Hip Heritage and Museum Practices in Contemporary Hybrid Markets

Hip Heritage explores how economic issues influence the framing and presentation of cultural heritage in contemporary heritage museums. Through ethnographic fieldwork at seven museums, the book examines how economic realities and cultural contexts shape museums' organization, management, and collection development to remain relevant in society. It also considers museums as arenas for heritage politics and questions whose heritage counts when budgets are tight.

Format: Hardback
Length: 142 pages
Publication date: 22 December 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Hip Heritage delves into the intricate dynamics of how museums prioritize and create content, shedding light on the growing influence of economic factors in shaping the presentation and framing of cultural heritage in contemporary heritage museums. Through extensive ethnographic fieldwork conducted by the authors at seven museums across Nordic, Scandinavian, and North American contexts, this book offers a comprehensive analysis of these institutions. It explores how economic realities, intertwined with the cultural contexts in which museums operate, shape their organizational structures, management practices, and collection development strategies to remain relevant in society.

Once tasked with the primary mission of educating citizens about their cultural identity and history, national museums and heritage organizations are now facing mounting pressure to reevaluate their market demands and meet the growing interests of stakeholders in increasing visitor numbers and generating economic returns. Simultaneously, many museums operate within a cultural sector characterized by reduced public funding and heightened competition for existing financial resources. Against this backdrop, Hip Heritage raises crucial questions: "When budgets are tight, whose heritage holds the most significance?" It examines museums as active sites of heritage politics, unfolding at the local, national, and international levels, as well as within institutional contexts.

Hip Heritage will captivate scholars and students engaged in the study of ethnology, heritage, museum studies, marketing, leisure and tourism, public folklore, and sociology. Its insights and analysis provide valuable perspectives on the evolving landscape of cultural heritage management and its impact on society.

Weight: 440g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032356204