attached please find the revised copy..(one with tracked changes and the other one is with all the changes accepted)
Michelle_Michy
intoroductionMethodology1.docx
The Representation and Interpretation of Intangible Cultural Heritage The Case Study of the Sultanate of Oman
This dissertation is an original piece of work, and I acknowledge that I have read and understood university rules concerning plagiarism.
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September 2017
1- Introduction and Context
Intangible cultural heritage has been gaining significance in different countries including Oman. A variety of aspects are included in the intangible cultural heritage of Oman, such as social practices, rituals and festivals associated with the lives of different communities. For this reason, UNESCO has taken initiatives for preserving intangible cultural heritage in the world. UNESCO has introduced National Program of Intangible Heritage for preserving intangible cultural heritage in Brazil. In addition, Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage has also played a significant role in taking necessary steps with the objective of protecting intangible cultural heritage. In Oman, several items were listed as a world heritage items such as Majlis, Arabic Coffee, Al-Razfa, Al-Bar’ah and others more. are considered as important aspects of intangible cultural heritage. After being listed as a world heritage list, the government has to take initiatives for increasing awareness level of people for the sake of protecting intangible cultural assets. Omani Government has been taking effective initiatives for preserving these intangible cultural heritages so that they can be prevented from being obliterated. Ministry of Culture and Heritage has played an important part in protecting intangible cultural heritage since they are of equal importance with respect to tangible cultural heritage.
As far as gaps in literature are concerned, it can be said that this study has been focused on intangible cultural heritage and how it was presented in the country which has never been studied or researched and it will add up to the existing research in this field. In addition, the comparative analysis could have been conducted between intangible and tangible cultural heritage with reference to Oman. As far as theoretical approaches are concerned; intangible cultural heritage has been given prime importance in this research with particular emphasis on the protection of ICH. Secondary research methods had been applied for making up this entire research study, and relevant books, journals and websites (Omani Government and UNESCO) have been utilised for collecting relevant secondary data on this research study.
1.1 Research Background
Studies on cultural heritage, for the most part, has been dominated by the conceptualisation of cultural heritage in its tangible forms, such as buildings and works of art. In the more recent period, there has been a rising consciousness of those forms of cultural heritage, that cannot be seen or touched. However, they are of equal importance with respect to a community’s cultural heritage (Smith & Akagawa, 2008). In this sense, there has been a growth of research associated with intangible cultural heritage in the recent times. The representation and interpretation of intangible cultural heritage is a challenging task as this is regarded as a complex phenomenon that is open to clarifications and debate (Amescua, 2013). However, it is the fact that intangible aspect of culture is as important as the tangible. This fact can be gauged from another fact that the very expression ‘intangible cultural heritage’ is a loose English translation of the Japanese expression mukeibunkazai (Kurin, 2007, p. 10).
Intangible cultural heritage has been defined by the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003) as the “practices, representations, expressions, as well as the knowledge and skills (including instruments, objects, artifacts, cultural spaces), that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognise as part of their cultural heritage” (UNESCO). Clearly, intangible cultural heritage resides in those elements, which are incorporeal and abstract. This makes the interpretation of concept problematic as this is not related to material objects. However, developing a base for the definition of cultural heritage on the corporeal and material aspects has been a domain for the normative approach (Vecco, 2010). It has been argued that a shift from the normative approach to the less restrictive approach with respect to defining cultural heritage has also made it possible to recognise intangible cultural heritage (Vecco, 2010).
One method associated with intangibility of cultural heritage’s interpretation is to relate it to the psychology of heritage or the intellectual, cultural heritage (Kearney, 2008). This requires a suspension of the dominant cultural understandings, which have been focused on the material and tangible cultural symbols (Kearney, 2008). A criticism of this approach is that the putting focus on intellectual property may lead to the development of ignorant attitude towards the indigenous culture. It can also force such culture to assimilate with the more Western concepts relating to intellectual, property and sovereignty (Paterson & Karjala, 2003). However, a balance may be found in encouraging people to develop an understanding of intangible cultural heritage, not from the perspective of intangibility of cultural expressions, but from the perspective of these cultural expressions, which are considered as an evolving process associated with a utility beyond aestheticism (Bortolotto, 2007). Once cultural expressions are detached from their objectivity and a focus is put on the processes of the formulation of the cultural expressions, space can be created for the understanding of indigenous cultural expressions without conforming to Western notions of intellectual property. It can be argued that the UNESCO’s approach in interpreting intangible cultural heritage has focused on the processes in order to allow an interpretation of the concept from the perspective of world diversity instead of a universalised idea of intangible cultural heritage (Alivizatou, 2008).
