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1
Maurizio Rontani
M.A. in Communication for Development
Malmö University
Final Project Work, June 2012
Supervisor: Anders Høg Hansen
Patrimonito: a visual storytelling of World
Heritage from and for children
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Table of Contents
ABSTRACT 3
I. INTRODUCTION 4
Preserving heritage globally. Changing lives locally 4
Patrimonito´s World Heritage Adventures Storyboard Competition 2010/2011 5
Research questions 8
II. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 9
Visual storytelling and representations 10
Storytelling and cultural heritage 12
Cultural Heritage 14
UNESCO and the World Heritage 16
Heritage and Identity 18
Heritage Tourism 20
A Communication for Development perspective 22
III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 24
Visual Methods 27
Semiotics and Transmedia Storytelling 31
Semiotics of Comics 32
IV. ANALYSIS 36
V. RESEARCH FINDINGS 42
VI. FINAL REMARKS 45
REFERENCES 47
APPENDIX I 55
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ABSTRACT
This is a brief research investigating issues such as world heritage and sustainable
development in their existing links with youth and local communities, tourism and
identity. Some heritage related narratives created by youngsters worldwide are
considered.
Connections among education, participation and heritage preservation, in the framework
of a communication for development perspective, are investigated. Specifically,
winning storyboards of a UNESCO Patrimonito competition are analyzed. The analysis
on the collected media texts was conducted using a qualitative approach, including
semiotics and visual methods.
The findings emerged from the study made clearer the researched topic and allowed to
formulate some final recommendations for further studies on the subject.
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I. INTRODUCTION
Preservation of cultural heritage sites and landscapes is deeply embedded in modernity
and their value for both national economy and national identity is usually well
understood in developed countries. However, to carry on necessary preservation can be
difficult due to lack of public resources as well as mismanagement of allocated finances.
Nowadays, national economies and rising shortages in public finances can hinder
national ministries of culture to take care of smaller and secondary sites. Nevertheless
there is a living non-profit sector1 that plays a relevant role in this field taking care of
forgotten, but still relevant, heritage sites.
Thanks mainly to the work of UNESCO in the last 60 years the importance of this
theme has been widespread worldwide, including developing countries. Main
endangered heritage sites have been followed carefully and inserted in watch-lists to
advocate their preservation for future generations. Such rising attention on specific
heritage sites led also to international development projects involving their preservation
that contributed in boosting local tourism industries.
Preserving heritage globally. Changing lives locally
Partnerships among governments, international organizations, NGOs and the private
sector exist to enhance cultural heritage and development. Several NGOs and
foundations from developed countries – such as the Global Heritage Fund (GHF,
2012b), or Cultural Heritage without Borders (CHWB, 2012) – advocate the need to
save our heritage globally and especially significant and endangered cultural heritage
sites in developing countries. It can be argued, indeed, that heritage protection and
sustainable tourism can be a viable road to alleviate poverty and foster local economic
development in the developing world (GHF, 2012a). And while “unmanaged tourism
can damage heritage sites, and high-profile sites often suffer the most … Managing the
numbers of tourists and traffic flow … minimizes the negative impact of visitors on
1 In Italy, for example, it exists FAI, the Italian Environment Fund (FAI, 2012), a large national trust that
buys, restores and preserves, local houses, villas and cultural sites, relevant for the common heritage but
kept in bad conditions. Once a year it grants free access to its sites as a way to raise awareness on the
importance of preserving cultural heritage.
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heritage sites and the surrounding environment, but also produces income and jobs for
local communities” (WMF, 2012).
These development themes can be considered actual glocal phenomena as well
summarized by GHF's motto „Preserving heritage globally. Changing lives locally‟
(GHF, 2012b). A charming NGO‟s slogan that contributed to arouse my interest
concerning preservation of glocal heritage and related development issues, leading me
to research on narratives linked to heritage places.
Broadly speaking, this research investigates heritage preservation as a force supporting
social change. Taking into considerations how communities, especially the youth, living
around World Heritage sites – including those endangered – are influenced by global
cultural heritage and patrimony preservation. Indeed, preservation of common heritage
usually happens in partnership with local populations and it yields socio-economic
benefits as well as a non-economic impact on education and identity.
Patrimonito´s World Heritage Adventures Storyboard Competition
2010/2011
At the beginning of my research I wanted to focus on several narratives created through
interviews, photographs, drawings and exhibitions, to explore the changes, challenges,
conflicts and contradictions involved in the process of preserving a cultural heritage site
in a developing country. Investigating the role of communities living in and around a
heritage site, and how much relevance is given to themes such as visiting responsibly
and balancing heritage and environment preservation with responsible local economic
development. Including also how restoration and preservation can both shape and define
relationships among social groups, as well as the sense of ownership and belonging.
Thus, analyzing texts through which their authors try to build awareness on heritage
preservation in different stakeholders: from children, as future citizens, to adults; from
governments to private multinational companies2.
2 Corporations may be then pushed to invest into heritage preservation or sustainable tourism promotion
as a form of corporate social responsibility (WMF, 2012).
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However, such research scope was too broad for this kind of study and in the end I
decided to focus my analysis on the winning contributions of the latest UNESCO
Patrimonito international competition. Indeed, as a way to contribute in educating
young people to preserve both local and global heritage, in order to create a new episode
of the Patrimonito‟s animated series, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre organized
for 2010/2011 an international contest (UNESCO, 2010c). Launched in June 2010, this
thematic competition among teenagers aimed at raising awareness about the challenges
faced by UNESCO World Heritage sites (UNESCO, 2012b).
Such recent initiative used a visual participatory tool to engage stakeholders, trying to
trigger social change. Young people worldwide could participate through the creation of
storyboards about World Heritage sites and their links with communities, sustainable
tourism, sustainable development and biodiversity (UNESCO, 2010a). Thus, it
addressed issues of concern for local people but at the same time it emphasized the
importance of fostering the use of creative and problem-solving skills at the local level
as collaborative efforts to safeguard the world‟s cultural heritage.
