Course Catalogue

Module Code and Title:        AFD105 Heritage Studies                                                     

Programme:                          BA in Anthropology

Credit:                                    12

Module Tutor:                       Dolma Choden Roder (Coordinator), Shawn Christopher Rowlands, Karma Thinley 

General Objective: This module explores the concept of cultural heritage both at a local and global scale. 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. Document examples of heritage
  3. Interpret and discuss examples of heritage for cultural meaning.
  4. Illustrate some of the basic aspects of heritage protection, collection management, and exhibition display.
  5. Assess the relationship between tourism, heritage and heritage management 
  6. Critically evaluate the role of power and politics in heritage practices.
  7. Express the value of Bhutan’s heritage 
  8. Summarise Bhutan’s policies of heritage preservation.

Learning and Teaching Approach:

Type

Approach

Hours per Week

Total Credit Hours

Contact

Lecture & discussions

3

60

Tutorials

1

Independent study

Reading, revision, VLE related exercises and written assignments

4

60

Total Credit Hours

120

Assessment Approach:

  1. In-class exercises: 10%

Students will undertake five in-class writing activities either in small groups or individually. The instructor will provide 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. 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 supervise 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 to apply module concepts in novel and unanticipated contexts.
  1. Application for heritage recognition (Written report): 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. The application is expected to be 750-1,000 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)

  1. 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 500-750 words in length.

2    Description of the site 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

  1. Class Participation: 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.

  1. Midterm Examination: 15%

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

  1. Semester-end Examination: 40%

Students will take a written exam of 2.5 hr duration encompassing all the subject matter covered in the semester. The assessment is comprehensive and summative in nature, and will comprise structured questions from all levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Overview of assessment approaches and weighting

Areas of assignments

Quantity

Weighting
  1. In-class exercises 

5

10%
  1. Heritage recognition (written report)

1

20%
  1. Field trip report

1

10%
  1. Class participation

1

5%
  1. Midterm Examination

1

15%

Total Continuous Assessment (CA)

60%

Semester-end Examination (SE)

40%

Prerequisites: None

Subject Matter: 

  1. Unit I: Overview of heritage
    1. Introduction to the meanings of ‘heritage’ (Harrison)
    2. Definitions and examples of tangible, intangible, and natural heritage
      1. Tangible heritage of Bhutan
      2. Intangible heritage of Bhutan
      3. Elements of tangible, intangible and natural heritage in the Zorig Chusum
    3. Definitions and examples of official and unofficial heritage
    4. A brief history and overview of heritage studies

 

  1. Unit II: A History of Heritage
    1. Origins of the concept of heritage
    2. Colonialism and early ideas of heritage
      1. Colonial powers documenting material culture
      2. Colonial powers using heritage to justify their rule
    3. Heritage and nation building
    4. Using heritage to contest colonial domination
    5. The United Nations and the rise of the idea of ‘world heritage’
    6. World heritage sites and artefacts 
    7. Debates about what counts as ‘global heritage’

 

  1. Unit III: Conservation, Collection, and Display
    1. A brief history of the museum as an institution
    2. The role museums play in heritage
    3. How museums collect and display material culture
    4. Basics of collection acquisition and management 
    5. Basics of conservation techniques
    6. Exhibition and display as an act of cultural representation
    7. The difficulties of practicing conservation across cultural differences
    8. Bhutan’s history of cultural and heritage preservation
    9. Overview of Bhutan’s current policies on cultural and heritage preservation 
    10. Implications of Bhutan’s current policies on cultural and heritage preservation
    11. Challenges in the conservation of Bhutanese culture

 

  1. Unit IV: Tourism, Heritage and Environment
    1. Definitions of tourism
    2. A brief history of tourism
    3. Experiences and souvenirs: heritage as a resource and commodity
    4. Tourism of natural heritage
    5. Eco-tourism and sustainable heritage
    6. Natural heritage and tourism in Bhutan
  2. Unit V: Heritage and conflict
    1. War and the destruction of heritage
    2. Understanding the theft of heritage
    3. Debates about the antiquities market
    4. Debates about the repatriation of heritage

Reading List

Essential Reading

Clark, L., & Schreiber, L. (2003). Lost treasures of Tibet [Television Series Episode]. In L. Clark, Nova. WGBH Boston Video & PBS.

Harrison, R. (Ed.). (2010). “Chapter 1: What is Heritage.” In R. Harrison (Ed.), Understanding the politics of heritage (Vol. 5) (pp5-42). 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.https://doi.org/10.1177/1469605307077466

Additional reading

Adams, K. M. (1998). More than an ethnic marker: Toraja art as identity negotiator. American Ethnologist, 25(3), 327-351. https://doi.org/10.1525/ae.1998.25.3.327

Appiah, K. A. (2006). Whose culture is it? New York Review of Books, 53(2), 38-42.

Bartholomew, T. T., & Johnston, J. (2008). The dragon's gift: the sacred arts of Bhutan. Serindia Publications.

Boylan, P. (Ed.). (2004). Running a Museum: A Practical handbook. ICOM. 

Clifford, J. (1988). On Collecting Art and Culture. In J. Clifford (Ed.), The Predicament of Culture, (215-251). Harvard University Press.

Cotte, S. (2013). Reflections Around the Conservation of Sacred Thangkas. Journal of Conservation and Museum Studies, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.5334/jcms.1021207

Dorji, J. (2015). Intangible cultural heritage of Bhutan. Research & Media Division, National Library & Archives of Bhutan.

Hall, A. (2004). A case study on the ethical considerations for an intervention upon a Tibetan religious sculpture. The Conservator, 28(1), 66-73.  https://doi.org/10.1080/01410096.2004.9995205

Hoskins, J. (1997). Biographical objects: How Things Tell the Stories of People’s Lives. Routledge. 

Institute of Language and Cultural Studies. (2016). Bhutan cultural atlas: Bumthang district and Trongsa district. 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) https://doi.org/10.1017/s0940739111000129

Malkogeorgou, T. (2013). Everything Judged on Its Own Merit? Object Conservation and the Secular Museum. Journal of Conservation and Museum Studies, 10(2).  https://doi.org/10.5334/jcms.1021203

Meskell, L. (Ed.). (2015). Global heritage: a reader (Vol. 12). John Wiley & Sons

Pearce, S (Eds.). (1994). Objects as meaning; or narrating the past. Interpreting Objects. Routledge. 19-29.

Pedersen, A. (2002). Managing tourism at world heritage sites. A practical manual for World Heritage site managers. ICOMOS.

Date: March 2023
Royal Thimphu College