Symbolic Reparation,Heritage and Political Transition in South Africa’s Eastern Cape

This article first examines the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendation of symbolic reparation for apartheid, and its effect on South African heritage. Second, it considers the relationship between public history and civic nation building in South Africa, as well as problems in trying to develop an inclusive public history through museums. Case studies drawn from Grahamstown and Mthatha in the Eastern Cape are explored as examples of the redevelopment of the old and establishment of the new public history as part of the negotiated transition.     

To the rhythm of shopping—on synchronisation in urban landscapes of consumption

This paper contributes to the ongoing reappraisal of the 'publicness' of public space, a project begun in relation to many different spaces and from a variety of perspectives. The research presented here examines the major motivations and debates leading up to the creation and consequent opening of two of Liverpool's most prominent urban parks, Sefton Park and Stanley Park, in the late 1860s and early 1870s. Evidence is taken from the Minutes of various Town Council Meetings and Sub-Committee Meetings as well as from Liverpool's news media of the period (1858–1872). Attention is therefore focused on the contests and debates that are connected to official action and policies, highlighting the differing values which were seen to attach to the public space of urban parks in Liverpool and the roles it was believed they could play. There are obvious inequalities in the provision of public space in Liverpool in the nineteenth century, illustrating how the city built class parks. Interlocking systems of oppression of gender, class and ethnicity meant that accessibility to Liverpool's urban parks was, and still is, subject to the complex ways in which these worked together. Indeed there are many parallels between the nineteenthcentury urban experience and ongoing contemporary debates regarding public space and its accessibility. Cet article ajoute aux discussions courantes visant à réexaminer la notion de 'public' en ce qui àtrait à l'espace publique, un projet relié à différents espaces et différentes perspectives. Les recherches ici présentées examinent les motivations principales et les débats qui ont menéàla création et ouverture de deux des plus importants parcs urbains de Liverpool, les parcs Sefton et Stanley, à la fin des années 1860 et début des années 1870. Le matériel àl'appui est tiré des notes de réunions des Conseil and Sous-Conseil Municipaux et des médias de Liverpool de l'époque (1858–1872). La discussion porte principalement sur les conflits et débats rattachés aux actions et politiques officielles, mettant l'emphase sur les valeurs divergentes associées à l'espace urbain de Liverpool et au rôle que cet espace devrait jouer. Il est évident qu'il existe des inégalités marquées dans la distribution de l'espace publique à Liverpool au dix-neuvième siècle et ceci démontre que la ville a bâti des parcs destinés à certaines classes. Des systèmes d'oppression inter-reli´s axés sur la classe, le sexe et l'ethnicitédémontrent que l'accès aux parcs urbains de Liverpool était, et est toujours, sujet à l'imbrication complexe de ces éléments. Este papel contribuye a la continuada nueva apreciación de la 'naturaleza pública' del espacio público, un proyecto iniciado con relación a muchos espacios diferentes y desde una variedad de perspectivas. La investigación que presentamos aquí examina los principales motivaciones y debates que llevaron a la creación y consecuente inauguración de dos de los parques urbanos más importantes de Liverpool; el parque Sefton y el parque Stanley, a finales de los años 60 y a principios de los años 70 del siglo diezinueve. Las pruebas vienen de las actas de varias Reuniones del Consejo Municipal, de reuniones de la subcomisión y también de la prensa de Liverpool de la época (1858–1872). Por lo tanto el enfoque es sobre las contiendas y debates, unidos a acción oficial y políticas, que destacan los diferentes valores atribuidos al espacio público de los parques urbanos de Liverpool y los papeles que se creía que tenían. Hay desigualdades muy evidentes en la provisión de espacio público en Liverpool en el siglo diezinueve, lo cual demuestra que construyeron parques distintos para las distintas clases sociales en la ciudad. Los intertejidos sistemas de opresión de género, clase y etnicidad hacían que el acceso a los parques urbanos de Liverpool fuera, y siga siendo, sujeto al complejo funcionamiento de éstos en conjunto.     

‘The Birthplace of Australian Multiculturalism?’ Retrospective Commemoration,Participatory Memoralisation and Official Heritage

In Australia, the authorised heritage discourse contributes to shaping the stereotypically Australian. It actively engages in creating a contemporary national story which glosses over the more shameful or distasteful episodes and themes in Australian colonial and post‐colonial history which is presented as being by‐and‐large progressive and benign. While the process of forging national history has become more complex and increasingly fraught, given globalisation and the emergence of new histories, nation and nationalism remain culturally persistent. The turn to multiculturalism from the 1970s as the principal way of defining Australianness and the nation lead some conservatives in politics and the heritage industry to appropriate the new social history, using it to present diversity as an indicator of a fair and open society. In this process, both history—an evolving academic discipline—and the past—lived experience which has meanings and uses in the present—were transformed into heritage.     

Intangible cultural heritage and the better angels of folklore’s nature

Abstract

Folklore research in the United States typically is completed either through academic departments or in organisations designed to create public presentations of traditional expressive culture. These two approaches are termed ‘academic folklore’ and ‘public folklore’. The intellectual history of both approaches has recently been critiqued. One result of this deconstruction is an ambivalence over the historical legacy of key concepts in the study of folklore. Assessing elements of the critical study of folklore’s history – in both academe and the public sector – suggests opportunities for reconstituting the study of traditional culture to establish a more socially responsive approach that is relevant to ways that heritage professionals assess folklore as intangible culture heritage.     

