14390 - Heritage Theories and Methods (Online) Modulübersicht

• Prof. Dr. phil. Adam, Jens

 By the end of this module, students will have:

• developed foundational knowledge and critical understanding of the epistemological approaches, theoretical foundations and methodologies that have shaped heritage studies across time and disciplines; 
• acquired reflexive skills and ability to assess the validity, assumptions, and limitations inherent in the way different academic disciplines conceptualise, analyse, and engage with heritage;
• learned to distinguish the empirical methods, theoretical frameworks, and analytical operationstools, according to different research traditions,and apply these coherently to real-world issues;
• gained comprehensive insights into the principles of scholarly research and practice as well as experience in scholarly communication and debating through evidence-based reasoning and comparative reflection.

The World Heritage Studies programme at BTU is distinguished by its interdisciplinary orientation, and this foundational module provides the intellectual and methodological grounding for engaging with heritage from multiple disciplinary perspectives. Developed collaboratively by the academic fields contributing to the programme, it introduces students to the diverse theoretical foundations, epistemologies, and methodologies that underpin heritage studies. The module addresses fundamental questions such as: What theoretical frameworks do different disciplines employ in their study of heritage, cultural heritage, and World Heritage? What are the key debates currently shaping these fields? What methodologies are used to analyse and critically assess heritage sites and heritage processes? Under what conditions is an argument or conclusion considered accurate and sufficiently justified within a given discipline?
Over the course of the semester, students will engage with key approaches from cultural and heritage management, architectural conservation, transcultural studies, the sociology of technology and the environment, political and cultural anthropology, and architectural history.
Students will gain an overview of how different disciplines approach key methodological and conceptual challenges in heritage studies and, on this basis, generate knowledge. Cultural and heritage management will introduce students to the complexities of applying management and governance approaches to cultural institutions, World Heritage sites and heritage projects. Architectural history will provide insights into documentation techniques and the detailed study of historic buildings and settlements. Architectural conservation will address the fundamentals of preserving monuments, ruins, and archaeological sites, examining both theoretical and practical dimensions of intervention. From a transcultural studies perspective, the module will critically engage with debates on the designation of World Heritage sites within the context of asymmetrical globalisation processes and geopolitical tensions. The discussion of anthropological approaches will incorporate ethnographic methods, further expanding this debate by examining heritage-making as a social and political practice.
Through this combination of disciplinary perspectives, theoretical inquiry, and applied case studies, students will develop a nuanced understanding of how different academic fields conceptualise, analyse, and engage with World Heritage—both in theory and in practice

None

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• Lecture / 4 Hours per Week per Semester
• Self organised studies / 120 Hours

• Bangstad Torgeir Rinke & Pétursdóttir, Þóra (2022, eds.): Heritage Ecologies. London & New York: Routledge.
• King, Rachel & Trinida Rico (2024, eds.): Methods and Methodologies in Heritage Studies. London: UCL Press.
• Harrison, Rodney et al. (2020): Heritage Futures: Comparative Approaches to Natural and Cultural Heritage Practices. London: UCL Press
• Keitumetse, Susan O. (2016): African Cultural Heritage Conservation and Management: Theory and Practice from Southern Africa. Cham: Springer. Kockel, Ullrich & Nic Craith, Máiréad: (2007, eds.). Cultural Heritages as Reflexive Traditions. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Lizama Salvatore, Cecilia (2018, eds.): Cultural Heritage Care and Management. Theory and Practice. Lanham, London et al.: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
• Macdonald, Sharon (2018): Heritage. In: Hilary Callan (ed.): The International Encyclopedia of Anthropology. John Wiley & Sons, pp- 1-12 (online).
• Meskell, Lynn (2015, eds.): Global Heritage. A Reader. Malden & Oxford 2015.
• Muñoz-Viñas, Salvador (2023): A Theory of Cultural Heritage: Beyond the Intangible. Oxon–New York: Routledge.
• Sinamai, Ashton, et al. (2024, eds.): Routledge Handbook of Critical African Heritage Studies. London: Routledge.
• Sterling, Colin (2020): Critical Heritage and the Posthumanities: Problems and Prospects. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 26:11, 1029-1046, doi: 10.1080/13527258.2020.1715464
• Stig Sørensen, Marie Louise & John Carman (2009, eds.):  Heritage Studies. Methods and Approaches. London & New York: Routledge.
• Waterton, Emma & Steve Watson (2015, eds.): The Palgrave Handbook of Contemporary Heritage Research. London: Palgrave Macmilllan. 

This module is assessed through two components:

Prerequisite (not graded):
Written commentary (up to 2,000 words) on the approaches to heritage by one discipline presented during the course, to be prepared by students in groups.  The commentaries should guide by the overarching question of how a discipline generates scientific knowledge and robust findings, considering the empirical methods, theoretical frameworks, and analytical approaches employed. They must incorporate additional sources to those presented in the course, collected through individual research by the students.

Final Examination (graded):
A 90-minute written examination that assesses students’ ability to critically engage with key concepts, theories, and methodological approaches discussed throughout the course.

• Master (research-oriented) / Heritage Conservation and Site Management / PO 2026
• Master (research-oriented) / World Heritage Studies / PO 2026
• Master (research-oriented) - Distance Learning / World Heritage Studies / PO 2026

In the event that the module cannot be taught or tested according to the present description (e.g. for reasons of infection protection), the alternatives communicated on relevant platforms (e.g. homepage or Moodle) apply.
This module may be offered in a hybrid format. 

Lecture, Seminar, Examination

• no assignment