Advanced knowledge of English, oral and written
Heritage Studies and ICT is a module aiming at supporting students in understanding heritage interpretation
and management, also related to digitalization and digital archives. Students will face the following questions:
How are cultural objects and practices turned into heritage? Who are the experts and agencies that deal with heritage? How do societies/consumers deal with heritage and how it impacts on them? Who are the relevant stakeholders, actors and factors in heritage practices? How is heritage managed? What has politics to do with heritage.
Students acquire:
• Comprehension of the historical and critical elements necessary to understand the basic concepts of heritage;
• Knowledge about the fluid heritage typology, as related to natural and cultural domains, material/immaterial assets, digital domains.
• Capacity to consider heritage not only as a ‘site’ or ‘object’ but as a dynamic cultural process or a material/virtual product.
• Understanding of the significance of heritage for societies;
• Understanding of the political and ideological implications of heritage;
• Understanding of how do relevant agencies and stakeholders (on the local, national and international levels) design the way heritage is identified, defined, valued, managed, perceived and consumed;
• Understanding of the international and national legal frame of heritage, including restrictions and their impact on heritage management;
• Capacity of developing a heritage-based personal project (written assignment).
The objectives of the module are coherent with the Cultural Studies critical approach related to Travel and Tourism theories and to Anthropology of complex societies. The objectives are also coherent with the general framework of the MA PMTS Course, with reference to the AREA “Languages, Art, Culture”, devoted to tourism and heritage in their cultural impact and in managerial perspectives.
• Identification and definitions of heritage; scales and types of heritage;
• Heritage value, significance and impacts on societies;
• The authenticity debate - perception, interpretation, participation, virtual experiences;
• The political and ideological implications of heritage;
• Heritage Conservation and Management: the main actors and bodies dealing with heritage on the global, European, national and local levels;
• The legal frame of heritage management: international, national and regional legislation related to heritage. Copyright, open licenses and freedom of panorama. The implications and impacts of legislation on heritage management.
Seminarial activities will involve experts from different countries, including moments of distance learning.
The course has a blended approach based on both theory and practical production, and will imply a large use of ICT, as following:
• Lectures with the support of Power Point Presentations;
• International case studies with ample presentation;
• Short videos presented and commented;
• Group and individual works and discussions;
• Guided excursions and visits with field work
After becoming familiar with the basic concepts of heritage and its management models, students will be guided in the production of their own assignment, applying theory to a heritage-based individual project.
The assessment and evaluation are based on an oral exam, completed by written assignments previously marked. The final evaluation will be expressed in n/30. Detailed instructions will be also given to the students at the beginning of the course.
Mark Vademecum:
Outstanding (30 e lode): excellent knowledge of all of the contents of the course. Excellent ability to analyze the texts and to contextualize them in an appropriate way. The student’s uses of the academic register/style with appropriate terminologies.
Very good (30 to 28): very good knowledge of all of the contents of the course. Very good ability to analyse the texts and to contextualize them in an appropriate way.
Good (27-25): Good knowledge of the contents of the course. Adequate ability to describe the texts. The language used is simple but correct.
Fair/sufficient (24-20): Sufficient knowledge, coherence, use of appropriate resources and quality of presentation to warrant a basic pass. The ability to analyse the texts is not wholly satisfactory. The performance is very descriptive and does not fully address the issues raised by the questions.
Barely sufficient (19-18): The performance is very descriptive and does not fully address the issues raised by the questions.
Fail (below 18): The student demonstrates only a basic awareness of the contents of the course. The performance is confused and incoherent, with inaccuracies and major errors.
For non-attendee students, frequent contacts with the teachers are recommended. (virtual or in presence). Some further readings are suggested, also for insights in view of the final thesis:
F.Schouten, Managing Visitors: Helping the frail to prevail, NHTV Academic Studies, 2005.
A.A.V.V., E-CUL-TOURS. Enhancing Networks in Heritage Tourism, TAB, 2019
ERASMUS STUDENTS:
Erasmus students are recommended to introduce themselves to the lecturers at the beginning of the teaching period, either if they are attendee or non-attendee students. Programmes and exam contents are the same for Erasmus and non-Erasmus students. A special winter session of exams is available for the Erasmus students who finish their stay in December.
In case the course is delivered in the dual/blended or online mode, what has been stated in the syllabus is susceptible to change in order to make both the classes and the exams accessible in a non face-to-face environment.