The concept of heritage relates to the ways in which contemporary society uses the past as a social, political or economic resource. However, heritage is open to interpretation and its value may be perceived from differing perspectives - often reflecting divisions in society. Moreover, the schism between the cultural and economic uses of heritage also gives rise to potential conflicts of interest.



Examining these issues in depth, this book is the first sustained attempt to integrate the study of heritage into contemporary human geography. It is structured around three...

This text asks whether there can be a multicultural Ireland. It examines how Catholics and Protestants, nationalists and loyalists, draw upon the past to validate their circumstances and future aspirations in Ireland - but do so within a complex geographical mosaic. Arguing that Ireland's political problems are created by conflicts and confusions of identity, the text discusses the nature of the political economy and the exercise of power within the context of contemporary cultural geography. Examining Ireland's historical complexities, literature, politics, religion, social dimensions and...

This text asks whether there can be a multicultural Ireland. It examines how Catholics and Protestants, nationalists and loyalists, draw upon the past to validate their circumstances and future aspirations in Ireland - but do so within a complex geographical mosaic. Arguing that Ireland's political problems are created by conflicts and confusions of identity, the text discusses the nature of the political economy and the exercise of power within the context of contemporary cultural geography. Examining Ireland's historical complexities, literature, politics, religion, social dimensions and...

The heritage industry is big business. From museums and the preservation of old buildings to broader questions of community and identity, heritage is now a political issue. This book explores what heritage means and how it is used to encourage people to identify with particular places and 'traditions'. The authors show how contemporary societies use heritage in the creation and management of collective identities and, most especially, the different ways in which it is involved with the questions of multicultural societies. The resources that are poured into heritage mean that questions of...

McDowell and Braniff explore the relationship between commemoration and conflict in societies which have engaged in peace processes, attempting to unpack the ways in which the practices of memory and commemoration influence efforts to bring armed conflict to an end and whether it can even reactivate conflict as political circumstances change.