Anthropological View on Intangible Cultural Heritage
Anthropological theories on culture feed public and private organizations and institutions. The UNESCO’s recent convention on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage illustrates well this relationship. Many critical thoughts confirm the relevance of an anthropological observatory about the current enthusiasm for patrimonializing living culture which, in many cases, is associated to a politic appropriation. This paper is mainly concerned with minorities whose practices, reflecting their common identity, tend to be appropriated for other purposes than the recognition of their contribution to society. This demonstration is based on the case of West-andalusian Gypsies and the institutional promotion of a plural and undifferentiated flamenco, associated to a Muslim inspiration.