greater Citizen Participation.

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Tourism, Culture, and Heritage".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2021) | Viewed by 61728

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Cosme Jesús Gómez-Carrasco

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Mathematics and Social Sciences Teaching, Faculty of Education, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
Interests: assessment of knowledge and historical thinking in different educational levels; analysis of textbooks and other teaching resources and methods of social science, historiography and social history

Prof. Dr. José Monteagudo-Fernández

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Guest Editor

Mathematics and Social Sciences Teaching, Faculty of Education, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
Interests: assessment; heritage; teacher training; historical thinking

Prof. Dr. Pedro Miralles-Martínez

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Guest Editor

Department of Didactics of Mathematical and Social Sciences, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
Interests: teaching and learning of social sciences; heritage education; history education, historical thinking; assessment; competences; teacher training; textbooks; education for citizenship
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Olaia Fontal-Merillas

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Department of Didactics of the Musical, Plastic and Body Expression, Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
Interests: heritage education; art education; heritage studies; museum education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cultural heritage is understood as the set of resources inherited from the past that people identify as a reflection and expression of their own values, beliefs, knowledge, and traditions, and are in constant evolution. In addition, people want to preserve and transmit this heritage to future generations.

In this sense, it is necessary that citizens and public powers recognize personal and collective responsibility towards cultural heritage—an element whose conservation enables sustainable development, citizen participation, the promotion of cultural diversity, and the construction of a peaceful and democratic society.

To achieve this, the existence of greater synergy between all affected public, private, and institutional agents is essential.

In recent decades, Europe has strengthened its commitment to increasing and placing value on the knowledge and awareness of cultural heritage. This has led to an increase in educational programs, regulations, and specific objectives regarding the conservation and socialization of heritage. Heritage education secures such processes of social empowerment that enable us to competently preserve a commonly shared past and our own cultural heritage as European citizens. The challenge, therefore, lies in promoting the engagement of society with the principles of heritage education.

Thus, it is necessary to reflect on issues related to shared rights and responsibilities towards cultural heritage, the role of cultural heritage as a resource to build more democratic societies and improve the living environment and quality of life of citizens and, therefore, on the links between heritage rights and human rights as well.

The different works in this monograph will delve into topics related to identity and cohesion, legislation, education, sustainable development, or the role of new technologies, among others, in the management of a cultural heritage that is seen as a central element that can improve people's quality of life.

Prof. Dr. Cosme Jesús Gómez-Carrasco
Prof. Dr. José Monteagudo-Fernández
Prof. Dr. Pedro Miralles-Martínez
Prof. Dr. Olaia Fontal-Merillas
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

cultural heritage
sustainability
culture
society
citizenship
identity
education

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Published Papers (13 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1730 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Perceptions of Heritage among Students of Early Childhood and Primary Education

by José A. López-Fernández, Silvia Medina, Miguel J. López and Roberto García-Morís

Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 10636; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910636 - 25 Sep 2021

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4442

Abstract

In recent decades, a growing awareness of the importance of preserving cultural heritage as a means of promoting sustainable development has been accompanied by a similar re-evaluation of the role of heritage education as a key driver of citizen engagement. The development and implementation of heritage education at all levels, particularly in the context of teacher training, is of vital importance. The aim of this study is to analyse student teachers’ understanding of heritage and its potential as an educational tool, in order to identify measures to enhance teacher training and practice with respect to heritage and heritage education. The research design consists of a comparative study of a non-random sample of 149 trainee teachers undertaking Bachelor’s degrees in Early Childhood Education and Primary Education at the University of Córdoba (Spain). The results reveal a mainly cultural conception of heritage among both groups, based on local material elements, and little sense of the link between heritage and present-day life. The students studying early childhood education were found to display a more specific knowledge of heritage in their answers, while the primary education students showed a greater awareness of identity and values as features of cultural heritage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Values of Cultural Heritage for Society. Greater Citizen Participation.)