Since 2002, in the framework of the UNESCO World Heritage Education Programme,
several Patrimonito competitions (UNESCO, 2006) have been organized (UNESCO,
2008), and a new one is currently ongoing for the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of
the World Heritage Convention (UNESCO, 2012a). But they were related to a single
theme or organized only in one or a few countries, while the competition organized in
2010/2011 was worldwide (UNESCO, 2010c). All Patrimonito activities are framed
under the Education and Training section of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention
(UNESCO, 2002) and they incorporate one of its key messages: „World Heritage
Education = Preservation‟ (UNESCO, 2010b). It is claimed, indeed, that this
competition “allows young people in schools and youth organizations to build critical
thinking skills about heritage conservation in their own country as well as to transmit
their message to their peers around the world” (UNESCO, 2010c).
My main argumentation is that UNESCO with this activity enhanced a participatory
approach, fostering local dialogue on sensitive development issues. This initiative of
communication for development (ComDev), in fact, can help to provide more
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information to children, including those living in and around endangered sites, about
what could happen to their communities in the future if they do not take action.
It can be suggested that it empowered young participants, between 12 and 18 years old
(UNESCO, 2010a), by providing a tool to express themselves and tell their story related
to one of the chosen theme. To propose fresh ideas, for example on how to balance
preserving heritage for future generations with meeting current human needs; or just to
inspire others, like while describing their role “in preserving and conserving the site
and finding ways to overcome challenges it faces” (UNESCO, 2012a).
Through participation in the Patrimonito initiatives by UNESCO the youth can improve
their understanding of the implications related to world heritage preservation and
enhance behavioral change within their local communities. Thus, it can be argued that
with this kind of activity UNESCO included a specific communication for development
approach within its world heritage discourse. Focusing on participation of local
stakeholders and successfully crossing local languages and cultural contexts through the
use of visual images and drawings.
Patrimonito involves a participatory action, as the drawings, and the use of the Internet
to initiate and carry on a dialogue with the people. Moreover, it is likely that further
discussion take place at the local level. Therefore, there are several elements of a
bottom-up approach. Such as local participation, that can be considered essential to
create awareness about sensitive topics. And the flow of information involved in the
programme that is not linear but coming from a dialogue and obtained through
stakeholders‟ participation and discussion.
Through a ComDev approach local communities can be reached with alternative
communication tools and initiatives that can enhance bottom-up thinking and action.
Thus, in this way while raising awareness UNESCO can foster actual change in glocal
behavior when dealing with preservation of world heritage sites. Empowering people in
developing countries to take decisions that can benefit their everyday lives, but also
contributing to more sustainable standards of living in developed nations.
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Research questions
There are several research questions that guided this study and its theoretical framework
discussed in the following chapter. Briefly:
- Within a specific communication initiative like the Patrimonito competition
2010/11, which can be considered a participative communication tool to get
youth engaged in heritage preservation, did UNESCO actually include a
strategic communication for development approach?
- How is the value of a World Heritage site perceived and represented by children
as community members and what can stories told by these youngsters about
World Heritage sites tell about the links between heritage, tourism and identity?
As explained in the following chapters, I chose to use semiotics and visual methods for
the analysis of the visual portrayal of protected heritage in the storyboards drawn by
children. They include works from children living in or near endangered heritage sites
and in the near future they could be transformed into animated film episodes of the
Patrimonito‟s Adventure series (UNESCO, 2010a).
Unfortunately, even if the subject of my study was decided during winter 2011 I had to
wait several months before the necessary corpus of data became publically available on
the UNESCO website. Indeed, the winning storyboards of the Patrimonito competition
came out only in late spring 2011 and thus I had to postpone not only the analysis but
also the finalization of this research that was due in the same period. A solution in order
to avoid this postponement would have been to switch my focus either on other aspects
of the competition or to another relevant case related to the researched theme.
The reading of multiple books and articles to create a necessary theoretical framework
and choose an appropriate methodology took several months. Afterwards the analysis
conducted on the collected data led to several findings and recommendations for further
studies. I regret that due to budget and time constraints it was not possible neither to
conduct some qualitative interviews to get insights from involved children, nor to
retrieve material from news articles, blogs and forums discussing these issues.
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II. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
“We have many ways of telling a story -
through words, plays, movies, etc. One way
that is particularly descriptive, visually rich
in information, easily understood, and
interesting to view is the storyboard”
(Sova & Sova, 2006, p. 1)
The researched Patrimonito initiative is based on visual images and narrative
storytelling. On one hand it can be considered a strategy to use simple visualizations to
depict relevant issues related to world heritage as a way to popularize them into
something similar to viewers‟ everyday experience. On the other hand it is an example
of creative storytelling and participation since children, whose voices are often absent
from the policy making process, can express their point of view on specific issues
through their drawings. There is a focus on disseminating information mainly through
visual images as an alternative way of communicating a relevant topic, with the aim of a
broader understanding of the issues.
The drawings of storyboards by children in the UNESCO competition can be
considered like a genre of visual storytelling, forging unpredictable lines of cross-
cultural identification. In this initiative world heritage sites are approached through
telling a story related to them, potentially including identified qualities of such places
(Mossberg, Therkelsen, Huijbens, Björk, & Olsson, 2011, p. 1). It can be argued that
through storytelling is possible to gain some understanding of authors‟ cognitive and
emotional needs. Specifically, through direct-experience storyboards (McQuaid, Goel,
& McManus, 2003, p. 121) and their visual storytelling it could be possible to gather
substantial information on authors‟ communities and everyday life and experiences.
Indeed, when using the medium of visual storytelling the authors, as children in our
case, play a main role in framing the topics considered (Fletcher & Cambre, 2009, p.
122).
According to Fraser (2003), storyboards are a communication tool and an effective
means of sharing information in broad educational and learning settings as well as a
good means for raising interest on the content. And the process of designing and
developing a storyboard could be as well an outlet for participants‟ creativity (pp. 302-
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303). Without the need to be an artist, storyboarding is useful to effectively involve
different audience groups and remove international and language barriers, thus
facilitating the recognition of an idea by the audience (Sova & Sova, 2006, p. 2).
