Empowering marginal lifescapes: the heritage of crofters in between the past and the present. Issue 1 (2nd January 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Svensson, Eva; Amundsen, Hilde Rigmor; Holm, Ingunn; Hulling, Hans; Johansson, Annie; Löfgren, Jan; Nilsson, Pia; Nilsson, Stefan; Pettersson, Susanne; Stensby, Vigdis
• Is Part Of: International journal of heritage studies. Volume 24:Issue 1(2018)
• Page Start: 17
• Page End: 34
• Publication Date: 2018-01-02
• Subjects: Environmental justice -- bring out subalterns -- crofts as heritage -- framing heritage in rural development; Civilization -- History -- Periodicals; Culture -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; Historic preservation -- Periodicals; Cultural property -- Protection -- Periodicals; Nature conservation -- Periodicals; 363.69
• DOI: 10.1080/13527258.2017.1362579
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1352-7258

Abstract

Abstract: There is a rich, but unacknowledged, heritage of rural subalterns, crofters, in Scandinavia. A Swedish-Norwegian interdisciplinary research-network investigated the most prominent category – the remains of crofts. Due to industrialisation, urbanisation and the modern welfare state, the institution of crofting was abolished, and many crofters left for opportunities elsewhere. The welfare state transformed a landscape of living and working people into a one filled with relicts mostly from the nineteenth century. Although numerous and important to local citizens, these sites fall outside the authorised heritage discourse (AHD) in terms of both research and heritage management. This paper takes an environmental justice perspective to challenge the AHD. Three themes are in focus: (1) bringing out the history of a subaltern and marginalised group of people; (2) promoting crofts as heritage of importance to local citizens and demanding complex management due to the various historical narratives and risks; (3) considering the crofting landscapes in relation to the (economisation) framing of heritage in development processes, especially in relation to fair development in present rural communities.