Another method of interpretation is the phenomenological approach, which basically sees all tangible and intangible cultural heritage as an embedded concept that cannot be separated from the world around it (Kearney, 2008). In that sense, interpretation of intangible cultural heritage will require some references from tangible heritage as they may be interdependent. In fact, there are also arguments that are made in favour of adopting a more integrated approach to the interpretation of intangible cultural heritage, where reference is also made with respect to the tangible elements of cultural heritage. This argument is based on the premise that a more integrated approach will allow the better safeguarding of intangible cultural property, which is more vulnerable and immaterial. This approach calls for a translation of the intangible culture from oral form “into some form of materiality, e.g. archives, inventories, museums and audio or film records” (Bouchenaki, 2005, p. 4).
There are some factors that have generally come to represent what the interpretation of intangible cultural heritage should be (Lenzerini, 2011). First, there is self-recognition of the heritage as cultural heritage by the communities, or individuals concerned. Second, the cultural heritage is a constant recreation that responds to the historical and societal evolution of the communities. Third, there is a deep connection between the heritage and identity of its creators. Fourth, the condition of ‘authenticity’ is an implicit requirement. Fifth, there is a profound interrelationship of intangible cultural heritage with human rights (Lenzerini, 2011).
1.2 Research Aim and Objectives
Aim:
The aim of the research is to conduct critical examination on how intangible cultural heritage has been gaining importance in Oman and what measures have been taken by Sultanate of Oman for ensuring the protection of its rich intangible cultural heritage and how was it represented in Oman. In addition, this research aims to highlight the role of UNESCO in the context of promoting intangible cultural heritage in different countries with special emphasis on the Sultanate of Oman.
Objectives:
2- To investigate how the cultural assets are interpreted and represented in the context of promoting tourism at a national level. The objectives and aims are to find out how the items are listed within the UNESCO world heritage list and are utilised in promoting tourism.
3- To examine the importance of documenting the heritage within the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by exploring international efforts
4- To explore the efforts conducted by the Ministry of Culture and Heritage in protecting the intangible cultural heritage. This objective seeks to find what has been accomplished in this field since the country joined the UNESCO convention for safeguarding the ICH or intangible cultural heritage in 2003.
5- The last objective seeks to answer the aim of the research, which denotes how the intangible cultural heritage is presented in Oman’s different places including museums, festivals and the Royal Opera House. The objective pursues in evaluating the representation of intangible cultural heritage and then coming up with the most appropriate way of representing it to protect the living heritage of Oman
1.2.1 Case Study area: Sultanate of Oman
The Sultanate of Oman was chosen as the case study for this research. It is because Oman is a country with rich heritage and culture. It made a tremendous effort in protecting its rich heritage and culture through adopting a variety of initiatives. Oman has a wide range of intangible heritage elements, and it has successfully added seven of them in the UNESCO World Heritage List. However, no research was conducted about the representation of intangible cultural heritage in Oman. As a passionate researcher, I would like to contribute to the protection of the country’s culture and have decided to write about this topic, which I am interested in.
1.3 Structure of Dissertation
This dissertation is divided into five chapters which are an introduction, literature review, methodology, discussion and findings and conclusion. Chapter one starts by giving an overview of the topic followed by a description of the aim and objectives, which will be discussed throughout the paper as well as the case study selection. Chapter two is the literature review that will cover three important topics. The first will start discussing the intangible cultural heritage by going through the subheadings, such as the definition and the UNESCO Convention (2003) for safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage. The first part will also explain the process followed by UNESCO in selecting the items associated with intangible cultural heritage, which are to be included in the world heritage list. Finally, it will give a description of the intangible heritage law. The second topic is the representation of intangible cultural heritage in museums and festivals. The Edinburgh international festival will be discussed as being a successful representation of the intangible cultural heritage. The last topic will give an overview of the cultural heritage and tourism including commercialisation of traditions and culture in tourism and the interpretation of cultural assets in the context of promoting tourism.
Chapter three gives a description of the methodological approach used for this research. The chapter contains the methods used to collect data and emphasises on their advantages and limitation and a justification of why they were used instead of others. Further explanation was made on the structure of the interviews and targeted interviewees.
The findings chapter will answer the objectives that are mentioned earlier in this chapter. The results were supported by the use of interviews conducted as well as the content analysis and the observation.
The conclusion, which is the final chapter, will summarise the main findings associated with research. The chapter ends through discussing the limitations and also giving the writer’s opinion on the most appropriate way of representing the intangible cultural heritage as well as giving suggestions and ideas supported by the literature used for this research.