Storyboards are usually used in the movie industry by directors to plan movies‟ events
and characters‟ reactions to such events (2006, p. 3). Moreover, it can be argued that
“storyboards often are better than photos for communicating problems, because you can
more easily isolate the main issue” (2006, p. 6). Thus, in our case through the
storyboards it can emerge an historical knowledge of the sites, some related personal
experiences as well as the perception of why tourists visit them. They could give hints
on the current site management institution work and portray also local cultural
awareness.
This visual storytelling project captures the social history and heritage of some World
Heritage sites and their surrounding communities. There is a downloadable online
archive on the UNESCO website including winning storyboards of the latest
competition (UNESCO, 2011) but also previous Patrimonito adventures videos
(UNESCO, 2002). Final stories can be used in community mobilization and awareness-
raising. Indeed, they can serve as pedagogical tools based on the participatory resources
created asking participants to creatively process their socio-cultural heritage and
residential history. Since, as pointed out by Foth, Klaebe, and Hearn (2008),
“communal examination of the individual contributions residents make to the emerging
historical consciousness of their location is intended to foster a better understanding of
the region and its cultural diversity” (p. 10).
Visual storytelling and representations
Generally speaking storytelling calls on “the intersubjective process of collective
meaning making … [Stories] are easily understood and responded to; thus they are
immediately relational and have an implicit pedagogical significance” (Fletcher &
Cambre, 2009, p. 122). Moreover, Frank (1995), cited by Fletcher and Cambre (2009),
argues that storytelling “is for another as much as for oneself. In the reciprocity that is
storytelling, the teller offers herself as guide” (p. 110). Master narratives can be
considered as offering people “a way of identifying what is assumed to be a normative
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experience … they become the vehicle through which we comprehend not only the
stories of others, but crucially of ourselves as well” (Andrews, 2004, p. 1). While
counter-narratives challenging dominant cultural narratives “might be experienced and
articulated individually, but nonetheless they have common meaning. Even the most
individualized and emotionally charger narratives belong to specific communities with
specific scripts” (Seale, 2001, cited by Andrews, 2004, p. 2).
Fletcher and Cambre (2009) suggest that digital and visual storytelling as a pedagogical
tool has emerged from previous research showing that “working in narrative and visual
modes generates a complex intellectual engagement that is at once creative, socially
oriented, and pedagogical” (p. 111). It can be an opportunity to narrate personal tales as
a visual extension of their oral version (Foth, Klaebe, & Hearn, 2008, p. 11) and it can
connect the author to the viewer, “in a dialogue around the nature of representation,
meaning, and authority embedded in imagery and narrative” (Fletcher & Cambre, 2009,
p. 115). Drawings as well as photos are resources for narrative inquiry. Both can be
used for storytelling and function not only as narratives but also as counter-narratives by
their content (Harrison, 2004), like when photographs show objects or moments which
are meant to remain invisible (Andrews, 2004, p. 4).
Text has to be understood in a broad sense. Media texts and expressions have to be
analyzed as signifying practice (Hall, 1997) and discussed in their different and often
not explicit ways of dealing with development, change, transformations, awareness
raising. It can be suggested that images and discourses through which we can make
sense of the world are primarily organized also by media (Dahlgren, 1995, p. 28). Thus,
storyboards dissemination trough videos can influence also the immediate present since
media images when remembered can be easily mixed up between recent and old ones.
Nonetheless, even a photographic image can help to shape modern notions of global
citizenship such as in the case of the powerful photo of Sharbat Gula on the National
Geographic‟s June 1985 cover (Hawkins, 2010, p. 1). Indeed, an icon can trigger an
emotional bond between the audience and the image, functioning “as a powerful means
of public address … visually reenacts and thus „performs‟ recognizable moments of
collective life for various audiences” (2010, p. 2). A published photograph can catch the
viewer attention while demanding some emotional answer. Moreover, media photos can
be used as tools to promote or reinforce a cultural and political agenda. An iconic image
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can potentially mobilize public sentiment around something specific, even if this can
lead to commodification of such image (2010, p. 2).
Storytelling and cultural heritage
A narrative based approach can be useful for the community engagement process (Foth
et al., 2008, p. 3) in heritage preservation. Experiential narratives are an alternative way
to conceptualize an emotional connection to a place (2008, p. 2). They are new ways of
capturing and expressing „lived experience‟ (2008, p. 5), especially experience of place,
of community stakeholders and their perspectives. Narratives can support community
meaning making about place (2008, p. 10) while communicating common values and
rule sets (Boje & Hillon, 2008, p. 9). Indeed, they can act as a framework since “they
can communicate identified core values and attractions in a destination in an
understandable and memorable way” (Mossberg et al., 2011, p. 1).
Culture-based tourism can develop after objectifying the cultural legacy and “making it
visible and tangible through storytelling” (Mossberg et al., 2011, p. 28). The story told
about a cultural site is essential for tourists and not only for them. In fact, “a building or
an artifact is always more than it seems to be … [its] different aspects can offer a clue
for the development of a story … [which] is about the possibility for visitors to identify
with the site” (Meurs & Verhoef, 2006, p. 83). Storytelling can result in strengthening
the identity of a destination and in facilitating coherence and inclusiveness (Mossberg et
al., 2011, p. 52).
A generator of cultural icons, such as can be considered the UNESCO World Heritage
Patrimonito initiative, can catalyze public sentiment around powerful civic narratives
but also help its viewers/readers to negotiate the quick and shifting currents of an
emerging global culture (Hawkins, 2010, p. 7). Providing specific image-centered,
narrative-based accounts of World Heritage sites‟ strips of reality, it can furnish those
elements from which “scripts can be formed of imagined lives, their own as well as
those of others living in other places … readers can experience and transform what they
see and read, precisely by virtue of their exposure to multiple imagined worlds” (2010,
p. 9). Iconic images have a mediating role and can be powerful agents mobilizing
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collective action since they can help audiences in identifying themselves in many
several public roles they occupy such as citizens, consumers, policy makers, tourists,
etc. (2010, p. 13). Moreover, Hawkins (2010) suggests that an artistic representation of
ourselves or our personal life it “may reflect accurately how someone else views us but
not necessarily how we view ourselves” (p. 85).
