Heritage, Identity and Inclusivity

Leeuwarden Summer School in collaboration with the Heritage Lab

Heritage is a hallmark attributed in an interplay of forces involving a diversity of interests and emotions. It is not a given, it comes about whenever it is advanced, rooting in a desire for collectivity and continuity. People turn things into heritage by labelling them – looking to the future with reference to the past. This selection process does not take place without a struggle, and the result is in no way neutral.

Cultural heritage – both tangible and intangible – is often used to define who does and who does not belong to certain groups and communities. The mediation of and participation in a culture’s living traditions is often important for constructing personal and collective identities; but by its very nature, it does not facilitate inclusivity. Confronted with this uneasy relation between cultural heritage, identity and inclusivity, we take a step back to reflect. What does a more inclusive mediation of cultural heritage look like? How do minorities use their cultural heritage to stay connected with an identity that does not belong to the majority culture they are surrounded by? How does cultural heritage both divide and connect groups and cultures? How can we research and interact with these dynamics?

In this summer school we will ask these questions while looking at diverse cultural heritage practices, ranging from cuisines to heritage languages; from tangible objects and buildings to intangible traditions and practices. Scholars and professionals from diverse fields, such as critical heritage and tourism studies, cultural studies, sociolinguistics, and media studies will give lectures and workshops during an intense, five day long programme.

The school will include an international symposium on the findings of Re:voice, a European research project on three indigenous cultures: Cornish, Frisian, and Livonian. Members of this project will discuss how intangible cultural heritage is mediated in live cultural events in these cultures, and what the role of minority languages is in such events.

Practical information

Dates	3 - 7 July 2023
Location	Leeuwarden, the Netherlands
Level	MA, PhD, Post-docs, Practitioners (BA students’ applications are considered if a reference letter is provided)
Fees (exclude accommodation, and include lunches, coffee, one dinner, and excursions)	€ 400 - general participation fee € 300 - fee for staff and students of affiliated organisations € 150 - fee for students from University of Groningen and the Reinwardt Academy
Academic coordinator	Prof. Dr. Joana Duarte Dr. S.J. Moenandar Dr. Matt Coler Marit van Dijk, MA
Contact	summerschooldiversity@rug.nl

Requirements

The summer school is designed for those interested in diversity management and social justice. It is a Graduate School, and participants can expect high quality academic debates, rooted in empirical research. The school is thus designed for:

Master's students and PhD students
Early-career researchers
Teachers, policy makers, managers and other professionals with an interest in the topic.

It is expected that the participants have a sufficient command of the English language in order for them to participate actively in the discussions and to present their own work in English.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the summer school, the participant is able to:

Assess current debates about the intertwinement of heritage, identity and inclusivity.
Analyse how heritage mediation is both an expression of, and facilitates, identity formation
Appraise a wide array of theories on heritage mediation, and how this relates to issues of inclusivity
Argue for the relevance and feasibility of research projects on the intertwinement of heritage, identity and inclusivity in a way that testifies of informed critical thinking

Workload & certificate

Preparatory reading: 42 hours
Contact hours: 42 hours
Assignment (optional): 56 hours

Upon successful completion of the programme, the summer school offers a Certificate of Attendance. We will be happy to provide any necessary information that might be requested in addition to the certificate of attendance. During the Summer School, participants are offered the opportunity to give a twenty-minute presentation on their own research, both finished and work in progress, related to heritage, identity and inclusivity (optional). They will receive feedback on their presentation from speakers and peers. The presentation will be acknowledged on the Certificate of Attendance.

For participants who want to earn academic credit with the winter school, an additional assignment (including a reading list) will be provided. After successfully completing the assignment, they will receive an assessment form signed by the academic coordinators that mentions the workload of 140 hours (28 hours corresponds to 1 ECTS). Students can apply for recognition of these credits to the relevant authorities in their home institutions, therefore the final decision on awarding credits is at the discretion of their home institutions.

Lecturers

Berber Aardema (University of Groningen)
Hester Dibbits (Reinwardt Academy)
Marit van Dijk (Reinwardt Acadamy)
Valts Ernštreits (University of Latvia Livonian Institute)
Lucy Frears (Falmouth University)
Laura Hodsdon (Falmouth University)
Sjoerd-Jeroen Moenandar (University of Groningen)
Lolita Ozalina (University of Latvia Livonian Institute)
Arththi Sathananthar (University of Groningen)
Antine Zijlstra (University of Groningen).

Course schedule

Download the schedule

Application procedure

To apply, kindly fill out the online application form. Please note that you will be asked to upload the following documents:

CV (max. 2 pages)
Letter of motivation (1 page) clearly stating your interest in the topic and what you will bring to the school

Apply now!

The deadline for application is 5 May 2023, after which selection will take place. Applicants will be informed within 7 days after the deadline passes.

This summer course is the third edition of the Leeuwarden Summer School on Cultural and Linguistic Diversity. This annual summer school explores how cultural and linguistic diversity is at the base of social, economic and educational inequalities. We believe that managing diversity through specific policies in different societal domains is a key to a sustainable society, where the well-being of each citizen is valued. Mismanagement of diversity, on the other hand, results in the waste of a large pool of skills, knowledge and human potential, entailing endless social costs for our communities. Staying on top of these challenges requires advanced and interdisciplinary knowledge from the side of researchers, policy-makers and practitioners and we aim to contribute to this with a series of summer schools. Each year, the summer school will focus on a different theme related to cultural and linguistic diversity.

The summer school is organised by staff and students of the following programmes at the University of Groningen:

BA Minorities and Multilingualism
MA Multilingualism
Campus Fryslân

This year, the summer school is organised in collaboration with the Heritage Lab of the Reinwardt Academy.

Partners:

Last modified:

19 March 2024 11.39 a.m.