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Understanding Heritage Sites UNDERSTANDING HERITAGE A Constructivist Approach to Heritage Interpretation as a Mechanism for Understanding Heritage Sites Iryna Shalaginova 2012 BTU Cottbus Understanding Heritage: A Constructivist Approach to Heritage Interpretation as a Mechanism for Understanding Heritage Sites Von der Fakultät Architektur, Bauingenieurwesen und Stadtplanung der Brandenburgischen Technischen Universität Cottbus zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades eines Doktors der Philosophie genehmigte Dissertation vorgelegt von Iryna Shalaginova, M.A. aus Berdychiv, Ukraine Gutachterin: Prof. Dr. phil. habil. M.-T. Albert Gutachter: Prof. Dr. phil. Ch. Petersen Gutachter: Prof. Dr. A. Köstler Tag der Disputation: 18. April 2012 Abstract Abstract This paper offers a new perspective on heritage interpretation as a mechanism for understanding heritage sites. It builds a theory of understanding for heritage interpretation based on constructivism perspectives, which shift the focus of attention from heritage interpretation and the process of understanding as a purely cognitive process into a communicative one. In such a view understanding a heritage site means meeting orientation expectations put forth by heritage interpreters in interpretive provision. By analyzing visitor responses (emotional, verbal and behavioural) managers of a heritage site and heritage interpreters are able to determine whether orientation expectations have been met and thus whether understanding took place. In so far understanding of a heritage site means orienting visitors’ perceptions of and behaviours at a heritage site. The paper also analyses the role of culture in the process of understanding and in the process of heritage interpretation. Culture as such does not influence understanding, nevertheless the collective knowledge systems inherent in it are important for the process of understanding and communication, as they offer the meanings, structures and symbol systems that allow the individuals of a particular cultural group to communicate effectively with each other. Because cultures are characteristic of having a pattern and overlapping with each other, a communication and understanding between the individuals of various cultures is a difficult but not impossible process. In order to ensure effective communication and reaching understanding a communication model for heritage interpretation was suggested with three interlinked components (team of communicators, active meaning-maker and interpretive medium), which ensure message formation, interpretation and exchange. In order to assist in communication with various visitors, and especially visitors from different cultural backgrounds, some techniques in the construction of information have been analysed, which allow assisting in reaching understanding on the presented issues in heritage interpretation. These techniques are framing, making of themes and stories. The use of these techniques in the construction of the interpretive information, as well as the overall influence of interpretive provision for understanding, have been tested in two cross-sectional studies. These studies have shown that, in view of constructivism theories, a well developed interpretive activity is able to contribute to a better understanding of a heritage site. i Abstract Zusammenfassung Diese Arbeit bietet eine neue Perspektive auf besucherorientierte Interpretation als Mechanismus zum Verständnis von historischen Stätten. Darin wird eine Theorie des Verstehens auf der Grundlage von konstruktivistischen Perspektiven erstellt, die den Fokus von besucherorientierter Interpretation und den Prozess des Verstehens als rein kognitiver Prozess auf kommunikative Prozesse verlagert. In dieser Hinsicht eine historische Stätte zu verstehen bedeutet die Erfüllung von Orientierungserwartungen, die durch besucherorientierte Interpretation kommuniziert wird. Durch die Analyse von Besucherreaktionen (emotionale, verbale und Verhaltensreaktionen) sind die Manager der Kulturerbestätten in der Lage zu bestimmen, ob die Orientierungserwartungen erfüllt wurden, und damit auch, ob Verständnis stattgefunden hat. In diesem Zusammenhang bedeutet Verständnis einer Kulturerbestätte die Lenkung der Wahrnehmungen und Verhaltensweisen der Besucher an dieser Stätte. Diese Dissertation untersucht auch die Rolle der Kultur in den Prozessen des Verstehens und der besucherorientierten Interpretation. Die Kultur als solche beeinflusst das Verstehen nicht, dennoch ist ihr inhärentes, kollektives Wissen wichtig für den Prozess des Verstehens und der Kommunikation, weil es die Bedeutungen, die Strukturen und die Symbol-Systeme anbietet, und damit den Individuen einer bestimmten kulturellen Gruppe eine effektive Kommunikation ermöglicht. Da Kulturen