According to Hall (1997) “we give objects, people and events meaning by the
frameworks of interpretation which we bring to them” (p. 3). That is the words used, the
stories told, the images produced, the emotions associated, the values placed, the
classifications and conceptualization created, give them their meaning (1997, p. 3). In a
broader sense, it can be suggested that UNESCO through an activity like Patrimonito is
strategically trying to educate younger generations supplying additional narrative
paradigms for reading the world and its heritage. Similarly to what a global mediascape
like the National Geographic does with its readers, promoting geographic knowledge
while “diffusing not just ideas about the unknown regions of the world, but ideas about
the known, about American values, assumptions, and beliefs about the United States‟
global role” (Hawkins, 2010, p. 14). It has to be underlined that in the process of
cultural consumption are involved always several layers of interpretation and then re-
appropriation, thus also media audiences participate actively when constructing a
cultural meaning (Hawkins, 2010, p. 25).
Therefore, it is particularly interesting to see what Patrimonito‟s storyboards, drawn by
worldwide children, can tell us about the researched topics, including their connections
with the communication for development theme. Indeed, videos, like those that will be
realized by UNESCO on the basis of some winning storyboards, can shape the
experience of viewers and influence their identities. These drawings with their
narratives can be informational through the themes related to the World Heritage told by
the Patrimonito character they use.
As institutional representations promoted by UNESCO they can shape the
understanding of the viewers, citizens and policy makers, with regards to World
Heritage sites preservation and challenges in their relationship with local communities
and sustainable development.
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Cultural Heritage
When discussing the definition of heritage it can be said that “etymologically, heritage
is related to patrimony and signifies possessions and traditions that are inherited and
passed on” (Rodwell, 2008, p. 7). Moreover, it can be argued that the content of heritage
embraces both the material and the intangible (Graham & Howard, 2008, p.4). And that
heritage “is created through acts of collecting and preservation by institutions such as
archives, libraries, museums, through processes of social memory by which popular
significance becomes based on memory stores and historical materials” (Dalbello, 2009,
p. 1). However, to have an accepted definition of heritage we can refer to the vision
provided by UNESCO:
Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass
on to future generations … the foundation of the present, the springboard for the
future, with the present generation as its custodians and the creative link.
(Rodwell, 2008, p. 7)
Nowadays, when defining heritage it is relevant the idea of present-centeredness. As
claimed by Graham and Howard (2008) “we adopt a constructionist perspective which
regards the concept as referring to the ways in which very selective past material
artefacts, natural landscapes, mythologies, memories and traditions become cultural,
political and economic resources for the present” (p. 1-2). A present-centered
perspective considering heritage “as a form of collective memory, a social construct
shaped by the political, economic and social concerns of the present” (2008, p. 2).
Neither a material heritage site can avoid deriving its actual value “from the ideas and
values that are projected on or through them” (2008, p.4). Indeed, heritage is more about
associated meanings and representations created from them than actual past artifacts.
And with representations of heritage related to demands of the present then the heritage
value is put by people viewing it according to different lenses. Specifically:
It is now largely agreed that most heritage has little intrinsic worth. Rather, values
are placed upon artefacts or activities by people who, when they view heritage, do
so through a whole series of lenses, the most obvious of which are: nationality;
religion; ethnicity; class; wealth; gender; personal history; and that strange lens
known as „insideness‟. The validity of a particular lens may also be situationally
determined rather than a constant while the interpretations will vary depending on
the situation of the observer in time and space. (Graham & Howard, 2008, p. 2)
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Therefore, as already stated, heritages are present-centered and as such “they are open
to constant revision and change and are also both sources and results of social conflict”
(2008, p. 3). Accordingly, an investigation of a specific heritage site can reveal several
stakeholders and actors.
There is a living relationship between local communities and cultural heritage that can
be a vital resource for local development (Mossberg et al., 2011, p. 4). Community
heritage initiatives and heritage conservation can be seen as forms of cultural politics.
Preservation, restoration and conservation are all related to protection of heritage and its
cultural significance (Rodwell, 2008, p. 8). Thus, it can be claimed that “heritage should
not only be returned to local people but that it should be housed, cared for and
interpreted by them and for their own purposes” (Ashworth, 2003, p. 83). While it can
be suggested that several interest groups are involved with heritage preservation, all
with their own perspectives, requests and priorities related to the heritage sites (Sedky,
2009, p. xviii). Both the local community, concerned to continue using it for its
legitimate and traditional lifestyle, and the global community bearing the responsibility
of international cultural heritage safeguard. According to World Bank Staff (2001) the
involved actors, broadly speaking, are “all the country‟s citizens who enjoy, admire, and
use their heritage, and the nations themselves, which have the responsibility for
preserving perpetuating, and transmitting the heritage” (p. 8).
In addition, it can be argued that “for most people heritage is not a value in itself, but an
asset to be used” (Meurs & Verhoef, 2006, p. 76). Cultural heritage is a field where a
fight between keepers, willing to preserve, and developers, trying to exploit ruins from
the past, can happen (2006, p. 80). Nevertheless, some sees heritage in its contemporary
uses of the past, “as a means of linking people and places through heritage as the
vehicle for the creation and transmission of place identities” (Ashworth, 2003, p. 80).
And it has to be underlined that:
Heritage is intrinsically „multivocal‟ that is, it is inevitably reflecting and
transmitting the many different voices that have ascribed meaning to it; it is thus
equally polysemic in conveying different messages, including in this case
different place identities, either sequentially or synchronously. (Graham, 1997,
Ashworth, 2003, p. 80)
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Storytelling by providing an interpretation can create a link between readers and
heritage sites. So, narratives of heritage places may communicate the local to the global.
UNESCO and the World Heritage
The UNESCO World Heritage Convention (WHC) concerns the protection of the world
cultural and natural heritage (Rodwell, 2008, p. 64). The Convention:
introduced the concept of a common world heritage of „outstanding universal
value‟ and of the duty of the international community to cooperate to ensure its
protection and transmission to future generations for the benefit of humankind as
a whole. (Rodwell, 2008, p. 65)
Briefly, it can be said that it was created to channel international cooperation willing to
secure and safeguard for the future global cultural and natural heritage (2008, p. 76).
