Why collections matter: impacts of cultural heritage collections on people’s lives

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article presents the results of a global, cross-cultural survey conducted by ICCROM that invited people from all walks of life to describe the impacts that cultural heritage collections have on their lives. The qualitative responses of nearly 2,400 collected surveys were coded to extract main themes, which were subsequently analysed against respondents’ ages, geographic distribution, and occupations using asymmetrical correspondence analysis. Across eight main themes, this research explores recurring justifications observed in the survey data describing how heritage collections were perceived to impact – or not impact – people’s lives, considering variance across different demographic groups. It further engages contemporary heritage debates to discuss what the results might say about the actual and potential roles of heritage collections in today’s global societies, as well as some possible implications on their management.