Ownership and Participation: democratizing the administration of antiquities
Ownership and Participation: democratizing the administration of antiquities

Summary/Abstract: In Europe an increasing shift towards participatory cultural heritage governance is observed, opening the way to the meaningful inclusion of grassroots stakeholders in sharing heritage ownership and administration. In Greece, history politics and current cultural policies underline the symbolic and instrumental value of heritage, reinforcing a state-centric governance model, particularly concerning antiquities. By analysing state policies, rhetoric and projects on heritage between 1994‒2013, we purport that state-centrism in antiquity governance is perpetuated, despite the constitutionally provided “complementarity of duties” between the State and citizens. Nonetheless, participatory practices concerning antiquities and contested heritage are growing. The paper explores some prominent cases in Greece, highlighting the expanding role of decentralised authorities and citizen associations. Concluding, it formulates explorative empirical propositions on the factors enabling or impeding participatory heritage governance, in order to serve as basis for the much needed in-depth, long-term research that is presently lacking.

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