The World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger have been produced
to reach the convention objectives. Key decisions have been taken by the WHC
committee to grant more representativeness and quality in the list and the criteria to
include sites in such folder have been reviewed several times in the last decades
(Rodwell, 2008, p. 67; Cameron, 2009, p. 2-4); resulting in more openness to include
also non-European cultural heritage and granting a broader interpretation of authenticity
(Rodwell, 2008, pp. 71-72).
So far the World Heritage Convention is a living Convention “that has evolved in
response to cultural and biological diversity, and to new ways of understanding
heritage” (Cameron, 2009, p. 1). Cities represent the biggest part of the common global
heritage since almost three hundreds are listed in UNESCO‟s World Heritage List
(Meurs & Verhoef, 2006, p. 51). Its credibility is due to its inclusiveness of sites
representing a global range of cultural activity and natural phenomena (Cameron, 2009,
p. 1) since to be included in the list a site must have a recognized universal significance
(World Bank Staff, 2001, p. 42). Another main aspect adding credibility is the good
state of conservation and management of listed sites (Cameron, 2009, p. 5).
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It is important to point out that threatened cultural heritage means that its value is not
realized. Like when the substantial economic value of a cultural heritage site “it is not
„captured‟ by those who either own the assets or who have the duty to conserve” (World
Bank Staff, 2001, p. 44). Since there are links between cultural patrimony and people's
education, UNESCO, together with other non-profit heritage organizations, tries to
make survive places and practices threatened to disappear by promoting preservation as
an essential premise of good cultural heritage management. Indeed, preservation and
good management, allowing also the preserved assets to become more accessible to
people, are needed to keep well the sites of cultural patrimony that can quickly
deteriorate otherwise (2001, p. 1).
The cartoon series entitled Patrimonito's World Heritage Adventures was launched in
2002 and the storyboard competition analyzed in this study involved secondary school
children, aiming to raise their awareness on the importance of World Heritage and about
their role in preserving it against the threats the listed sites are facing. Patrimonito,
which means small heritage in Spanish, is the main character of this UNESCO activity
and represents an international young heritage guardian. It was created in 1995 in
Norway by a group of Spanish-speaking students during a UNESCO seminar
(UNESCO, 2002).
The winning storyboards of the competition will be then “professionally animated and
produced in CD-ROM format for global diffusion to schools and at World Heritage
Youth events” (UNESCO, 2002). As stated on the UNESCO website (2002)
Patrimonito is a tool “to popularize and promote awareness of World Heritage
preservation and conservation as well as the activities of the Centre among young
people”. Specifically, the 2010/2011 competition themes were related to a chosen
World Heritage site: “World Heritage and the role of Communities (people living in and
around World Heritage sites); World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism (visiting
responsibly); World Heritage and Sustainable Development (how to balance preserving
heritage for future generations with meeting human needs); World Heritage and
Biodiversity (sites that are crucial to sustaining life, nature or species, including those
endangered)” (UNESCO, 2010a).
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Heritage and Identity
Media and education influence identities formation. Media influence identity since they
can represent a shared reference. Representations emerging from visual storytelling can
give a hint of what is the self and the identity. Heritage and shared interpretations of the
past can be used to build narratives of inclusion and otherness since “through its cultural
heritage a society becomes visible to itself and to others” (Assmann, 2004, p.10). For
example, the National Geographic magazine through its “texts and photographs
cooperated to shape readers‟ perceptions of the world but not to determine them …
[NG] provided a means for Americans to imaginatively negotiate national, ethnic, and
cultural identities within a rapidly changing modern world” (Hawkins, 2010, p. 27).
Similarly, it can be suggested that within the Patrimonito competition the storyboard
drawing process itself could have been a stage for the continuous construction of the
self and the other.
In addition, it can be suggested that:
Communities, like individuals, are constantly in the process of composing and
recomposing their own autobiographies … we narrate and represent our identity,
and then reproduce these representations, by means of the public idioms and tools
at our disposal … self experiences and discourses of the self provide idioms for
narrating collective experience and identity. (Carr, 1986, cited by Freeman, 2004,
p. 291)
So, self experiences can become a way to narrate collective identity, as with the
reflective process of drawing stories narrating one‟s self, fostering the emergence of a
common and shared sense of place identity among generations. Particularly, Mossberg,
Therkelsen, Huijbens, Björk, and Olsson (2011) suggest that a story linked to local
heritage would enhance the experience and strengthen the memory of the place among
those involved in the storytelling process that have probably internalized the most those
values linked to the stories (p. 43).
According to Graham and Howard (2008), “identity is about sameness and group
membership and quite central to its conceptualization is the Saidian discourse of the
„other‟ … These attributes of otherness are fundamental to representations of identity,
which are constructed in counter-distinction to them” (p. 5). In addition, heritage and
identity are interconnected with place and territoriality. Indeed, it is possible to refer to
19
identity as “the ways in which markers such as: heritage; language; religion; ethnicity;
nationalism; and shared interpretations of the past, are used to construct narratives of
inclusion and exclusion that define communities” (p. 5). However, even if place identity
is relevant it can be composed by multiple layers entwining the local with the global, as
well as with heritage. And it can be argued that the national level is usually privileged
when dealing with heritage and identity; constraining “the effectiveness of other forms
of representing heritage and identity such as, for example, the European, and, most
certainly, the idea of universal values embodied in the concept of world heritage” (p. 8).
Rodwell (2008) claims that cultural heritage is an essential element to promote and
affirm national identity (p. 171). Indeed, cities representing part of world heritage are
usually also “living spaces to be occupied and appropriated by local communities as an
essential part of the process of safeguarding those communities‟ identity and sense of
belonging” (p. 187). Thus, promoting the preservation of cultural heritage, safeguarding
its integrity and authenticity, has implication in terms of societal identity (p. 186). Like
it can happen if “either there is a change in the physical location of the community or
there is a change in the nature of the place such that the community no longer identifies
with it” (Ashworth, 2003, p. 81).
