Monumental Ambivalence

The Politics of Heritage

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Archaeology, Anthropology
Cover of the book Monumental Ambivalence by Lisa C. Breglia, University of Texas Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Lisa C. Breglia ISBN: 9780292783287
Publisher: University of Texas Press Publication: December 3, 2009
Imprint: University of Texas Press Language: English
Author: Lisa C. Breglia
ISBN: 9780292783287
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Publication: December 3, 2009
Imprint: University of Texas Press
Language: English
From ancient Maya cities in Mexico and Central America to the Taj Mahal in India, cultural heritage sites around the world are being drawn into the wave of privatization that has already swept through such economic sectors as telecommunications, transportation, and utilities. As nation-states decide they can no longer afford to maintain cultural properties—or find it economically advantageous not to do so in the globalizing economy—private actors are stepping in to excavate, conserve, interpret, and represent archaeological and historical sites. But what are the ramifications when a multinational corporation, or even an indigenous village, owns a piece of national patrimony which holds cultural and perhaps sacred meaning for all the country's people, as well as for visitors from the rest of the world? In this ambitious book, Lisa Breglia investigates "heritage" as an arena in which a variety of private and public actors compete for the right to benefit, economically and otherwise, from controlling cultural patrimony. She presents ethnographic case studies of two archaeological sites in the Yucatán Peninsula—Chichn Itzá and Chunchucmil and their surrounding modern communities—to demonstrate how indigenous landholders, foreign archaeologists, and the Mexican state use heritage properties to position themselves as legitimate "heirs" and beneficiaries of Mexican national patrimony. Breglia's research masterfully describes the "monumental ambivalence" that results when local residents, excavation laborers, site managers, and state agencies all enact their claims to cultural patrimony. Her findings make it clear that informal and partial privatizations—which go on quietly and continually—are as real a threat to a nation's heritage as the prospect of fast-food restaurants and shopping centers in the ruins of a sacred site.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
From ancient Maya cities in Mexico and Central America to the Taj Mahal in India, cultural heritage sites around the world are being drawn into the wave of privatization that has already swept through such economic sectors as telecommunications, transportation, and utilities. As nation-states decide they can no longer afford to maintain cultural properties—or find it economically advantageous not to do so in the globalizing economy—private actors are stepping in to excavate, conserve, interpret, and represent archaeological and historical sites. But what are the ramifications when a multinational corporation, or even an indigenous village, owns a piece of national patrimony which holds cultural and perhaps sacred meaning for all the country's people, as well as for visitors from the rest of the world? In this ambitious book, Lisa Breglia investigates "heritage" as an arena in which a variety of private and public actors compete for the right to benefit, economically and otherwise, from controlling cultural patrimony. She presents ethnographic case studies of two archaeological sites in the Yucatán Peninsula—Chichn Itzá and Chunchucmil and their surrounding modern communities—to demonstrate how indigenous landholders, foreign archaeologists, and the Mexican state use heritage properties to position themselves as legitimate "heirs" and beneficiaries of Mexican national patrimony. Breglia's research masterfully describes the "monumental ambivalence" that results when local residents, excavation laborers, site managers, and state agencies all enact their claims to cultural patrimony. Her findings make it clear that informal and partial privatizations—which go on quietly and continually—are as real a threat to a nation's heritage as the prospect of fast-food restaurants and shopping centers in the ruins of a sacred site.

More books from University of Texas Press

Cover of the book Cultural Logics and Global Economies by Lisa C. Breglia
Cover of the book At Home with the Sapa Inca by Lisa C. Breglia
Cover of the book A Woman to Deliver Her People by Lisa C. Breglia
Cover of the book Midwives and Mothers by Lisa C. Breglia
Cover of the book Contemporary Theatre in Mayan Mexico by Lisa C. Breglia
Cover of the book Forgiveness by Lisa C. Breglia
Cover of the book Directed by God by Lisa C. Breglia
Cover of the book In Search of the Blues by Lisa C. Breglia
Cover of the book The Regulatory Process by Lisa C. Breglia
Cover of the book Death on the Lonely Llano Estacado by Lisa C. Breglia
Cover of the book LBJ's Neglected Legacy by Lisa C. Breglia
Cover of the book Steel and Economic Growth in Mexico by Lisa C. Breglia
Cover of the book Confabulario and Other Inventions by Lisa C. Breglia
Cover of the book In the Maw of the Earth Monster by Lisa C. Breglia
Cover of the book Brazilian Communism, 1935-1945 by Lisa C. Breglia
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy