Heritage Development in the Global South

Heritage is a site of both promise and contestation in the Global South. These nations use it for a wide range of purposes: Peru¿s thriving tourism sector rests on a basis of heritage attractions, South Africa negotiates a post-apartheid identity through heritage, and India places increasing numbers of sites on the World Heritage List. Outlining different modes of heritage production and interpretation, this class investigates heritage regimes on scales ranging from local communities and national governance to international recognition. We will examine the role of heritage in building communities and identity; the place of heritage within economic development; the efforts of Global South countries to negotiate the legacies of colonialism and global inequality through managing their pasts; and the deployment of heritage as part of international power struggles within worldwide structures like UNESCO. Drawing on anthropology, heritage studies, and archaeology, students will gain a deeper understanding of how heritage is used by Global South countries to produce identity, support development, domesticate the past, and build the future.