Předměty

Poslední úprava: Mgr. Jaroslav Ira, Ph.D. (14.02.2020)

The course is an introduction to applied heritage studies, the dynamic field that deals with the uses of the past as a resource for the needs of contemporary societies. In the theoretical and methodological part, students get acquainted with jargon of the contemporary heritage discourse and learn basic analytical and interpretative skills, that can be applied for critical analysis of practices, policies, and social debates related to cultural heritage. The thematic classes focus on examples of various types, media, practices, and functions of heritage (e.g. support of tourism, identity formation, political engagement). The final part provides space for presentations of students’ own case studies. The objective of the course is to provide orientation and analytical training in heritage studies, and to teach students to understand heritage as a dynamic and complex structure of policies, institutions, actors, concepts and discourses, in which social needs, interests, identities, and conflicts are reflected and played out.

Please note the course is primarily designed for students of TEMA+ Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree Programme. A limited number of other students (aprox 5) can be accepted, but they should be on their Master or highly advanced Bachelor level and be prepared to read extensively for the classes and carry discussions and presentations in English.

Preliminary structure:

1. Introduction: uses of the past, urban spaces, identities, power

2. Development of analytical frameworks for students' case studies

3. Reading urban space and architecture

4. Analyzing tourist guides and other media

5. Urban biographies as media of critical engagement

6. What roles for museums in urban societies?

7. Politics of history in urban space: street names

8. Making heroes and contesting statues

9. Inscribing urban history into public spaces: redesigned town squares and public art projects

10. Designing heritage trails, routes a walks

11. Multiple heritages and their uses

12. Presentations of students' case studies

13. Presentations of students' case studies

Poslední úprava: Mgr. Jaroslav Ira, Ph.D. (19.02.2019)

The final evaluation of the students consists of mandatory attendance (max. 3 absences), the regular work for the class (reading for the classes, participation in class discussions), elaboration and presentation of a case study, and a final paper (6-7 pages) based on the case study.

Case study options:

a) Students will identify a particular controversy or public debate that is related to cultural heritage (e.g. to a particular monument or heritage site; cultural policy measure; heritage practice; project; event) and prepare analysis of the debate that will focus on the semantics of the heritage (meanings, values, implied interests and identities etc.) set in a larger context (historical, social). Students may use media discourse, social media analysis, analysis of web-article commentaries etc.

b) Students will choose a particular example of heritage presentation (e.g. a heritage trail, an exhibition, a museum, a re-enactment) and prepare analysis that will focus on the content (semantics of the displayed heritage) and mediality (media and techniques of representation, their effectiveness, ethical implications etc.).

Poslední úprava: Mgr. Jaroslav Ira, Ph.D. (15.02.2020)

The mandatory reading for individual classes will be specified from the list below. The course has got electronic support in Moodle, in which mandatory texts will be available.

Urban space and memory:

Mark Crinson: "Urban memory - an introduction", in: Mark Crinson (ed.): Urban Memory: history and amnesia in the modern city, London and New York: Routledge, 2005, p. xi - xxiii.

Urban biographies:

Jaroslav Ira, "Rethinking the Genre: Urban Biograhies as Means of Creating Critical Public Spheres", Urban History (2019), p. 1-17. doi:10.1017/S0963926819001123

Excerpts from various urban biograpies

City museums:

David Fleming, ‘Making city histories’, in Gaynor Kavanagh (ed.), Making Histories in Museums, London: Routledge, 1996, p. 131–142.

Paul Th. van de Laar, "The Contemporary City as Backbone: Museum Rotterdam Meets the Challenge", Journal of Museum Education, 38:1 (2013), p. 39-49, DOI:10.1080/10598650.2013.11510754

Critical toponymy:

Maoz Azaryahu, “The Power of Commemorative Street Names,” Environment and Planning D: Society and Space 14, no. 3 (1996), pp. 311–330;

Derek Alderman, “Place, Naming, and the Interpretation of Cultural Landscapes,” in: Brian Graham – Peter Howard (eds.), The Ashgate Research Companion to Heritage and Identity, Burlington: Ashgate 2008, pp. 195–213;

Reuben Rose-Redwood – Derek Alderman – Maoz Azaryahu, “Geographies of Toponymic Inscription: New Directions in Critical Place-Name Studies,” Progress in Human Geography 34, no. 4 (2010), pp. 453–470.

Heritage trails and routes:

Nicola MacLeod: "The role of trails in the creation of tourist space", Journal of Heritage Tourism, 12:5 (2017), 423-430.

T.J. Dallen and S.W. Boyd, Tourism and Trails: cultural, ecological and management issues, Bristol, England: Channel View Publications, 2015

Public art in urban spaces:

Ruth Wallach: "Marking the City: Place-Making and the Aesthetics of Urban Spaces", in: Luďa Klusáková - Laure Teulieres (eds.): Frontiers and Identities: Cities in Regions and Nations, Pisa: Edizioni Plus, 2008, p. 281-298.