Kalliopi Fouseki

Damage function for historic paper. Part I: Fitness for use

BackgroundIn heritage science literature and in preventive conservation practice, damage functions are used to model material behaviour and specifically damage (unacceptable change), as a result of the presence of a stressor over time. For such functions to be of use in the context of collection management, it is important to define a range of parameters, such as who the stakeholders are (e.g. the public, curators, researchers), the mode of use (e.g. display, storage, manual handling), the long-term planning horizon (i.e. when in the future it is deemed acceptable for an item to become damaged or unfit for use), and what the threshold of damage is, i.e. extent of physical change assessed as damage.ResultsIn this paper, we explore the threshold of fitness for use for archival and library paper documents used for display or reading in the context of access in reading rooms by the general public. Change is considered in the context of discolouration and mechanical deterioration such as tears and missing pieces: forms of physical deterioration that accumulate with time in libraries and archives. We also explore whether the threshold fitness for use is defined differently for objects perceived to be of different value, and for different modes of use. The data were collected in a series of fitness-for-use workshops carried out with readers/visitors in heritage institutions using principles of Design of Experiments.ConclusionsThe results show that when no particular value is pre-assigned to an archival or library document, missing pieces influenced readers/visitors’ subjective judgements of fitness-for-use to a greater extent than did discolouration and tears (which had little or no influence). This finding was most apparent in the display context in comparison to the reading room context. The finding also best applied when readers/visitors were not given a value scenario (in comparison to when they were asked to think about the document having personal or historic value). It can be estimated that, in general, items become unfit when text is evidently missing. However, if the visitor/reader is prompted to think of a document in terms of its historic value, then change in a document has little impact on fitness for use.

Valuing an Ancient Palaestra in the Centre of Athens: The Public, the Experts, and Aristotle

Abstract This paper investigates the values assigned to the archaeological site widely known as ‘Lykeion’ of Aristotle’ — the famous ancient Greek philosopher — by experts and non-experts. The paper revolves around the premise that values should be holistically conceived as both the ‘what’ is valued and the ‘whys’ that drive the ‘whats’. Based on semi-structured interviews and quantitative questionnaires, the diverse values attributed by professionals, such as architects, archaeologists, or conservators, and the wider public will be unveiled. It will be demonstrated that values vary fundamentally not only between experts and non-experts but also within groups of experts. Furthermore, it will be argued that the conduct of in-depth research aimed at exploring experts’ and non-experts’ values and meanings, prior to interventions for the enhancement of any archaeological site, is vital for managing potential tensions and for offering an integrated interpretation strategy.

Drivers of community participation in heritage tourism planning: an empirical investigation

ABSTRACT Despite increased emphasis on community participation in tourism planning, our current knowledge of community attitudes and their motivations to engage in such collaborative governance is limited and fragmented. This paper explores the role of heritage values, tourism and community perceptions held by destination hosts as drivers to willingness to participate in heritage tourism development. Such enquiry aims to enhance our current knowledge of community views and their potential to influence involvement in participatory decision-making in order to inform policy approaches to collaborative heritage tourism strategies. Using a relatively inexperienced destination community (Kastoria, Greece), the study collects quantitative data via an attitudinal survey. Our findings suggest that intentions to participate are mainly driven by community ideals while their positive influence is more evident on community members with high place attachment. Heritage values play a significant role; however, their effects do not always favour participation as they can also act as barriers to involvement. On the other hand, tourism perceptions are found to be mainly insignificant in shaping intentions to participate. Finally, the paper presents and discusses variations between different demographic groups and draws implications for policy.

Mind the gap: rigour and relevance in collaborative heritage science research

BackgroundThis paper examines if there is a ‘rigour-relevance gap’ in collaborative heritage science research and what enables and impedes effective collaboration between academic researchers and users of research evidence in practice. A quantitative attitudes questionnaire was distributed amongst the heritage science community: 210 responses were received. Respondents answered in relation to one project they had worked on in the UK in the previous five years. They were asked about their personal goals in relation to the project and whether these were achieved, satisfaction levels in relation to project outcomes and impact, level of agreement with a series of attitude statements to ascertain what helped and hindered projects, personal characteristics and project characteristics. The questionnaire was analysed using a factor analytic, segmentation and profiling approach.ResultsMost respondents sought both rigour and relevance in collaborative research, were generally satisfied with the outcomes of projects and reported positive experiences of collaboration. However, respondents were less satisfied that the impact of projects would be realised. Practice-focussed goals were associated with lower levels of self-rated achievement than academic goals and a sizeable minority reported challenges in collaborative research. Furthermore, researchers and users differed in terms of their goals, experiences and level of satisfaction. Users had high expectations that research would translate into practice, but did not always feel this was realised.ConclusionResults from this project will inform how to improve heritage science research collaborations.

Community participation in heritage tourism planning: is it too much to ask?

ABSTRACT Considering the complications of collecting empirical data on community participation, this study proposes a new methodological approach that departs from the current literature. For the first time, an experimental procedure is adopted to conduct a direct comparison between participatory and non-participatory decision-making in the context of heritage tourism planning. Contrary to previous work, this is the first ex-ante assessment of community participation at a destination with no such prior experience. The analysis relies on behavioural data on choices, deliberation and conflict studied in the context of a controlled collaborative environment. The findings suggest that choices and deliberation between participatory and non-participatory groups exhibit no statistically significant differences although participatory groups were more susceptible to conflict. However, interestingly, conflict was constructive as it increased provisions for heritage goods. Furthermore, intra-group heterogeneity did not always affect collective decisions negatively whereas trust and institutional credibility played a major role in influencing both individual and collective preferences. These findings have important implications for research and policy, opening a novel avenue for the systematic study of participation dynamics to inform the instigation of participatory endeavours.

