CULTURE, HERITAGE AND SUSTAINABILITY

The course provides students with the theoretical tools to understand the relationships between culture, heritage, and sustainability in contemporary societies, based on references to international conventions, cultural policies, and operational guidelines adopted by the main international institutions.

1. Knowledge and Understanding: Acquire in-depth knowledge of the main conventions related to cultural heritage, understanding their fundamental principles, objectives, conservation and valorization mechanisms, as well as their role in promoting sustainability.
2. Applying Knowledge and Understanding: Apply the principles of the conventions to concrete case studies, critically evaluating the strategies for conservation, economic and social valorization of cultural heritage in relation to tourism and the environment.
3. Independent Judgment: Critically analyze the evolution of the concept of sustainability in recent decades, evaluating the effectiveness of management plans for cultural assets and their impact on tourism and the environment.
4. Communication Skills: Develop skills to present innovative and sustainable solutions for the management of cultural heritage by actively participating in group discussions and presentations.
5. Learning Skills: Integrate theoretical knowledge with the analysis of case studies and practical experiences in order to address the challenges of conservation and valorization of cultural heritage from a long-term sustainability perspective.

There are not prerequisites.

• The concepts of cultural and natural heritage in the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of the Cultural and Natural Heritage of Humanity (1972).
• The concept of intangible cultural heritage and its rise in the years 1989-2025.
• The recognition of World Heritage: conventions, operational guidelines, criteria, conditions.
• The remarkable case of the notion of authenticity: examples and controversies.
• The distribution of world heritage: typologies, numbers, statistics.
• Examples and remarkable cases.
• The constitutive limits of the 1972 convention and the results of the ‘Global Strategy’ (1994>2025).
• The conventions for the protection of intangible cultural heritage as correctives of these limits.
• Comparison between the World Heritage List and the Representative List of Intangible Heritage.
• Statistics, numbers and differences.
• The role of cultural heritage Management Plans in relation to the value attributed to the assets.
• The participatory turn of Management Plans. Top-down and participatory management plans; formal and traditional management plans.
• The concept of sustainability and its relevance to cultural heritage (world heritage, intangible cultural heritage).
• The objectives of management plans: from pure conservation to participatory enhancement.
• The role of cultural heritage in promoting sustainability.
• Case studies and outstanding examples.’

• Bortolotto, C., & Skounti, A. (Eds.). (2023). Intangible Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development: Inside a UNESCO Convention (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003244158
• Woodward, S.C., & Cooke, L. (2022). World Heritage: Concepts, Management and Conservation (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003044857
• Bourdeau, L., Gravari-Barbas, M. (eds.): World Heritage, Tourism and Identity: Inscription and Co-production. Abingdon: Routledge: 2018
• Bourdeau, L. Gravari-Barbas, M., and M. Robinson (eds.): World Heritage Sites and Tourism: Global and Local Relations. Abingdon: Routledge 2016
• Cave, C. Negussie, E.: World Heritage Conservation: The World Heritage Convention, Linking Culture and Nature for Sustainable Development. Abingdon. Routledge: 2018
• Larsen, P. B., Logan, W. (eds.), World Heritage and Sustainable Development, Routledge, Oxon-New York, 2018
• Stefano, M. L., Davis, P. The Routledge Companion to Intangible Cultural Heritage, Routledge, Oxon-New York, 2017

Unless explicitly agreed individually, the standard mode is a written examination. Alternatively, students may AGREE with the lecturer to take the examination in the form of an oral interview. There is no difference in the syllabus between attending and non-attending students.
1/3 of the score
1. Knowledge of the notions of cultural good, intangible good, cultural management, sustainability, and their definitions in the main international conventions
2. Knowledge of the rules and procedures related to the recognition of cultural heritage and intangible heritage, in international conventions
3. Knowledge of the main theoretical and political arguments and controversies underlying the rules
1/3 of the score
4. Knowledge of a large number of relevant case studies in relation to conventions and procedures
5. Knowledge of the main cultural policies adopted by Unesco and international institutions with respect to the management of cultural heritage of humanity and intangible heritage
6. Knowledge of the main outcomes of cultural policies and their weaknesses
1/3 of the score
7. Knowledge of the main forms of cultural heritage management recommended by Unesco in the operational guidelines and implementation manuals of its conventions
8. Knowledge of the main roles played by the notion of sustainability with respect to cultural management in the 21st century
9. Knowledge of the relationship between management, sustainability and tourism in the most recent guidelines adopted by Unesco.’

written

A. Scores in the range of 18-22 will be assigned if:
- A basic knowledge and sufficient understanding of the course content is demonstrated.
- The ability to apply knowledge and formulate independent judgments is limited.
- Communication skills are sufficient, particularly in the use of terminology related to cultural heritage and sustainability.
B. Scores in the range of 23-26 will be assigned if:
- A good knowledge and understanding of the course content is demonstrated.
- A decent ability to apply knowledge and formulate independent judgments is shown.
- Communication skills are adequate, with a correct use of the specific terminology of cultural heritage and sustainability.
C. Scores in the range of 27-30 will be assigned if:
- A thorough or excellent knowledge and a complete understanding of the course content is demonstrated.
- A strong or excellent ability to apply knowledge and formulate independent judgments is shown.
- Communication skills are fully appropriate, with a precise use of the specific terminology of cultural heritage and sustainability.
D. Honors (30L) will be awarded in the presence of:
- Exceptional knowledge of the course content.
- Extraordinary ability to formulate independent judgments and apply knowledge critically and innovatively.
- Excellent communication skills, with an impeccable use of the specific terminology of cultural heritage and sustainability.

The course consists of:
• lectures
• workshops on specific topics
• group work on assigned topics

At the start of the course, the following documents will be made available on the online platforms
• lesson slides (at the end of each week of the course)
• official documents (conventions, government acts, etc.)
• scientific publications (articles and essays) accessible on online platforms.
• instructions on preparing the final examination

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "International cooperation" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development