Module Code and Title:        AFD103 Heritage Studies                                                   

Programme:                          BA in Anthropology

Credit:                                   12

Module Tutor:                       New Tutor #1

General Objectives: This module explores the concept of cultural heritage both at a local and global scale including an exploration of archaeology, a core sub-discipline within Anthropology. Students will learn about both international and national cultural heritage practices, regulations and policies. In addition to gaining a scholarly understanding of heritage, students will also learn basic heritage practices including standard preservation, research, documentation, display and interpretation methods.

Learning Outcomes – On completion of the module, students will be able to:

1. Define tangible, intangible, and natural heritage.
2. Define archaeology.
3. Explain the relationships between heritage, archaeology, and culture.
4. Properly document examples of heritage.
5. Interpret and discuss examples of heritage for cultural meaning.
6. Summarise Bhutan’s policies of heritage preservation.
7. Explain some of the basic aspects of heritage protection, collection management, and exhibition display.
8. Critically evaluate the role of power and politics in heritage practices.

Learning and Teaching Approach:

Assessment Approach:

A. In-class exercises: Portion of Final Mark: 10%

Students will undertake at least five in-class writing activities either in small groups or individually. The instructor will provide appropriate feedback during the exercises. The exercises (each graded out of 10), will have their marks averaged to compute the final mark for this assessment. In many cases, the instructors will use a worksheet to structure the assignment. An example of this kind of worksheet can be found in the appendix. These in-class activities should include (but are not limited to):

• Analysing and documenting material culture: students will be given or shown an object and made to write a short description and analysis of the object applying module concepts and methods. This will provide students with hands on experience writing about material culture and applying proper documentation techniques.
• Answering questions based on the reading: students will answer a set of questions based on the week’s reading that teach them to read critically for argument, method, and evidence.
• Preparing study guides for the exam. Students will be given time to study for the exam in class so that the instructor can supervises and provide immediate support and feedback. The exercise is intended to show students how to study for exams that are not completely based on recall but also invite them apply module concepts in novel and unanticipated contexts.

B. Application for heritage recognition (Written report): Portion of Final Mark: 20%

Students, working in small groups or pairs will pick some aspect of tangible, intangible, or natural heritage that they believe deserves recognition as an important part of Bhutanese heritage. Students must use some form of primary source material in their paper, which could include participant observation, archival research, material culture analysis and documentation, or any other relevant method. The written report should describe the object, site, or practice they wish to preserve and justify its importance to Bhutanese heritage. In order to help guide students towards an appropriate final produce, roughly 15% of the final mark will be based on work done prior to the submission of the final project, including a proposal and a complete first draft. In order to encourage students to respond to feedback and improve their written work, 10% of the final mark will also be based on improvement in comparison to the first draft. The application is expected to be 500-600 words long.

1%       Proposal (based on specified criteria and rubric)

2%       Draft (description and quality of argument)

3%       Choice and description of heritage object, site or practice (completeness, originality, thoughtfulness)

8%       Quality of argument (logical, relevant and adequate supported, adherence to set criteria)

1%       Language

1%       Organization

1%       Referencing

2%       Improvement (in comparison to draft, with particular emphasis on consideration and incorporation of feedback provided)

1%       Individual contribution (process)

C. Field trip report: 10%

Students will individually write a report on a field trip made to a relevant heritage-related site (this can include the Institute for Zorig Chusum, the Royal Textile Academy, the National Museum in Paro, archaeological sites like Drugyel Dzong or conservation projects). In the report, students must pick one aspect of the heritage-related site to focus on and use it to illustrate a key concept or process covered in the module (e.g. the commodification of heritage). Students will be provided with a grading rubric that will help to guide the writing of the field report. Reports are expected to be 300-500 words in length.

2%       Description of their subject and its context/ summary of the visit (accuracy and completeness)

5%       Quality of analysis (includes an explanation of a key concept or process from the module, and well-supported argument for how their subject illustrates the concept or process)

1%       Organization

1%       Language       

1%       Referencing

D. Class Participation: Portion of Final Mark: 5%

Students will be expected to participate substantially in class discussions, with contributions reflecting adequate preparation for topics under discussion. 2.5% of class participation and preparedness will be assessed before midterm and the remaining 2.5% post midterm.

E. Midterm Examination: Portion of Final Mark: 15%

Students will take a written exam of 1.5 hr duration covering topics up to the mid-point of the semester.

