A1 Journal article (refereed)
Constructing social Europe through European cultural heritage (2021)

Čeginskas, V. L., Kaasik-Krogerus, S., Lähdesmäki, T., & Mäkinen, K. (2021). Constructing social Europe through European cultural heritage. European Societies, 23(4), 487-512. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616696.2021.1913508

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Čeginskas, Viktorija L.A.; Kaasik-Krogerus, Sigrid; Lähdesmäki, Tuuli; Mäkinen, Katja

Journal or series: European Societies

ISSN: 1461-6696

eISSN: 1469-8307

Publication year: 2021

Publication date: 18/04/2021

Volume: 23

Issue number: 4

Pages range: 487-512

Publisher: Routledge

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14616696.2021.1913508

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/75114

Abstract

The political and economic crises of the recent decades as well as the new changes brought on by globalization and digitalization have contributed to exacerbate social inequalities and injustice and revealed different social realities in Europe. The EU increasingly deals with social issues in its cultural and heritage policy. In this article, we explore the construction of this social dimension and advance the concept of ‘social Europe’ by exploring its cultural aspect based on our analysis of a recent EU heritage action, the European Heritage Label. In this action, the narrations of the European past and the attempts to foster common cultural heritage in Europe function as building blocks to create Europe as an intertwined cultural and social entity and to socialize a new generation of European citizens. We scrutinize the European Heritage Label and its notion of heritage from two perspectives. First, we analyse how the selection reports of these heritage sites construct a notion of social Europe. Second, we examine how visitors to these sites construct social Europe in their qualitative interviews. Key elements in this construction are narratives related to various values, mobility, and diversity.

Keywords: cultural heritage; European identity; social change; social problems; social justice; social integration; cultural policy; social policy

Free keywords: social Europe; European Heritage Label; cultural heritage; European Union

Contributing organizations

Related projects

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2021

JUFO rating: 2