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The Conservator as a Cultural Mediator: Rethinking the Professional Role in the Integrated Safeguarding of Tangible and Intangible Heritage
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Parastoo Ramezani *   , Hossain Ahmadi |
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Abstract: (3 Views) |
Despite the explicit emphasis of several international conventions on the necessity of an integrated approach to safeguarding both tangible and intangible cultural heritage, the traditional orientation of the restoration field has remained predominantly focused on the material and physical aspects of historic monuments, while their cognitive, social, and cultural dimensions have been largely overlooked. This conceptual gap underscores the need to redefine the role of the restorer and to develop a theoretical framework for Integrated Heritage Conservation. This study seeks to elucidate the restorer’s role in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage and to propose a theoretical model for integrated conservation. The central research question addresses how the restorer assumes responsibility toward intangible heritage and how the dynamic interaction between tangible and intangible domains unfolds. Adopting a qualitative methodology grounded in constructivist grounded theory, data were collected through thirty semi-structured interviews with conservation experts, master craftsmen, and interdisciplinary scholars. The data were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding stages. The findings were structured around two core categories: (1) the interrelation between tangible and intangible heritage (23%), and (2) the restorer’s interpretive and mediating agency (20%). These categories informed the development of a three-tier model of Integrated Heritage Conservation, which conceptualizes the restorer as a cultural mediator operating across macro (policy and global discourse), meso (cultural interpretation and professional agency), and micro (local participation and ritual practice) levels. The study makes three major contributions: Theoretically, it advances the conservation paradigm from material authenticity toward semantic authenticity; Methodologically, it introduces the Heritage Continuum Model as a systematic framework linking multiple heritage layers; Professionally, it redefines the restorer as a multidimensional cultural agent bridging technical expertise and collective memory. Ultimately, the research argues that authentic conservation is not achieved merely by reinforcing the material fabric of monuments, but by sustaining the living continuum of meaning and memory.
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| Keywords: Intangible Cultural Heritage, Conservator, Professional Responsibility, Grounded Theory, Participatory Safeguarding, Cultural Mediation. |
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Full-Text [PDF 1469 kb]
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
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