Prerequisites: AFD101 Introduction to Anthropology

Subject Matter:

1. Unit I: Overview of heritage
   • Introduction to the meanings of ‘heritage’ (Harrison)
   • Definitions and examples of tangible, intangible, and natural heritage
   • Definitions and examples of official and unofficial heritage
   • A brief history and overview of heritage studies
2. Unit II: Overview of archaeology
   • What archaeologists study
     • Questions archaeologists ask and try to answer
     • Types of evidence archaeologists use
   • How archaeologists collect data
   • Basics of interpreting archaeological data
   • Examples of the role archaeology plays in heritage conservation
   • Examples of archaeology in Bhutan
3. Unit III: A History of Heritage
   • Origins of the concept of heritage
   • Colonialism and early ideas of heritage
     • How and why colonial powers documented material culture
     • How colonial powers used heritage to justify their rule
   • How heritage was used in national building
   • How heritage was used to contest colonial domination
   • The United Nations and the rise of the idea of ‘world heritage’
   • Key examples of world heritage sites and artefacts
   • Debates about what counts as ‘global heritage’
4. Unit IV: Conservation, Collection, and Display
   • A brief history of the museum as an institution
   • The role museums play in heritage
   • How museums collect and display material culture
   • Basics of collection acquisition and management
   • Basics of conservation techniques
   • Exhibition and display as an act of cultural representation
   • The difficulties of practicing conservation across cultural differences
5. Unit V: Tourism, Heritage and Environment
   • Definitions of tourism
   • A brief history of tourism
   • Experiences and souvenirs: heritage as a resource and commodity
   • Examples of tourism of natural heritage
   • Examples of eco-tourism and sustainable heritage
6. Unit VI: Heritage and conflict
   • Examples of war and the destruction of heritage
   • Understanding the theft of heritage
   • Debates about the antiquities market
   • Debates about the repatriation of heritage
7. Unit VII: Heritage in Bhutan
   • Bhutan’s history of cultural and heritage preservation
   • Overview of Bhutan’s current policies on cultural and heritage preservation
   • Implications of Bhutan’s current policies on cultural and heritage preservation
   • Examples of tangible heritage in Bhutan
   • Examples of intangible heritage in Bhutan
   • Examples of natural heritage in Bhutan
   • Elements of tangible, intangible and natural heritage in the zorig chusum
   • Challenges in the conservation of Bhutanese culture

Reading List:

1. Essential Reading
   • Clark, L., & Schreiber, L. (2003). Lost treasures of Tibet [Television Series Episode]. In L. Clark, Nova. Boston: WGBH Boston Video & PBS.
   • Fux, P., Walser, C., & Tshering, N. (2014).Archaeology in the Kingdom of Bhutan: Exploring the Country's Prehistory. SLSA.
   • Harrison, R. (Ed.). (2010). “Chapter 1: What is Heritage.” In Harrison (Ed.), Understanding the politics of heritage (Vol. 5) (pp5-42). Manchester: Manchester University Press.
   • Labadi, S. (2007). Representations of the nation and cultural diversity in discourses on world heritage. Journal of social archaeology, 7(2), 147-170.
   • Lewis, B., Jurmain, R., & Kilgore, L. (2008). Understanding humans: An introduction to physical anthropology and archaeology (Tenth Edition). Boston: Cengage Learning.
   • Pearce, S. (1994). Objects as meaning; or narrating the past. In Pearce, S. (Ed.), Interpreting Objects, (pp19-29). New York: Routledge.
2. Additional reading:
   • Appiah, K. A. (2006). Whose culture is it? New York Review of Books, 53(2), 38-42.
   • Adams, K. M. (1998). More than an ethnic marker: Toraja art as identity negotiator. American Ethnologist, 25(3), 327-351.
   • Bartholomew, T. T., & Johnston, J. (2008). The dragon's gift: the sacred arts of Bhutan. Chicago: Serindia Publications.
   • Boylan, P. (Ed.). (2004). Running a Museum: A Practical handbook. Paris: ICOM.
   • Byrne, D. (2011). Archaeological heritage and cultural intimacy: An interview with Michael Herzfeld. Journal of Social Archaeology, 11(2), 144-157.
   • Clifford, J. (1988). On Collecting Art and Culture. In J. Clifford (Ed.), The Predicament of Culture, (215-251). Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.
   • Division for Conservation of Heritage Sites (Archaeology section). (2014). Archaeology in Bhutan (Heritages Sites Journal 3). Thimphu: Department of Culture, Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs.
   • Dorji, J. (2015). Intangible cultural heritage of Bhutan. Thimphu: Research & Media Division, National Library & Archives of Bhutan.
   • Institute of Language and Cultural Studies. (2016). Bhutan cultural atlas: Bumthang district and Trongsa district. Thimphu: Institute of Language and Cultural Studies.
   • Lees, E. (2011). Intangible cultural heritage in a modernizing Bhutan: The question of remaining viable and dynamic.International Journal of Cultural Property, 18(2)
   • Hoskins, J. (1997). Biographical objects: How Things Tell the Stories of People’s Lives. New York: Routledge.
   • Meskell, L. (Ed.). (2015). Global heritage: a reader (Vol. 12). Malden, MA: John Wiley & Sons
   • Pedersen, A. (2002). Managing tourism at world heritage sites. A practical manual for World Heritage site managers. Paris: ICOMOS.

Date: March 15, 2018