Heritage Conservation and Sustainable Development in Sacred Places: Towards a New Approach

This contribution aims to propose a new approach to sustainability, applicable in the context of sacred sites that are also imbued with heritage significance. The special focus of the paper is the case of Mecca, a sacred site of universal spiritual and historic significance. Mecca’s case deals with the challenge of having to accommodate its increasing numbers of pilgrims without disturbing the site’s spiritual value. Therefore, this case study is an excellent current example that demonstrates the tensions that arise where modern development and construction coexist or contradict the spirituality of the site. Based on discussions with local and international pilgrims on site that took place in summer 2015, the contribution unveils the pivotal role of adding a new ‘pillar’ in sustainable development models – that of spirituality. Currently, the spiritual significance of certain heritage sites lies rather uncomfortably between social and cultural sustainability. In addition, rather unexpectedly to the authors, the modern development constructions were not viewed negatively by the majority of respondents – although there were variations between ‘local’ and ‘international’ pilgrims. These results further proved that, within the context of sacred sites, modern developments can be accepted and a sustainable outcome can indeed be achieved if the planned developments aim to enhance the site’s spirituality rather than diminish it.

Heritage Activism and Cultural Rights: The Case of the New Acropolis Museum

This chapter offers a new perspective on the ‘New Acropolis Museum’ (currently known as the Acropolis Museum) in Athens, Greece. It does so by focusing on the conflicts that emerged during the construction of the museum when the authorities announced the decision to demolish the surrounding 1950s’ blocks of flats as well as the listed neoclassical and Art Deco buildings. The driver of this governmental decision was the enhancement of the surrounding environment of the museum and the provision of uninterrupted views towards the Acropolis Hill. The museum itself was also viewed as an object that should be admired for its innovative architecture and thus the demolition of the aforementioned buildings was deemed to enhance its aesthetics. The long-lasting and intensive debates that ensued as a result of this act demonstrate how the Acropolis Museum formed an arena for “heritage activism” where a diverse range of interest groups (including architects, archaeologists, local residents, local societies) fought against the official and authoritarian decision to demolish nineteenth- and twentieth-century architectural buildings in order to enhance the classical, glorious past of the Acropolis Hill. This heritage activism was partly driven by conceptual ambiguities and clashes in the definitions of cultural and human rights per se, as well as by the different socio-psychological forces and ideologies of the local community towards heritage.

The Mechanics of Cultural Diplomacy: A Comparative Case Study Analysis from the European Context

ABSTRACT The National Institutes for Culture have not attracted much scholarly attention examining their managerial practices. The aim of this article is to explore how the state expresses its agency over the Cultural Institutes of six European countries: the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Sweden, and Greece. Agency presents varying modalities, making instrumentalism more multifaceted than has been implied so far. The authors are introducing here a framework of five “touchpoints” to capture and analyze instrumentalism in cultural diplomacy. Funding, agenda setting, evaluation, hierarchy, and appointment power constitute the typical system of interactions between the Cultural Institutes and their reporting authorities.

Heritage spectacles: the case of Amphipolis excavations during the Greek economic crisis

Abstract This article explores the ways in which the archaeological excavations at Amphipolis, Northern Greece, were transformed into a ‘heritage spectacle’ during the summer of 2014. The article argues that the spectacularisation of Amphipolis excavations constituted a powerful, political medium for dis-orientating the wider Greek public from issues related to the severe economic crisis of the country. Although the practice of heritage spectacularisation is not new, the media spectacle of Amphipolis introduced an advanced mechanism for spectacularizing archaeological research and the past. The article deconstructs this mechanism through a thematic content analysis of about 100 newspaper articles published in the Greek press, filtered through the lenses of spectacle theory. As it is demonstrated, the spectacularisation process of Amphipolis excavations is embodied by emotive dramatisation, banal cultural symbols, escapism and power imbalances. The article concludes with an interpretive framework for heritage spectacles while highlighting ethical and practical implications regarding the role of archaeologists and heritage practitioners towards political ‘abuse’ of heritage in times of socio-economic and political crises.

Editorial: Alternative Dispute Resolution in Cultural Property Disputes: Merging Theory and Practice

This special issue entitled “Alternative Dispute Resolution in Cultural Property Disputes: Merging Theory and Practice” was triggered by the growing gap in literature between practical-empirical and theoretical-academic approaches to this matter. It aims to close this gap by combining articles from practitioners and academics in the field, offering a new, interdisciplinary insight into this topical and critical subject. Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods (such as arbitration, mediation, negotiation, and conciliation) are being used more and more in recent years to resolve a wide range of disputes, including international, commercial, and family disputes as well as many others. Within the fields of cultural heritage studies and cultural heritage management, disputes over the ownership of cultural objects and subsequent claims for their return are emerging even more often.1 However, contrary to the other types of disputes, certain aspects of the application of ADR methods to the resolution of cultural property disputes have not been explored in much depth, with current discussions usually focusing on the potential benefits of such methods and the related legal and procedural matters. All these at a time when