The Problematic of Conceptualizing a European Cultural Heritage
Lähdesmäki, T. (2016). The Problematic of Conceptualizing a European Cultural Heritage. In N. Johnson, & S. Simpson (Eds.), Bridging Differences : Understanding Cultural Interaction in Our Globalized World (pp. 65-79). Inter-Disciplinary Press. https://doi.org/10.1163/9781848883680_007
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2016Copyright
© 2016 Inter-Disciplinary Press. This is a final draft version of an article whose final and definitive form has been published by Inter-Disciplinary Press. Published in this repository with the kind permission of the publisher.
The idea of a common European cultural heritage is frequently referred to in the
political discourses and practices of the EU. The idea of a European cultural
heritage elevates the ideas of ownership and inheritance beyond the local, regional,
or national frameworks and transforms the heritage sites and objects into a
‘common good’ belonging to all Europeans and into a source of a common
European cultural identity. Scholars have debated the possibility of a common
European cultural heritage, and in case such could exist, what it could be grounded
upon. Critical scholars have asked what might be the trans-border European
dimension of heritage that goes beyond the mere sum of national, regional, or local
icons, or questioned the possibility of common European heritage practices due to
the lack of a singular European people. Some scholars have, however, found a
possible common ground for a European cultural heritage for example in urbanity,
European cities and their historical environment, and the styles and movements of
art and architecture. Functions and uses of the idea of European cultural heritage
and the contexts in which it becomes important and meaningful have changed over
the course of time and are constantly transforming. The recent societal, political,
and cultural changes in Europe have influenced the notions on heritage and made
the concept of a common European cultural heritage more problematic. What is a
European cultural heritage and how has it been approached in recent scholarly
discussions? How can a European cultural heritage be made sense of in relation to
the ideas of universalism, cosmopolitanism, particularism, transnationalism,
translocalism, transculturalism, and pan-Europeanism? The paper aims to clarify
the meanings of a European cultural heritage and critically discuss the problematic
related to its foundations.
...


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Bridging Differences : Understanding Cultural Interaction in Our Globalized WorldKeywords
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