GUEST LECTURE – “CULTURAL HERITAGE” – FLORENCE GRAEZER BIDEAU, EPF LAUSANNE

This lecture aims to present cultural heritage from a social science perspective and discuss its main political, social, economic and cultural aspects. First, the tangible and intangible heritage apparatus (UNESCO, ICOMOS) and governance (conventions, charters) will be presented to explain the use of heritage practices at international and national levels. Secondly, the analysis will focus on the first Inventory of Living Traditions in Switzerland in 2012 to illustrate the shaping of heritage in a federalist system that takes into account the balance between minorities and majorities. The presentation will end with a critical reflection on the role of experts in helping to identify intangible culture in built heritage practices and on the difficulty of less recognized, visible, unwanted communities raising their voices to be recognized as part of the Swiss inventory.