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21 pages, 2734 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Heritage Education and Research in Museums. Conceptual, Intellectual and Social Structure within a Knowledge Domain (2000–2019)

by José Monteagudo-Fernández, Cosme J. Gómez-Carrasco and Álvaro Chaparro-Sainz

Sustainability 2021, 13(12), 6667; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126667 - 11 Jun 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 6384

Abstract

Heritage and museums have constituted two fundamental axes of heritage education research in recent decades. This can be defined as the pedagogical process in which people can learn about heritage assets in formal or informal learning contexts. Museums, as centres of reference in informal education, are in constant and fluid contact with schools and produce different and varied didactic materials related to heritage. This paper provides results concerning the development and shaping of the knowledge domain known as heritage education between 2000 and 2019 on the Web of Science (WoS). To this end, different techniques and tools have been used: R-package Bibliometrix and VOSviewer. This analysis has identified five clusters with the topics underpinning heritage education as a specific field of knowledge. Our inquiry has highlighted the fact that there has been an increase in production regarding research topics associated with heritage education and museums in this period, particularly between 2015 and 2019. The inclusion of ESCI journals has led to a greater visibility of WoS-indexed academic production in some countries. Finally, the concepts “heritage”, “museum” and “education” are the axes around which the research paradigms related to heritage education research seem to have been developed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Values of Cultural Heritage for Society. Greater Citizen Participation.)

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25 pages, 1518 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Sustainability of Intangible Heritage in the COVID-19 Era—Resilience, Reinvention, and Challenges in Spain

by Xavier Roigé, Iñaki Arrieta-Urtizberea and Joan Seguí

Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 5796; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13115796 - 21 May 2021

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 5093

Abstract

The public health restrictions and social distancing imposed as a consequence of COVID-19 have not only had a profound impact on intangible heritage, they have also prompted resilience, reinvention, and creativity. This analysis of the period provides an insight into the social significance of intangible heritage and its adaptability and ability to evolve, while also raising questions about its sustainability. This article tackles the impact of lockdown and public health restrictions on the festivals included in the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Heritage in Spain. Employing qualitative and ethnographic methodology, the study analyzes the effects of restrictions on the 18 elements on the UNESCO list and the responses adopted; it also includes case studies on three elements. The article concludes that in the post-COVID-19 period, it will be necessary to rethink the economic and social sustainability of intangible heritage practices and to discover new ways of managing them. It will also be necessary to go back to more local formats that are less crowded and less dependent on tourism. The pandemic has exposed the fragility of intangible heritage, and it is now time to rethink the perhaps excessive growth it has experienced in recent years. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Values of Cultural Heritage for Society. Greater Citizen Participation.)

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21 pages, 14574 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage from the Perspective of Civic Participation: The Informal Education of Chinese Embroidery Handicrafts

by Wen-Jie Yan and Shang-Chia Chiou

Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 4958; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094958 - 28 Apr 2021

Cited by 33 | Viewed by 7364

Abstract

Heritage education can enable social empowerment. Within the broader goal of social empowerment, a current challenge is to establish principles that promote social participation in traditional education. The practice of protecting intangible cultural heritage in China has developed its own unique working model based on the basic theoretical level of UNESCO. This research used cultural citizenship as a theoretical guide, focused on the traditional embroidery craftsmanship of China’s intangible cultural heritage, and conducted exploratory research on the learning intention and value influence indicators of citizens participating in intangible cultural heritage. The research design of this study was divided into two phases: the first phase was designed to collect evaluation indicators that affect the learning of intangible cultural heritage skills, and to support these data using semi-structured in-depth interviews. In the second phase, the convergence of the value indicators that affect the learning of intangible cultural heritage techniques was completed using questionnaire surveys and statistical analyses. Factor analysis was performed using SPSS software. SEM (structural equation modeling) confirmatory analysis was performed using Amos software. Through a two-stage hybrid study, a value recognition scale for the informal educational inheritance of intangible cultural heritage handicrafts was obtained within the local context of China. The scale contains four first-level indicators (ICH’s authenticity, cultural identity, performed value, and social recognition) and 17 second-level indicators. The research results were based on UNESCO’s education indicators for SDG 4, and put forward principles for practices aimed at protecting China’s intangible cultural heritage’s local informal education. Reflecting on the Chinese tradition of citizen participation in protecting intangible cultural heritage could provide references for the practice of intangible cultural heritage protection in other fields and regions. This is consistent with the UN’s SDG 4.7 (ensure all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Values of Cultural Heritage for Society. Greater Citizen Participation.)

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33 pages, 3048 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Perceptions of Educational Agents Regarding the Use of School Visits to Museums for the Teaching of History

by Ainoa Escribano-Miralles, Francisca-José Serrano-Pastor and Pedro Miralles-Martínez

Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 4915; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094915 - 27 Apr 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3288

Abstract

(1) The use of heritage in fieldwork, enabling the analysis of historical sources in museums via school trips, contributes towards the development of historical thinking and the formation of active, participative and critical citizens within the field of formal education (2) The general objective of the present study is to estimate the value which teachers and museum educators confer upon museums and school visits in the stages of early years, primary and secondary education. The research method employed is quantitative, based on the study of a descriptive comparative cross-sectional survey. The participants are 442 teachers, who visited two archaeological museums with their class groups in order to carry out an activity relating to the subject of history, and 18 museum educators. The data collection tool was the MUSELA © questionnaire. (3) The main results indicate that both teachers and educators agree that it is the responsibility of the educator to connect the visit with the interests of the group. 70% of the museum educators are totally in agreement with the academic perspective provided by museums, and more than 75% of the teachers and museum educators are totally in agreement with the fact that the objective of museum visits is to increase knowledge and cultural experience. (4) Educational agents’ understanding of the use of visits to archaeological museums as field trips for history work is a challenge that must be confronted over the coming decade. It is necessary to promote a model of collaboration that develops interaction by generating common educational projects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Values of Cultural Heritage for Society. Greater Citizen Participation.)

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27 pages, 6536 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Emotional Cartography of Everyday Heritage via Photography

by Belén Castro-Fernández and Ramón López-Facal

Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 4764; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094764 - 23 Apr 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2240

Abstract

This paper presented the results of a heritage education intervention in a non-formal context via a collective photographic exhibition organised by a cultural association. In accordance with the Faro Convention on the value of cultural heritage for society, people’s role in the construction and sustaining of their identity is recognised, and the fostering of shared responsibility towards the environment was sought. A mixed methodology was employed in order to evaluate the effects of participation in this project on the perception of heritage, to analyse what relationship there was between this conception and the photographic output, and to explain to what extent participation in a collective exhibition had an influence on the emotional resignification of everyday heritage. The results showed that the participants modified their traditional conception of heritage towards a symbolic-identity type, consciously questioned their relationship and commitment with everyday places, and rediscovered their environment by way of a contextualised learning sequence. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Values of Cultural Heritage for Society. Greater Citizen Participation.)

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14 pages, 274 KiB

Open AccessArticle

EU Cultural Security Law in an Educational Context

by Piotr Stec and Alicja Jagielska-Burduk

Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 3947; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073947 - 2 Apr 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2466

Abstract

Cultural security is a comprehensive notion that has gained much attention in the recent cultural heritage debates. In terms of the EU, it encapsulates cultural heritage destruction and protection in armed conflicts, post-war cultural heritage management, restitution, illicit traffic of cultural property, cultural diversity, and intercultural dialogue. The article aims to present how cultural security matters appear in the EU legal system and policy. The authors argue that cultural security is present in different policies regarding cultural property and the fight against illicit trafficking, as well as in EU external cultural relations. Digitization in the cultural sector constitutes a challenge, facilitates access to cultural heritage, and is an important tool for future cultural security. Therefore, EU law in the context of cultural security is analyzed. The authors took the Polish law as an example of how cultural security can be safeguarded while promoting an EU Member State’s jurisdiction. The paper’s educational part offers some ideas on creating and incorporating law and cultural security courses into varied higher education programs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Values of Cultural Heritage for Society. Greater Citizen Participation.)