Accordingly, local communities of world heritage locations can adjust their place
images to that of the tourists. In other words “they come to accept and incorporate in
their own self-image the identity projected to them by visitors. They assume the identity
that has been sold and is now reflected back to them” (2003, p. 86). So local
communities can become the one sold to tourists. Especially if there was little local self-
awareness until tourism developed, it can happen that those images and expression of
local culture promoted for others “became themselves adopted by local communities as
part of their own self-identity” (2003, p. 89). Thus, if several place identities can emerge
to meet the needs of multiple communities, then it can be argued that also “identities,
and the heritage that expresses and supports them, are community creations” (2003, p.
95). Authenticators of the heritage identity and the heritage that expresses and supports
them are community creations. Nonetheless, it can happen that “different place
identities lead to a form of heritage dissonance … cultural, economic and, even on
occasion, physical, displacement of locals who no longer feel „at home‟ in the tourist
place” (2003, p. 86).
20
Heritage Tourism
Singh, Timothy, and Dowling (2003) argue that heritage tourism “has both positive and
negative impacts on destination communities” (p. 11). Positive effects at the local level
like enhancing the creation of new job opportunities and businesses, as well as
improving quality of life and community sense of ownership. But also negative impacts
can happen such as threatening local heritage, changing sense of authenticity of local
communities and harming traditional social structures. Local communities at the
receiving end of possible negative effects due to mass tourism are also the stakeholders
of the positive effects that they could help to achieve through participation in the
planning process of tourism in their area.
Thus, there are possible benefits and risks linked to tourism. Mass tourism can bring
fast wealth but also relevant socioeconomic problems (2003, p. 5). And can also cause
cases of staged authenticity to fulfill tourists‟ basic expectations. Indeed, “where the
number of visitors greatly exceeds the host population … some members of the local
community may construct a boundary zone in which they are willing to provide public
evidence of their lifestyle” (Fagence, 2003, p. 63). Social changes can occur at the
family and community levels due to the risks of cultural prostitution and
homogenization of culture leading to local identity loss and cultural commodification
(2003, p. 62). Particularly, it can be relevant “the „demonstration effect‟ … the impact
of foreign ways on a host community in terms of value systems, standards of behavior,
and attitudes towards people, property, culture and spaces” (2003, p. 62). While
concerning the impact on local culture, tourism can be blamed for its loss of importance
“by trivializing it or by causing it to be commodified and packaged for easy
consumption (and even transportability in the form of souvenirs)” (2003, p. 60).
Moreover, it has to be pointed out that in local communities not always work the host-
guest analogy. Indeed, “many residents within the host community do not necessarily
see their function as that of a host, primarily because they do not benefit directly from
the economic transactions that take place” (Singh, Timothy, & Dowling 2003, p. 10).
However, tourism can also support the local cultures and identities through valorization
of local heritage (Ashworth, 2003, p. 82). But it has to be considered that:
21
Tourists are in search of, and can only be sold, their heritage, which can be
incorporated into their pre-existing mental constructs about the past …
Consequently, as the consumer decides what is heritage, then in so far as tourists
and local residents are assumed to be different in various ways then so will be the
heritage. (2003, p. 82)
So the sense of place by locals is different from the tourist one. Tourism pushes towards
“easily recognizable, reproducible and sellable components of the place identity, which
it simplifies, homogenizes and stereotypes” (2003, p. 84). Therefore, it is likely the
emergence of different senses of place, at least one for tourist consumption and one for
local identification (2003, p. 85). In such sense, also tourism can create heritage (2003,
p. 94).
A sustainable development of tourism aims to stop further degeneration of heritage. A
goal of sustainable tourism is to empower local communities in the tourism
management and planning of future developments in their area. If the local community
is strongly heritage-aware then it would impact on tourism development through its
consistent participation as relevant stakeholder. Some key elements are quality of the
experience for visitors and quality of life for inhabitants. Which are deeply
interconnected since the improvement of the visitors‟ experience requires an
advancement of resources and quality of life of residents (Meurs & Verhoef, 2006, p.
75). Indeed, an historic city without its residents is no longer a living heritage place.
Thus, when thinking of a sustainable cultural tourism improving the quality of life of
the host community it emerges a need for a bottom-up approach in strategic planning
(2006, p. 77). Social and cultural sustainability of the local community can be fostered
by locally participated management strategies (Fagence, 2003, p. 60). However, when
tourism is already consolidated in the destination, decisions on the future of the site are
usually based on political and economic criteria instead of emerging from local dialogue
and participation. Within a sustainable tourism approach local populations are relevant
in the decision-making process, participating in guiding tourism to have a low impact
on local culture, heritage and environment while supporting job and wealth creation.
Thus, tourism can be used as an economic justification for heritage preservation and
benefit surrounding communities.
22
A Communication for Development perspective
Since the adoption of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention in 1972 the idea of
sustainable development has been considered as a goal to be achieved promoting and
implementing the protection and conservation of the natural and cultural heritage
(Rodwell, 2008, p. 64). It has to be pointed out that “the World Heritage Convention is
perhaps the most widely recognized and effective conservation instrument in the world”
(Cameron, 2009, p. 10). And some of its goals have been reached, like community
engagement in urban development of listed cities that “is now widely practiced in
relation to both heritage issues and future sustainability” (Foth et al., 2008, p. 5).
Indeed, when “historic cities are considered in terms of their functionality within
communities … then the relationship to the three core issues of sustainability becomes
more evident” (Rodwell, 2008, p. 58).
Concerning the engagement of youth by the UNESCO World Heritage system it has to
be pointed out that for it “to be credible, young people must play a part. The long term
conservation of our World Heritage Sites depends on the will of future generations to
take over stewardship responsibilities. Today's youth will be the decision-makers of
tomorrow” (Cameron, 2009, p. 8). Thus, in the framework of the UNESCO education
programme, aiming to provide education about World Heritage, in 2002 “a workshop to
mobilize young people was held and the first episode of the series Patrimonito’s World
Heritage Adventures was launched” (2009, p. 9).