3.0 Methodology
3.1 Introduction
This chapter discusses the methods used to achieve the objectives of this research. It will justify why certain methods have been used instead of others as well as the people who were selected for the interviews. The methods used were in-depth interviews and content analysis. As mentioned earlier, some of the leading aims and objectives of this study lie in the examination of cultural assets that continue to be interpreted and represented in the context of tourism promotion and the extent to which UNESCO has used these assets in promoting tourism, and to determine some of the efforts that the Ministry of Culture and Heritage has made towards the protection of intangible cultural heritage. With the research context being the Sultanate of Oman, the central motivation is to examine how the intangible cultural heritage is presented in facilities such as the Royal Opera House, festivals, and museums, upon which an approach perceived to be the most ideal for the heritage presentation towards its protection in Oman will be established.
3.2 Research Design/Approach
The study utilises a case study technique to collect and analyse data regarding the subject under investigation. Indeed, various reasons account for the choice of a case study technique. For instance, Antwi and Hamza (2015) observed that case studies enable the research process to satisfy the curiosity and desire of audiences by collecting data that is deemed first-hand and comprehensive. Therefore, this study’s adoption of a case study technique is projected to foster the merits of outcome reliability and validity due to the collection of detailed data that could be used to generalise the inferences to the rest of the Sultanate of Oman. Another study by Creswell (2014) indicated that when case studies are adopted, situations where the subject under investigation is yet to receive clear analysis and definition tend to benefit because of the resultant insights (Denzin and Lincoln 2011). As mentioned earlier, the research context is rich in cultural heritage but a detailed examination of the manner in which aspects such as intangible cultural heritage are defined and represented is yet to be conducted, a gap that attracts the choice of a case study technique to enhance data reliability while filling in the perceived gap. It is also worth noting that the results are not apparent to the researcher. As such, a case study technique is seen to be highly appropriate because it aids in the provision of an inclusive mental picture from the participants’ varying points of view. According to Gholamreza and Hasan (2010), such an approach that leads to the collection of data from the various viewpoints of the participants and inclusive mental picture aids in formulating recommendations that are realistic and practical, having reflecting the ground outcomes from the research context. Hence, the choice of a case study technique remains appropriate.
3.3 Qualitative Data Collection
The primary method of data collection is the qualitative approach. According to Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2012), the qualitative technique refers to a research that is majorly exploratory and seeks to gain understanding regarding some of the underlying motivations, opinions, and reasons why populations or subjects behave in the manner in which they do. In this study, the use of a qualitative approach to collect qualitative data is informed by various reasons. On the one hand, major drawbacks associated with the approach include staff and budget constraints and its associated demerit that it is more time consuming (Savin-Baden and Major 2013). On the other hand, the merits accruing from the approach tend to outperform the demerits. As concurred by Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2012), qualitative research is advantageous because it leads to the evaluation of issues and subjects in depth and a detailed manner. In addition, the use of interviews in qualitative research implies that they are unlikely to be limited to certain questions and that new subjects tend to arise; yielding research continuity. It has also been documented that the frameworks and direction of research can be revised with ease when the qualitative research is adopted, especially when new findings and fresh information emerge (Gholamreza and Hasan 2010). Denzin and Lincoln (2011) concurred further that qualitative data is more powerful and compelling ‒ because it is dependent on human experience and observations (when compared to the quantitative approach). With the subtleness and complexities about subjects of the topic covered or the research addressed, the eventuality is that qualitative research gives a clear vision to the research regarding what to expect. Whereas an additional demerit may lie in the use of smaller sample sizes that make generalisation to the rest of the population difficult, the advantage is that it saves on costs. Given the attributes of time and related resource constraints, the qualitative approach is deemed highly appropriate and convenient.
3.3.1 Data Collection and the Research Instrument (The Interview Technique)
The study utilises interviews to collect data about the subject under investigation. The selection of the participants has its inclusion and exclusion set in such a way that the individuals are expected to have served their respective organisations or lived with the local community for a substantial period to ensure that the study focuses on an experienced population that is capable of discerning issues about the presentation of intangible cultural heritage in Oman. Notably, permission is sought from the participants and other relevant authorities prior to the collection of data. In addition, participant anonymity is assured by ensuring that personal information such as the real names and positions of the interviewees are not indicated, a step that is projected to shun adversities such as victimisation. In addition, data privacy and confidentiality is assured in the current study to boost the freedom of participation and honesty of the responses.
The interview used in this study involves eight participants. Notably, the participants are selected randomly to avoid the adversity of social desirability bias, especially due to the multicultural nature of the selected context. The participants are also selected randomly to improve the validity and reliability of the outcomes. Notably, eight participants are selected for participation. The interview sessions are conducted in three phases and involve two participants from the local community and six participants from organisations that will be described in detail in this sub-section. On ground, four online interviews are conducted and this decision is informed by time constraints in which a section of these participants were on holiday at the time of data collection, making the online approach more appropriate and convenient. The rest of the data collection with two members of the local community involves semi-structured and informal interviews while two additional interviewees from the organisations are engaged in semi-structured interviews in face-to-face settings.
