Heritage

Heritage is central to our identity, wellbeing and resilience in the face of global challenges. We make a difference to society by offering new perspectives on relationships between past, present and future. The way we understand, conserve and represent heritage has important social, environmental, political and economic implications, and is particularly vital to identity, memory, and sense of place. We examine how ideas of a shared past are created and contested through diverse forms of tangible and intangible heritage.

Up Helly Aa parade in fire

Princess Olga statue in Ukraine with a bulletproof vest

Transcending disciplinary boundaries

Our research in this field straddles disciplinary boundaries by utilising methods from other fields, including archaeology, material culture studies, museology, sociology, social anthropology, and natural sciences. Our research has emphasised the co-production of knowledge through collaboration of academics, professionals, communities and civil society around themes of social value, authenticity, memory, identity and place. As a result, research by members involved in this theme has left a tangible impact on national and international heritage and museum policies and practices, as well as the quality of life of diverse communities and stakeholders.

Collaborating locally and globally

We collaborate with a wide range of heritage and civic organisations, from the local to the global, and have two vibrant formal external partnerships with the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (Norway) and the National Trust for Scotland (UK).

Iona Abbey

People

Current members of staff, PhD students and Honorary staff engaged with our Heritage research.

Staff

Honorary staff

Current PhD students

Examples of former PhD students and projects

Hanneke BooijAssembling Sustainable and Resilient Futures with Small Heritage Organisations: Social Purpose, Creativity and Practices of Care. A Collaborative PhD between the University of Stirling and Glasgow Building Preservation Trust (completed 2024). Supervisors: Siân Jones, Jennie Morgan, Ingrid Shearer (Glasgow Building Preservation Trust).

Sarah Harper, Bombers, Bunkers, and Badges: The Cold War Materialised in the National Museum of Scotland. Supervisors: Holger, Nehring, Sam Alberti and Siân Jones (completed 2022). A collaborative PhD between the University of Stirling and National Museums Scotland (completed 2022).

Rhona Ramsay, The material culture of Gypsy/Travellers in Scottish museums: discovery, rediscovery and encounter. Supervisors: Sally Foster and Nyree Finlay (University of Glasgow) (completed 2022).

Elizabeth Robson, Wrestling with Social Value: An Examination of Methods and Approaches for Assessing Social Value in Heritage Management and Conservation. Supervisors: Siân Jones, Peter Matthews, Judith Anderson (HES), Karen Robertson (HES). A Collaborative PhD between University of Stirling and Historic Environment Scotland. (completed 2021). Read more details about the Wrestling with Social Value project.

Zoe Russell, Moving Beyond ‘Common Sense’ Discourses of Nature-Culture in The Scottish Highlands: A Critical Ethnography of Wester Ross UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Supervisors: Siân Jones and Sam Punch (completed 2022).

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