bestimmte Muster aufweisen und sich überschneiden können, ist eine Kommunikation und eine Verständigung zwischen Menschen verschiedener Kulturen ein schwieriger, aber nicht unmöglicher Prozess. Um eine effektive Kommunikation zu gewährleisten, wurde ein Kommunikationsmodell für die besucherorientierte Interpretation mit drei miteinander verbundenen Komponenten (team of communicators, active meaning-maker und interpretive medium) vorgeschlagen, die Informationsformulierung, -interpretation und -austausch gewährleisten. Um in der Kommunikation mit verschiedenen Zielgruppen und vor allem mit Besuchern mit unterschiedlichen kulturellen Hintergründen zu helfen, wurden einige Techniken in der Konstruktion von Informationen analysiert, die mit dem Prozess des Verstehens der dargestellten Themen bei besucherorientierter Interpretation helfen können. Diese Techniken sind Framing, sowie die Entwicklung von Themen und Geschichten. Die Verwendung dieser Techniken im Aufbau der interpretativen Informationen, sowie der Einfluss von interpretativen Maßnahmen für das Verstehen wurden in zwei Studien getestet. Diese Studien haben gezeigt, dass in Anbetracht der konstruktivistischen Theorien eine gut entwickelte, interpretative Maßnahme in der Lage ist, zu einem besseren Verstehen von Kulturerbestätten beizutragen. ii Table of Contents Table of Contents Abstract i List of Tables v List of Images v List of Figures vi 1. Introduction……………………………………………………………........... 1 1.1 Research methodology and organization of the thesis……………….. 1 1.1.1 Research objectives……………………..…………………………….. 1 1.1.2 Theoretical construction of the thesis…………………………............ 2 1.1.3 Thesis structure………………………..……………………………… 2 1.1.4 Limitations of the research……………………….…………………... 3 1.2 The notion of heritage and its place in heritage interpretation.............. 4 1.2.1 Heritage and its scope………………..……………………………….. 4 1.2.2 Heritage formation…………..………………………………………... 8 1.2.3 Role of heritage in a modern society…….…………………………… 10 1.3 Development of heritage interpretation in the US……………………. 11 2. Theory of understanding for heritage interpretation………………….……… 16 2.1 Defining understanding……………………………………….……… 20 2.2 Communicative approach to understanding……………….…………. 23 2.2.1 Theory of understanding after Rusch…………………………………. 23 2.2.2 Theory of understanding after Schmidt………………………………. 25 2.3 Heritage interpretation as a mechanism of understanding……………. 27 3. Role of culture in understanding and heritage interpretation………………… 33 3.1 Defining culture.……………………………………………………… 33 3.2 Culture and collective knowledge systems….………………………... 38 3.3 Heritage and heritage interpretation in culture.………………………. 40 iii Table of Contents 4. Heritage interpretation as communication…………………………………..... 45 4.1 Process of communication……….………………………………….... 46 4.2 Communication model for heritage interpretation…………..………... 48 4.3 Team of communicators and message formation…………….………. 54 4.3.1 Message selectivity…………………………………………..……….. 56 4.3.2 Frames, themes and stories…………………………………………… 58 4.4 Active meaning-maker and message interpretation…………………... 71 4.5 Communication medium and message exchange………………….…. 76 5. Understanding analysis…………………………..…………………………… 80 5.1 Aim and objectives of the study……………………….……………... 80 5.2 Structure of the experimental interpretive leaflets…..………………... 81 5.3 Structure of questionnaires…………………………….……………... 84 5.4 Methodology of the study………………………………………….… 86 5.5 Interpretation of the results ...…...…………………………………… 88 5.5.1 Respondent’s profile…………………………………………………. 88 5.5.2 Evaluation of external factors, pre-questionnaire.................................. 91 5.5.3 Evaluation of the attitude changes........................................................ 96 5.5.4 Evaluation of external factors, post-questionnaire................................ 114 5.5 Summary of the results…………………….…………………………. 116 6. Conclusions………………………...………………………………………… 119 Appendices..……………………………………………………………………….. 124 References...………………………………………………………………………... 145 iv List of Tables and Images List of Tables Table 1.1 Heritage fields after Howard 8 Table 2.1 Definitions of Heritage Interpretation 18 Table 3.1 Characteristics of communicative and cultural memory after 42 Assmann Table 4.1 Selection of Framing Devices 63 List of Images Image 2.1 Schematic representation of the role of heritage interpretation in the 28 process of understanding Image 4.1 A plate from Bulguksa temple World Heritage Site, South Korea 59 Image 4.2 Interpretive panel at Kinder Scout, High Peak Estate, property of the 66 National Trust, the UK Image 4.3 Costumed interpretation at Edinburgh Castle, Scotland 75 Image 4.4 A touch screen explaining Junsang (a ritual liquor table) and the 76 functions of the objects at a ritual table in Bulguksa
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