Digital tools for citizen engagement in heritage conservation: a democratic tool or elitist exercise?

Tipnis, Aishwarya (2018) Digital tools for citizen engagement in heritage conservation: a democratic tool or elitist exercise? In: ICOMOS 19th General Assembly and Scientific Symposium "Heritage and Democracy", 13-14th December 2017, New Delhi, India. [Conference or Workshop Item]

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Abstract (in English)

Digital tools and social media have provided every individual a platform to express their opinions, share information, photographs as well as research. Although the potential of application of digital tools to make cultural heritage conservation a far more inclusive process is immense; the challenges are complex and differ for most cultural contexts. While many cultures have successfully employed the use of digital tools and technology for provoking citizen engagement in heritage conservation; in India it has mainly been used for dissemination of information rendering it an elitist rather than a democratic tool. In semi-urban India, where the community is insular with limited exposure to social media and the internet their impact, strategies for crowdsourcing have to be bespoke sensitive to the psyche of the local community. How can the digital technology empower the ordinary citizen to manage his own heritage in such diverse economic and cultural climates? What then becomes the role for the conservation professional? This paper adopts a case study approach of the Dutch in Chinsurah Project and the Heritage & People of Chandernagore Project; to examine the challenges in the application of open source digital media technology and social media for heritage conservation and citizen engagement. It shall also consider how heritage, memories and narratives shall be carried forward through the use of digital technologies into the future and help shape the development of semi-urban towns through the use of digital technologies.

Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Authors:
Authors
Email
Tipnis, Aishwarya
UNSPECIFIED
Languages: English
Keywords: digital tools; citizen engagement; crowdsourcing; dissemination; cultural heritage; conservation; India; Chinsurah Project; Heritage & People of Chandernagore Project
Subjects: E.CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION > 09. Social and economic aspects of conservation
L.PRESENTATION AND TRANSMISSION OF HERITAGE > 04. Public awareness
L.PRESENTATION AND TRANSMISSION OF HERITAGE > 05. Dissemination
P. GEOGRAPHIC AREAS > 04. Asia and Pacific islands
National Committee: ICOMOS International
ICOMOS Special Collection: Scientific Symposium (ICOMOS General Assemblies)
ICOMOS Special Collection Volume: 19th General Assembly, New Delhi, 2017
Depositing User: intern icomos
Date Deposited: 11 Jan 2019 14:11
Last Modified: 11 Jan 2019 14:11
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URI: https://openarchive.icomos.org/id/eprint/2025

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