22 pages, 807 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Building Relationships between Museums and Schools: Reggio Emilia as a Bridge to Educate Children about Heritage

by Maria Feliu-Torruella, Mercè Fernández-Santín and Javiera Atenas

Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 3713; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073713 - 26 Mar 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 6025

Abstract

Schools and museums represent essential spaces for the development of learning and understanding of the world surrounding us through the arts and heritage. One of the things learned in the COVID crisis is that it is key to build bridges between schools and museums to support their educational activities, regardless of the possibility to access these spaces in person. School teachers and museum educators have the opportunity to develop a critical and creative citizenry by collaborating in the design of learning activities that can bring the museums to schools and schools to the museum by adopting the Reggio Emilia approach. The results of the study arise from a triangulation of data, as we contrasted the literature about the Reggio Emilia approach with the practices of museums that use such a philosophy and with the analysis of a series of interviews with experts in early childhood education and Reggio Emilia in order to identify a series of good practices, which we used to delineate recommendations to foster the adoption of this model and establish relationships between schools and museums, enhancing the opportunities to develop critical and creative thinking throughout activities and to understand the heritage and the arts, thus fostering citizenship from an early childhood. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Values of Cultural Heritage for Society. Greater Citizen Participation.)

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15 pages, 288 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cultural Heritage Education in UNESCO Cultural Conventions

by Alicja Jagielska-Burduk, Mateusz Pszczyński and Piotr Stec

Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3548; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063548 - 23 Mar 2021

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 6947

Abstract

The aim of the article is to analyse UNESCO conventions dealing with culture and assess the visibility and importance of cultural heritage education in these conventions and their implementation. First, it briefly presents the role of UNESCO in the area of culture and education, together with the UN Agenda 2030 and the challenges faced currently. Next, it discusses the existing UNESCO cultural conventions and their educational dimension with reference to the conventions’ provisions and aims. Each convention refers to education in the activities undertaken by States Parties, providing various tools and measures tailored to the scope of the convention. The article concludes that despite a lack of synergy and creation of education-related programs in convention-related siloes, UNESCO has managed to create a uniform and evolving system of educational measures aimed at various stakeholders and focus on various levels of awareness. Cultural heritage education is an imminent part of activities undertaken within States’ obligations and should involve various stakeholders, building networks and existing in synergy with other actions or campaigns based on different conventions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Values of Cultural Heritage for Society. Greater Citizen Participation.)

24 pages, 5594 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Illustration, Re-Enactment, Citizenship and Heritage of Contemporary Conflict: The Case of the Ebro (1938)

by Francesc Xavier Hernàndez-Cardona, Xavier Rubio-Campillo, Rafael Sospedra-Roca and David Íñiguez-Gracia

Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3425; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063425 - 19 Mar 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2953

Abstract

Historical illustrations give us hypothetical visual reconstructions of the past, which contribute to their interpretation, knowledge, and understanding. The progress of software for the design and production of images has optimized the possibilities of generating models of educational and understandable illustrations of spaces, facts, and concepts of the past. At the same time, promoting historical recreation activities allows us to obtain photographic and moving images of a historical nature, which can be integrated into image processing software. This paper describes the experience of the DIDPATRI group (Heritage Education, comprehensive museography and new technologies) the University of Barcelona with the Battle of the Ebro (Spanish Civil War, 1938), concerning the design of models/educational illustrations of the conflict. The developed actions show that, with well-defined criteria, support for recreation, and basic but highly educational software that is understandable and replicable, iconographic models can be obtained at a reasonable cost. The final result provides us with the possibility to understand the past in greater detail. The heritage of the conflict gives us the possibility to reflect, thereby directly affecting the formation of quality citizenship. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Values of Cultural Heritage for Society. Greater Citizen Participation.)

