Rebecca Saats, an ESR in the Heriland project based at the University of Gothenburg, defended her thesis successfully!
In her thesis, she delved into the concepts of ‘Care’ in heritage studies, particularly with an interest in the place-identity, place branding, and heritage conservation.
Here is an abstract of her research:
There is a plethora of literature dedicated to developing, regenerating and “making” places. Whilst there is much between this literature that is shared, differing foci on the roles of professional and lay actors, practices and goals often lead to challenges in implementing desired place futures. At the same time, these efforts to make or shape place futures in particular ways often miss the importance of everyday practices crucial for maintaining the physical and cultural aspects of a place.
This thesis explores the potential of the concept of care as a conceptual foundation for drawing together knowledge about place futures. Drawing from two empirical case studies in Sweden and the UK, in addition to literature spanning (among other areas) placemaking, heritage studies and care, the research identifies core properties of the care concept that act as integrating themes for bridging and extending diverse scholarly knowledge traditions and practices. Furthermore, through paying attention to the relations between actors and the material environment, the thesis seeks to highlight the complexity of actors, values and practices at play, and points to the importance of cultural heritage in shaping the conditions for place futures.
On behalf of the HERILAND team, we send our best wishes and congratulations to Dr Saats for her hard work and remarkable research practice!