The Ministry of Heritage and Culture forms one of the target firms from which participants are drawn. The selection of this firm is motivated by the need to unearth some of the efforts that the Ministry has conducted towards the protection of intangible cultural heritage in the Sultanate of Oman, upon which insights will be gained regarding some of the regional accomplishments that are evident after joining UNESCO towards safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. The Ministry of Tourism forms another target organisation from which inferences are drawn. The main aim of selecting this firm lies in the need to investigate the manner in which the interpretation and representation of cultural assets in the selected context aid in tourism promotion at the national level. Regarding the selection of the National Museum as a target organisation for conducting the interviews, the intention is to establish the manner in which intangible cultural heritage is presented in such institutions. The selection of the Royal Opera House is also motivated by the same reason as that which has led to the choice of the National Museum. Additional groups and institutions include the Ministry of Education/ Oman National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, dance performers, and the Research Council.
Indeed, various reasons attract the choice of the interview technique. Whereas demerits include variations in the interpretations of interview questions by the interviewees, high costs in terms of reporting, feedback, analysis, transcribing, interviewing, and setting up, and time-consuming, a number of merits have prompted the use of interviews to collect data. As observed by Creswell (2014), interview approaches such as semi-structured interviews provide room for accurate screening. In this study, interviews that are conducted face-to-face allow for participant observation or active listening to assure the accuracy of the responses and a similar merit is achieved even for the online interviews by getting around screening questions. Additionally, interviews aid in capturing both the verbal and non-verbal aspects that include the body language, an advantage that makes the approach appropriate regarding the face-to-face sessions. Interviews have also been documented to keep focus. According to Antwi and Hamza (2015), interviews allow the interviewer or the researcher to have control over the data collection process and ensure that the participant is on track and focused up to the completion stage. With the ability to capture behaviours and emotions, interviews are deemed ideal in the current study. Imperative to highlight is that secondary sources of data are used in this study to complement primary data outcomes, upon which inferences will be made regarding the level of concurrence between the results obtained in the field and those contained in the existing scholarly contributions.
3.3.1.1 Pilot Study
A pilot study was also conducted to estimate the time and other resources that would be required while conducting the actual study. According to Creswell (2014), pilot studies are also advantageous in such a way that they enable the researcher to familiarise with the research contexts and the community within which the study is conducted. In this study, the pilot study aided in determining the relevance of the interview questions, prompting possible adjustments to make them more targeted and highly appropriate towards answering the research questions.
3.3.2 Data Analysis ‒ the Content Analysis Technique
Upon the collection of data from the field, the current study adopts both the inferential and descriptive statistical approaches to analyse data. Indeed, the main aim of the descriptive statistics lies in the need to determine the degree of similarity between the interviewees’ responses, upon which valid and reliable conclusions can be drawn. On the other hand, inferential statistics is used to determine the level of concurrence between the primary data outcomes and some of the findings in the existing literature or scholarly contributions about the subject under investigation. Therefore, the content analysis approach will ensure that responses that are similar are grouped together for purposes of inference-making. The eventuality is projected to be the formation of meaningful data about intangible cultural heritage in Oman.
3.3.3 Study Limitations and Delimitations
As mentioned earlier in this chapter, the study adopts a case study technique to conduct interviews and collect qualitative data before complementing the results with secondary data from the existing literature. According to Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2012), case studies may have their outcome validity and reliability compromised when the researchers intervene where questions are unclear, leading the respondents to certain directions of responses. In addition, multiculturalism in Oman is likely to prompt social; desirability bias and lead to the collection of subjective outcomes. To counter these limitations, the interview questions are formulated clearly to avoid the researcher’s interference and influence. In addition, the study focuses on interviewees from different organisations to shun bias, an adversity that is curbed further by selecting the interviewees via a simple random sampling method. Indeed, the delimitations are expected to add to the study’s validity and reliability.
3.3.4 Ethical Issues and Considerations
To assure ethical conformity, the interviewees selected for participation in this study are informed about the voluntary nature of the research and the decision to withdraw at any stage of data collection. In addition, the study assures participant anonymity by using pseudonyms or codes in the place of their personal details (such as real names, positions, and addresses) to avoid victimisation. It is also worth noting that the aspect of intellectual property rights is followed by ensuring that the past scholarly contributors whose works are consulted are acknowledged and cited accordingly. The study is also ethical because it seeks to assure data privacy and confidentiality, protecting the results against any unauthorised access. With permission or consent sought from the participants and other relevant authorities in Oman prior to the interview sessions, the study is deemed ethical. A summary of the current study’s research process and methodology is shown in the figure below.
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