Abstract:

Analysis presented in this paper is a part of a broader H2020 collaborative research project “Cultural Heritage and Identities of Europe’s Future” (CHIEF, agreement no. 770464) which is innovative in its approach to the cultural literacy of young people by privileging the importance of production and transition of cultural knowledge in both formal educational settings initiated from above, and a variety of informal social interactions. Heritage sites are important environments for young people’s socialization. To carry out qualitative investigation of young people’s experiences of engagement with the conventional and alternate forms of cultural heritage representation, the researchers selected one mainstream heritage site and one alternative heritage site in each of the consortium member countries: UK, Latvia, Croatia, Georgia, Turkey, Spain, Slovakia, India and Germany. These countries have a distinctive historical, cultural, political and social background that has shaped the experiences of youth and influenced various aspects of young people engagement and relationship with cultural heritage.

The fieldwork conducted at heritage sites was aimed at finding out:
(1) what is the understanding of culture and cultural heritage by visitors to heritage sites;
(2) what determines the level of their engagement with the heritage sites;
(3) what kind of experience young people gain when learning about cultural heritage;
(4) what are young people’s practices of engaging with cultural heritage at the mainstream and alternative heritage sites.

By addressing places of cultural socialisation and inter-cultural dialogue both in terms of various types of localities (big urban centres, small towns, and rural areas), and different socio-cultural environments (museums, theatres, art centres, memorial sites, youth groups and networks) the researchers examined the political and practical limitations of elitist and historically static understanding of European cultural heritage by unpacking its underlying politics of cultural selectivity, with reference to ‘heritage in making’. Each country research findings consider the factors influencing young people’s cultural socialisation, with a view to mapping both their cultural references and the existing and emerging forms of inter-cultural dialogue in which young people are engaged.

Keywords:

Cultural heritage, young people, heritage sites, cultural literacy.