The Patrimonito project is based on a Communication for Development strategy
focusing on consciousness raising and empowerment, while promoting understanding of
community issues. Indeed, participants are encouraged to draw stories on issues of
relevance for them, based on their daily life and experiences. As stated above, “images
are seen as a powerful medium for communicating issues and promoting change”
(Drew, Duncan, & Sawyer, 2010, p. 1678). Thus, the visual storytelling emerging from
storyboards that will be then translated in videos can be considered as a kind of
entertainment-education and as such “making the core problems visible and thereby
empowering audiences and putting pressure on politicians” (Tufte, 2005, p. 160). As
well as helpful for the “identification of social problems, power inequalities and their
root causes, most often enhancing collective action and structural change” (2005, p.
23
161). A main goal is to empower citizens and communities to understand their role and
act as primary stakeholders (Rodwell, 2008, p. 196). Through knowledge
communication enabling them to take relevant decisions shaping their lives and
enhancing social change and sustainable development (Davies, 2004).
Patrimonito is a fitting example of a ComDev participative initiative “engaging with
school children through a competition in which they were invited to submit written
work, artwork, and performance” (Rodwell, 2008, p. 168). So far, the World Heritage
Centre has produced 8 episodes of Patrimonito's World Heritage Adventures.
Developing videos from storyboards designed by young people and aiming to mobilize
other youngsters towards an active participation in World Heritage preservation
(UNESCO, 2010c). In this bottom-up approach there is a focus on understanding the
identity of a heritage site, enabling “informed choices to be made about what is
significant … and for local distinctiveness to be safeguarded through common
ownership by its community” (Rodwell, 2008, p. 196).
The Patrimonito competition can be framed also as a crowd-sourced storyboarding tool
from a ComDev point of view. Indeed, it collects ideas and shared knowledge emerging
from local communities and encourages and allows high participation of local children
in the process. This tool can help creating critical consciousness and stimulate dialogue,
even if such artwork can be considered already in itself as a form of dialogue. Students
participating in this visual storytelling exercise can experience like “self-discovery of
their own intellectual and creative potential, a nuanced … understanding of themselves
as socially embedded individuals, and an increased awareness of the social complexity
that surrounds them” (Fletcher & Cambre, 2009, p. 126).
It can be argued that UNESCO instilled a ComDev approach in some of its activities,
like with Patrimonito, aiming to engage young people as active participants in their
heritage. Indeed, “treated as passive consumers, their interest in heritage is not
awakened. Treated as participants, they are amongst its most valuable ambassadors”
(Rodwell, 2008, p. 168). There is an intrinsic value represented by the information
sharing and the inclusiveness of letting everybody participate (Quarray & Ramiréz,
2009; Davies, 2004). And it can be claimed that participating in the Patrimonito
storyboard competition can increase the sense of public ownership and shared
stewardship for public heritage resources (Springer et al., 2008, p. 15).
24
III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
“Narrative can make us understand” (Mitchell, 2011, p. 199)
This work lies within a qualitative and visual research context. In this study I chose
different methods to investigate my research questions and I conducted an analysis
looking for elements pointing out and clarifying the ComDev approach and themes
outlined previously in the theoretical framework.
As methodological framework I tried an interpretative ethnography of the collected
media texts produced through this UNESCO initiative, which represent the combination
of a precious and wide collective experience to be investigated. Indeed, it can be argued
that since the competition invites young people to express their ideas in the form of a
storyboard for the Patrimonito's World Heritage Adventures animated series (UNESCO,
2010c) then such storyboards are already meaningful texts to be analyzed. As Drew,
Duncan, and Sawyer (2010) pointed out:
qualitative approaches are valuable in researching the lived experiences of young
people … social sciences have shifted to focus more on children and youth as
actors in their own right, playing a significant role in both shaping and being
shaped by the social world. (p. 1677)
Through such texts I think is possible to get meaningful insights. Using representations
to get a deeper understanding of how those involved in a visual approach like drawing,
while addressing issues such as world heritage, preservation and their daily lives and
communities, define their identity. In fact, they have been produced directly by young
participants and thus communicate the memories and representations which they felt as
relevant with regards to the topics of the Patrimonito competition.
Such content has been drawn from a variety of geographic locations but also from a
similar population like children engaged in secondary education. The data collected for
this study has been produced by a limited age group that is young people between the
ages of 12 and 18 years. Thus, a visual approach is appropriate also because it can
overcome some limitations and challenges due to the fact that “young people are still
developing the skills and capacities to readily consider and articulate complex
25
understandings” (Drew et al., 2010, p. 1678). Moreover, as well as with observation,
also the visual approach “brings the participants‟ worlds of experience into closely
considered view” (Pickering, 2008, p. 9), since through it the narratives of youngsters
engaged in the initiative can be actively explored.
I decided not to perform a quantitative research using content analysis as a method to
detect patterns emerging from the texts. Instead, I chose qualitative methods (Pickering,
2008) as the main approach for my research. But this study does not consist of informed
interviews or participant observation. Observation has not been considered as one of the
methods that could best support this study in obtaining good findings and contributing
to the overall research theme. And qualitative interviews with those involved in the
production of the researched texts were not possible for several reasons.
Nevertheless, I used a combination of methods to benefit the research goals with more
insights from the analysis. Indeed, a multi-methodological approach, or triangulation,
“enhances the validity of the empirical results” (Belz & Baumbach, 2010, p. 307) since
it can reduce the pitfalls that every single research method has and lead to double-
checked findings. Mixing several methods, can lead to a better and deeper
understanding of the researched topic (Cottle, Hansen, Negrine, & Newbold, 1998)
because “the strengths of one method may help overcome the limitations of another”
(Pickering, 2008, p.106). Therefore, a combination of semiotics and visual methods has
been chosen as the form of triangulation for this project work. In this way, empirical
results emerging from different approaches can be compared and lead to better
comprehensive and general findings.
Even if a full analysis of all media levels related to the object of study would be
recommended in order to obtain more relevant findings, this was not possible due to
several constraints related to this kind of project work. Thus, I decided to conduct only
an analysis at the level of the media text. However, it would have been better to
interview several people involved with the storyboards competition – either UNESCO
organizers that guided the texts production or some of the winners – then apply semiotic
and visual analysis, and finally receive feedbacks on the research findings involving
again participants in the initiative at all levels.
