Year of Award
2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Type
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Degree Name
Anthropology (Cultural Heritage Option)
Department or School/College
Department of Anthropology
Committee Chair
Kelly J. Dixon
Commitee Members
Gregory Campbell, Anna Prentiss, Steven Adler, Kate Hampton
Keywords
Community, Cultural Heritage, Historic Preservation, Social Justice, Systemic Bias
Abstract
In the wake of a global pandemic and escalating societal challenges, yet another attempt to examine familiar debates about what we preserve and why and the typical arguments for and against historic preservation, seem inconsequential and disconnected from addressing more urgent societal needs such as systemic racism, inequality, police brutality, LGBTQ+ rights, economic and healthy disparities, and environmental justice. The field of historic preservation has the potential, and even obligation, to emphasize and create meaningful impact on larger issues. It should be highlighting and celebrating the diverse stories of people and places that define our community, and the history embodied and inscribed in their places. Unfortunately, the policies, practices, political and economic power struggles, and value frameworks have failed to adequately address and take responsibility for these challenges. Historic preservation is broken. To propose solutions to these challenges, we must explore how advocates of historic preservation can successfully navigate an imperfect system to ensure more diverse and inclusive recognition of social and cultural values that place less emphasis on physical material to determine significance. This requires acknowledgment of the explicit and systemic bias and identification of implicit biases in the process and then seeking ways to address them. Furthermore, we need to develop a framework and tools that help local communities and advocates to define and prioritize their preservation efforts in a way that effectively conveys the narrative, significance, and values of a place for them even if the physical structure cannot be saved. It is imperative to actively engage the community of people who have a direct, identity-defining relationship and attachment to place in the present, while also valuing connections to the past and future. Efforts need to be cultivated and refined to incorporate a more realistic and progressive strategy while maintaining a diverse and inclusive humanistic perspective.
Recommended Citation
Manning, Nikki Marie, "ENDING THE DOOM CYCLE: REDEFINING HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND RECLAIMING TOTAL HERITAGE THROUGH COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE ADVOCACY" (2024). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 12395.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/12395
© Copyright 2024 Nikki Marie Manning