Browsing by Author "Schmutz, Vaughn"
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Item Diffusion and decoupling in the world heritage movement: exploring global/local tensions in Africa(Taylor & Francis, 2016-06-16) Elliott, Michael A.; Schmutz, Vaughn; Towson University. Department of Anthropology, Sociology & Criminal JusticeA common critique of world society theory is that it overemphasises processes of institutional expansion and isomorphism, and underemphasises instances of decoupling and local variation. We address this concern head-on through an analysis of the world heritage movement. On the one hand, we detail how this movement has expanded into a global institution with highly standardised procedures for evaluating the ‘outstanding universal value’ of cultural and natural sites around the world. On the other hand, we detail how these procedures involve rational-scientific assumptions about evaluation that lead to regional inequality, hindering the ability of less developed countries to successfully nominate, inscribe and manage world heritage sites. With a specific focus on African countries, we identify how decoupling occurs in two distinct ways that hamper their participation in the world heritage movement: (1) a lack of scientific and technical expertise and (2) a cultural mismatch between local and global conceptions of universal value.Item Rationalized authenticity and the transnational spread of intangible cultural heritage(Elsevier, 2019-08) Elliott, Michael A.; DeSoucey, Michaela; Schmutz, Vaughn; Towson University. Department of Anthropology, Sociology & Criminal JusticeThe 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was adopted by UNESCO to enshrine and preserve exemplars of the intangible heritage of humanity – practices, traditions, and cultural expressions – on a global register. In our view, this convention highlights a tension between the valorization of cultural diversity on one hand and the universal relevance and value of masterpieces of intangible heritage to all humankind on the other. We introduce the term rationalized authenticity to refer to processes by which this tension is mitigated through simultaneous 1) fostering of a diversity of ways that heritage may be expressed or understood and 2) translation into rationalized forms that demonstrate the transnational relevance of cultural heritage. Based on a comparative analysis of three diverse examples of heritage on UNESCO’s list from outside the core of the cultural world system – tango from Argentina and Uruguay, acupuncture and moxibustion from China, and the Kodály concept from Hungary – we show how rationalized authenticity encourages the adoption of alternative definitions of cultural heritage and also facilitates the transnational spread and transformation of select masterpieces of intangible heritage.Item Tourism and sustainability in the evaluation of World Heritage sites, 1980-2010(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2016-03-10) Elliott, Michael A.; Schmutz, Vaughn; Towson University. Department of Anthropology, Sociology & Criminal JusticeAt present, there are myriad concerns about tourism and sustainability at cultural and natural world heritage sites. Based on an analysis of 811 evaluations written between 1980 and 2010 by two official advisory bodies to the World Heritage Committee, this paper charts the timing and extent to which such concerns have become central to assessing the value of heritage sites. We find that, over time, issues related to tourism and sustainability expanded considerably in quantity and variety, and recommendations for managing and developing sustainable tourism became a routine feature of site evaluations. Despite the growing prevalence of such concerns, the conceptualization of sustainable tourism and related recommendations provided by the advisory experts remain somewhat ambiguous. Furthermore, our findings reveal regional disparities in the degree to which tourism is seen as a threat to the sustainability of heritage sites and in the likelihood that a state is considered a model of sustainable tourism.Item World heritage and the scientific consecration of ‘outstanding universal value’(Sage Publications, 2017-04-25) Elliott, Michael A.; Schmutz, Vaughn; Towson University. Department of Anthropology, Sociology & Criminal JusticeSince World War II, the world heritage movement generated widespread support for preserving various sites of natural and cultural significance deemed to have outstanding universal value (OUV) for humanity. While the designation and evaluation of OUV were initially ambiguous, this process underwent expansive rationalization over time. Building on world society scholarship, we argue that specialized international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) played a particularly prominent role in defining OUV, formalizing the process of evaluation, and reinforcing the legitimacy of world heritage by promoting scientific standards and techniques. To support these claims, we systematically examine 811 ‘advisory body’ evaluations produced by associated INGOs from 1980 to 2010 to illustrate (a) the expansive rationalization of evaluative procedures related to world heritage and (b) the increasing reliance on scientific legitimacy to define and validate OUV, particularly for cultural sites. Overall, our findings lend support to institutional theories of globalization.Item World heritage: constructing a universal cultural order(Elsevier, 2012-06) Elliott, Michael A.; Schmutz, Vaughn; Towson University. Department of Anthropology, Sociology & Criminal JusticeSince the late 1970s, the formal designation of world heritage sites has grown exponentially. Today, there are over 900 such designations bestowed upon national treasures from every corner of the globe, which are believed to have ‘‘outstanding universal value’’ for humanity. At the heart of this world heritage movement is the belief that certain natural and cultural wonders are the collective property and responsibility of all humanity, despite having vastly different historical and geographical origins. What is more, this movement has helped foster a unique feature of contemporary globalization—the recognition of a common, universal heritage to which all societies contribute. But, how did this notion of a ‘‘world’’ heritage come about? Overall, these developments have received little attention from global sociologists. To address this lacuna, we chart the rise of this phenomenon over the past century and a half utilizing a variety of empirical information and explain how key patterns of development reflect fundamental globalization processes— such as the expansion of an interconnected world polity, the diffusion of highly universalistic conceptions of humanity, and the valorization of rationalized techniques as the primary means of human progress. We conclude with suggestions for future research from a global, sociological perspective.