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22 pages, 330 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Good Educational Practices for the Development of Inclusive Heritage Education at School through the Museum: A Multi-Case Study in Bologna

by Inmaculada Gómez-Hurtado, José María Cuenca-López and Beatrice Borghi

Sustainability 2020, 12(20), 8736; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208736 - 21 Oct 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3489

Abstract

This article presents the outcomes and conclusions of a research work designed to determine and describe good inclusive practices for the development of heritage education in schools through museums in the city of Bologna. To this end, we applied a qualitative methodology through the study of four cases, four museums in the city of Bologna, selected for their good practices in educational programmes for schools. Instruments such as interviews, observation, and documentary analysis were used. The results emphasise a close school-museum relationship, with heritage as an agent that enhances people’s identity, a fundamental element in the citizenship development of Bolognese society, and a key aspect for the development of inclusive principles and the care of all people, although improvements in the processes and some limitations in the development of the programmes are perceived. The outcomes highlight the importance of school and museum relations and the development of an inclusive heritage education that advocates a holistic, integrative, and complex approach to heritage, as an essential element in the development of the individual and of society. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Values of Cultural Heritage for Society. Greater Citizen Participation.)

21 pages, 340 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spanish Archaeological Museums during COVID-19 (2020): An Edu-Communicative Analysis of Their Activity on Twitter through the Sustainable Development Goals

by Pilar Rivero, Iñaki Navarro-Neri, Silvia García-Ceballos and Borja Aso

Sustainability 2020, 12(19), 8224; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12198224 - 6 Oct 2020

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 4717

Abstract

On 18 March 2020, Spanish museums saw their in-person activities come to a halt. This paradigm shift has raised questions concerning how these institutions reinvented themselves and modified their edu-communicative strategies to promote heritage through active citizen participation. The present study centers on analyzing how the main Spanish archaeological museums and sites (N = 254) have used Twitter as an edu-communicative tool and analyzes the content of their hashtags through a mixed methodology. The objective is to identify the educational strategies for both transmitting information as well as interacting with users. We did it by observing and analyzing if Spanish archaeological institutions are promoting a type of quality, accessible, and egalitarian education and promoting the creation of cyber communities that ensure the sustainability of heritage through citizen participation. This paper proposes an innovative assessment of communication on Twitter based on the purpose of messages from the viewpoint of heritage education, their r-elational factor, and predominant type of learning. The main findings reveal a significant increase in Twitter activity, both in quantitative and qualitative terms: educational content is gaining primacy over the simple sharing of basic information and promotional content. The networks forge new ways to teach–learn and interact with media and represent a strong channel to promote the sustainability of heritage, its preservation, and appreciation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Values of Cultural Heritage for Society. Greater Citizen Participation.)

25 pages, 895 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Towards Greater Citizen Participation in Financing Public Cultural Institutions—Legal Barriers and Proposed Solutions

by Anna Modzelewska, Sebastian Skuza, Marta Szeluga-Romańska and Marta Materska-Samek

Sustainability 2020, 12(19), 7957; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12197957 - 25 Sep 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4138

Abstract

The paper contains a conceptual proposal that aims at indicating new models of participatory financing of cultural institutions as well as actions towards supporting culture. It presents results of a qualitative study in the form of action research, on identifying legal barriers of financing of cultural institutions in Poland. Additionally, it presents practical suggestions to the encountered problems that were worked out after discussions with cultural managers, taxpayers, and government administration decision-makers. The unique value of the study is a multidimensional and complex analysis of participatory financing of culture, citing varied sources and bearing a structured research procedure. We suggest a new discussion on establishing legal solutions for increasing of the funding or making the financing of cultural institutions more flexible, which appears to be particularly important in crisis times. All is presented as an original concept of participatory citizen-enterprise fiscal mechanism of supporting cultural institutions. We present a pragmatic solution to a problem of additional public support of culture, which can be put into practice parallel to state mechanisms, considering culture as a part of sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Values of Cultural Heritage for Society. Greater Citizen Participation.)

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