Excavating fictions : perceptions and awareness of the historic environment and the implications for its management and use
This research aims to analyse, understand and evaluate public perceptions of, and attitudes towards, the historic environment. Moving from a wider consideration of the political and economic demands on 'the past' and the exploration of the processes of environmental perception to a place-specific case study, it examines the management practices and interpretive processes that influence how and why people engage with their local historic environment. The thesis begins with a critical appraisal of the discourses surrounding the management and conservation of the historic environment, with particular reference to its claims regarding sense of identity, belonging and place. It is argued that, contrary to the accepted assumptions, little is understood about how people perceive the historic environment, and that until this has been resolved, the role of the historic environment in social well-being must remain assumed rather than proven. One of the main aims of this work is to devise a means of analysing how people engage with their local historic environment. The research methodology focuses on studies in landscape perception and the methods applied to examine attitudes, beliefs, emotions and behaviour as they
McCarthy, S. A.
Excavating fictions : perceptions and awareness of the historic environment and the implications for its management and use. This research aims to analyse, understand and evaluate public perceptions of, and attitudes towards, the historic environment. Moving from a wider consideration of the political and economic demands on 'the past' and the exploration of the processes of environmental perception to a place-specific case study, it examines the management practices and interpretive processes that influence how and why people engage with their local historic environment. The thesis begins with a critical appraisal of the discourses surrounding the management and conservation of the historic environment, with particular reference to its claims regarding sense of identity, belonging and place. It is argued that, contrary to the accepted assumptions, little is understood about how people perceive the historic environment, and that until this has been resolved, the role of the historic environment in social well-being must remain assumed rather than proven. One of the main aims of this work is to devise a means of analysing how people engage with their local historic environment. The research methodology focuses on studies in landscape perception and the methods applied to examine attitudes, beliefs, emotions and behaviour as they
fiction perception awareness historic_environment implication management use aim_analyse evaluate public_perception attitude_towards historic_environment moving wide consideration political_economic demand the past exploration_process environmental perception place specific_case study_examines management_practice interpretive process influence people_engage local historic_environment begin_critical appraisal discourse_surround management conservation historic_environment particular_reference claim regard sense_identity belong place argue contrary accept assumption little_understood people perceive historic_environment resolve role historic_environment social well_being must remain assumed rather proven one_main aim_work devise mean analyse people_engage local historic_environment focus study landscape perception method_apply examine attitude_belief emotion behaviour