Heritage, Heirs and Performative Competence

Abstract

Cultural heritage is traces from the past that are ascribed meaning in the present. This basic tenet of current heritage theory is often followed by a call for more democratic heritage processes and the inclusion of more diverse values. The article points to the ensuing paradox: what is left to define heritage when it is neither inherent qualities, nor a set of general values? To explore some issues raised by this paradox, the article focusses on the relation between heritage and its owners or heirs, seeing them both as actants, mutually constituted (Greimas). Consequently, heritage cannot exist without heirs.

The article argues that to be socially acknowledged, the role as heir must be claimed in specific ways. The heirs must be able to demonstrate a specific performative competence, i.e. master the metacultural level the defines heritage. These discourse and practices will be closely related to the dominant values already defining the heritage field, often representative of the hegemonic classes and leading cultural groups. The article investigates three cases in which the values and ideas of the "heirs presumptive" were at odds with the authorised heritage discourse, based on the habitus and values of other social groups.