Partners as Stakeholders in Cultural Property Protection: Bridging the Intrinsic and Instrumental Value of Cultural Heritage

abstract:This article responds to the observed division in cultural property protection (CPP) between cultural practitioners preserving heritage for its intrinsic value and those entities conducting historic preservation activities for its instrumental value. In this paper, we propose a model of interdisciplinary engagement with partners on both sides of the intrinsic/instrumental divide. We demonstrate this through three recent lines of effort undertaken by the Cultural Heritage Monitoring Lab and discuss the lessons learned from those projects. In detailing the unique and often divergent priorities and resources of CPP stakeholders across three lines of effort, our objective is to orient readers to the productive partnerships that can exist in the space between intrinsic and instrumental communities of interest in CPP. The authors conclude with a synthesis of five principles for forging effective partnerships that bridge CPP’s intrinsic and instrumental values.