Sustainable policy? A public debate about nature development in the Netherlands

This article makes, first, a general argument for ‘sustainable policies.’ This argument will build on the observation that modern societies, of all political guise, find it difficult to cope with the challenges and opportunities posed by science and technology. Classical models of democracy do not seem to be sufficiently equipped to guide the political process in our highly developed societies. Second, this paper will discuss constructivist views on the development of technology in relation to society, and explore possible implications for democratization of technological culture. And finally, the article will present a particular case of experimentation with one alternative form of democracy. This experimental addendum to the existing political repertoires in the Netherlands was a public debate about the issue of ‘nature development’ or ‘nature construction’—the making of new nature, for example by giving back some of the Dutch land to the water of the rivers Rhein and Maas.     

Heritage Noire: truth,history, and colonial anxiety in The Blair Witch Project

When watching the film The Blair Witch Project we seem to be witnessing through its clumsy, apparently uncrafted footage the unmediated documentation of 'reality' as it occurs. This article argues that the carefully crafted deceit of The Blair Witch Project may be understood as part of a subversive 'public history' project that uses modern history's own scientific motifs and methodologies against itself and challenges its basic tenets. If positive myths of the past are structured into what we tend to call heritage, i.e. shared narratives affirming a positive sense of self and region or nation, then this paper argues that The Blair Witch Project takes the same notion and subverts it, giving its chosen audience a dark and unsettling sense of its own history.     

改革十年：庞贝管理自治权的兴衰（上）

1997年9月,一项特别法案赋予庞贝考古遗址新的身份——从意大利文化部的地方直属管理局改制为一个自治管理局.2008年7月,意大利总理宣布庞贝进入为期一年的紧急状态,并委任一名特别专员以应对“该考古遗址的严峻局势”.本文旨在回顾庞贝在这十年间的转型,考察其重大机构改革,并分析其间的工作以及人力和资金管理的演变.本文除关注专业问题之外,还着重研究文化机构问责制的作用,以及意大利公共行政管理体系的特征,并对公共机构转型是否存在全球统一的路径提出质疑.     

公职人员行政法律意识解析--以江苏省文化系统公职人员为对象

目前我国法治水平的提高,除了必须关注法律自身的完善外,公职人员的行政法律意识直接影响和决定着依法行政的进程,进而影响到依法治国的步伐。本文从解析江苏省文化系统公职人员行政法律意识这一微观角度入手,宏观上阐述公职人员行政法律意识存在误区的原因,并提出增强法律意识的方法和途径,为依法行政做些理论和实践上的探讨。     

Conversation with Ernestina Mamaní

This paper records a conversation that took place on Thursday 23rd November 2006 at the Museo del Hombre de Antofagasta de la Sierra (Museum of Man of Antofagasta de la Sierra), Catamarca, Argentina. The conversation involved different research groups co-investigating, each formed by a student of archaeology and a member of the personnel of the museum and/or other areas of the culture of the municipality of Antofagasta de la Sierra. Each presented the state of his/her enquiry into a particular object in the museum collection. The task was to tie stories to objects: stories by the elders of the town, the people who had discovered the item, the personnel of the museum and the texts written by archaeologists. This paper focuses on the conversation with Ernestina Mamaní, about a stone slab by Antofagasta elder, Don Anacleto Cháves, which she and Laura Roda had chosen to research.

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Résumé Cet article rapporte une conversation qui a eu lieu le jeudi 23 novembre 2006 au Museo del Hombre de Antofagasta de la Sierra (Musée de l'homme d'Antofagasta de la Sierra), Catamarca, Argentine. La conversation mettait en scène différents groupes de recherche travaillant conjointement, chacun constitué d’un étudiant en archéologie, d’un membre du personnel du musée et/ou d'autres secteurs du service de la Culture de la municipalité d'Antofagasta de la Sierra. Chacun a présenté l'état de ses recherches autour d’un objet particulier des collections de musée. Il s’agissait d’accoler des récits aux objets: histoires rapportées par les anciens du village, les personnes ayant découvert l'objet, le personnel du musée et les rapports écrits par les archéologues. Cet article relate particulièrement la conversation avec Ernestina Mamaní, au sujet d'une dalle de pierre faite par un ancien d'Antofagasta, Don Anacleto Cháves, qu’elle même et Laura Roda avaient choisie pour leur recherche.

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Resumen Esta ponencia registra una conversación que sucedió el jueves 23 de noviembre de 2006 en el Museo del Hombre de Antofagasta de la Sierra, Catamarca, Argentina. La conversación involucraba diferentes grupos de co-investigación, integrado por una estudiante de arqueología y un miembro del personal del museo y/o otras areas de cultura de la municipalidad de Antofagasta de la Sierra. Cada una presentaba el estado de su indagación acerca de un objeto particular de la colección del museo. La consigna era anudar historias a cada objeto, historias ofrecidas por los ancianos del pueblo, los descubridores de la pieza, el personal del museo y los textos escritos por arqueólogos. Esta ponencia se focaliza en la conversación con Ernestina Mamaní, sobre una laja encontrada por un vecino de Antofagasta, Don Anacleto Cháves, que ella y Laura Roda habían elegido para investigar.