Experts in the World Heritage Regime
Description
Addressing the topic of expertise in international cultural conservation, this book argues that the UNESCO World Heritage regime emerged as a Faustian pact between protection and prestige, and a productive tension between these elements remains at its core, embodied by the heritage expert. Tracing experts' practices in the World Heritage regime, this book shows how they burnish, broker and themselves benefit from World Heritage prestige. As World Heritage prestige also contributes to states' international status claims, the stakes are raised, with both the denouement of the pact and the future for World Heritage poised between condemnation and redemption.
Reviews / Votes
"Half a century on from the adoption of the UNESCO Convention Concerning the protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage , this book is a timely reflection on its operation and impact. ... This book is welcome, but fifty years of World Heritage listings deserves a broader assessment." (Susan Balderstone, Historic Environment, Vol. 35 (2), 2025)
"The book is accessible to a broad audience . with or without deep knowledge of the World Heritage framework and its history. . Grounded in scholarship from multiple disciplines, Experts in the World Heritage Regime is an important and enlightening contribution to heritage studies for emerging and established scholars alike. And for those with greater interest in UNESCO's 'intangible cultural heritage' (ICH) framework, as I have, it is especially recommended . ." (Michelle L. Stefano, International Journal of Heritage Studies, February 23, 2025)
"This book sets out to open the World Heritage listing process up to daylight and its author has done that very, very thoroughly! . He writes well and, especially for the small pool of us who have had more than 50 years of connection to the World Heritage Convention, the book is fascinating. I commend him for his work." (Max Bourke, Australian Garden History Society, gardenhistorysociety.org.au, September 22, 2024)
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Person
Luke James is a heritage studies scholar, lawyer and heritage practitioner specialising in World Heritage and international conservation governance. Luke is Lecturer, Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies at Deakin University and previously worked in the Australian Government's International Heritage Section, with UNESCO and as a heritage consultant.
Content
.- Chapter 1: Politicisation and crisis.
.- Chapter 2: Bringing the World Heritage regime into view.
.- Chapter 3: The Faustian pact.
.-Chapter 4: The name of the orchid: expertise and the sustainable generation of prestige.
.- Chapter 5: Burnishing the lustre of prestige.
.- Chapter 6: Brokering between prestige and protection.
.- Chapter 7: Beneficiaries: experts in the market for prestige.
.- Chapter 8: From 'World Champion of World Heritage' to 'superpower of culture': World Heritage, prestige and international status.
.- Chapter 9: Conclusion.