26
I tried to limit as much as possible the influence of my own culture when conducting the
analysis and let the storyboards speak but some researcher bias is unavoidable as
pointed out by several researchers (Alvesson & Sköldberg, 2009). These limitations,
related to the fact that the interpretative analysis cannot avoid some bias due to the
researcher‟s self and culture, can be considered as actual weaknesses of this
methodology since they affect the meaning given to the analyzed data and the final
findings.
Concerning ethical issues when dealing with visual research (Wiles et al., 2008), such
as the use of children‟s drawings, Mitchell (2011) argues that “„doing least harm‟ and
„doing most good‟ must surely remain as the cornerstones of our work as researchers”
(p. 15). I adhered to such principle since it was not possible to send neither a survey nor
request an informed consent to the competition winners. In fact, they were not directly
contactable since they participated sending their storyboards to UNESCO mainly
through their schools all over the world. This is a real research weakness since to get
direct feedbacks from the winners of the competition could have been very informative
and added something to the research findings.
The online data collection for the analysis was conducted without any access or
permission constraints that can usually obstruct traditional observation-based research.
Taking into account suggestions to avoid the possibility of information overload (Cottle
et al., 1998, p. 58) and procedures adopted for netnography, that can be conducted
entirely unobtrusively if desired (Kozinets, 2002) and without the ethical necessity of
presenting research findings back to participants (Sandlin, 2007, pp. 289-290).
The analysis was done on texts downloaded from a publicly accessible website, where
registration to read the published electronic content is not required and the available
material can be considered for public access and use (Paccagnella, 1997). Internet
scholars and researchers have not reached a common agreement about ethical rules to
follow when dealing with material from public web sites (Mann & Stewart, 2000).
However, an informed consent from related UNESCO staff has been requested and
obtained. Indeed, I sent an email to the staff of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre
informing them about my research purposes on their Patrimonito competition. They
replied to it stating that I could freely use for my research all the related content on the
UNESCO website.
27
Visual Methods
Participating in the Patrimonito initiative children have been asked basically, through a
visual story on a World Heritage location that is linked to their identity, to depict their
life in a storyboard. As described in the Patrimonito competition guidelines:
Preparing a storyboard is like drawing a comic book. It is a script that presents a
story through sketches in chronological sequence. Usually, a storyboard is drawn
in pencil or ink. The images or visual illustrations of the story are portrayed using
a series of frames. (UNESCO, 2010b)
While according to Mitchell (2011), arguing that also choosing the genre to be
represented, either a fictional story or a documentary, will influence the storyboarding
process, “a storyboard, very simply, is a visual outline or skeleton, made up of a series
of drawings or sketches … each sketch or drawing represents one camera shot” (p. 75).
The choice to use a visual approach to investigate this case can be easily understood
since storyboards appear relevant as narrated stories emerging through visual
storytelling. Visual participatory tools as photography, video, drawing, and more
recently digital storytelling are all participatory visual methodologies and part of
qualitative studies (Mitchell, 2011, p. xi). Thus, drawing is one of the tools that can be
used in visual research to engage participants and it can be argued that resulting visual
data can lead to social action, pushing communities and individuals to act (2011, p.4).
Mitchell (2011) states that “participation does not have to be limited to „take a picture‟
or „draw a picture‟ … the constant is some aspect of the visual as a mode of inquiry and
representation, and as a mode of dissemination and engagement” (p.5).
In visual studies there are three types of texts to be considered. The actual visual texts
are the primary texts. Then there are also the producer texts and the viewer texts
(Mitchell, 2011, p. 79). In this study I focused on the produced texts as valuable data.
The drawings, or storyboards, are an immediate visual text. A primary text “that can
include captions and more extensive curatorial statements or interpretative writings that
reflect what the participants have to say about the visual texts” (2011, p.5).
28
The analysis involved visual texts produced by young people in a variety of geographic
locations. It was relevant to gather perspectives through texts from a selection of
worldwide children. Moreover, it was also meaningful considering such perspectives as
unselfconscious examples of how these children wanted to portray their communities
and themselves (Deacon, Pickering, Golding, & Murdock, 2010). Indeed, it can be
claimed that young people can use drawings, or storyboards, to engage in personal and
social narrative representing their lives to the rest of the world. And Mitchell (2011)
argues that in a social change framework is the active participation of young people that
can make a difference since “using visual arts-based approaches … engage them in
„stepping outside‟ the everyday” (p. 93). Drawing can be a participatory tool for
collaboration and disruption since “understanding and positioning participants as
instigators and producers of knowledge can dislodge power dynamics in a given social
context” (Walsh, 2007, cited by Mitchell, 2011, p. 30). Indeed, Mitchell (2011) claims
that “the most effective messages and campaigns for change come from inside the
community, when the participants themselves create the message” (p. 115).
Therefore, this kind of text has great potential “particularly as it is framed within a
youth-as-knowledge-producers context” (Mitchell, 2011, p. 132). According to Drew et
al. (2010), as already pointed out:
Because of their degree of life experience and maturing cognitive development,
young people are still developing the skills and capacities to readily consider and
articulate complex understandings. Visual storytelling can help promote reflection
and communication about issues that can be difficult to conceptualize and express,
especially for young participants. (p. 1685)
So it can be argued that visual storytelling appears as a powerful tool to research with
young people and their visual materials. While the use of drawings as visual data in
visual research “can be a very efficient and engaging approach to obtaining the
perspectives of communities, particularly communities of children and young people.”
(Mitchell, 2011, p. 125)
An important aspect of visual research is its multi-audience dimensionality. Indeed, it
can be claimed that “the same set of images, regardless of whether they are drawings or
photos or digital stories, may reach different audiences through different formats”
29
(Mitchell, 2011, p. 194). So it has to be considered the chance of working across genres
of visual methodologies. As pointed out by Mitchell (2011),
Drawings might be used as an entry point to working with video … in one project
… storyboarding (or using drawing in planning out a video) was the main activity
with the participants, followed by the various groups performing their stories.
Thus, although „video‟ was in the imagination of the participants from the
beginning (what would this issue look like as a video?), the ways of enacting the
issue came through the mode of drawing and performance. (p.7)
The visual texts can be considered also as performed ethnography (Goldstein, 2000,
cited by Mitchell, 2011, p. 8). Indeed, “the drawing is a kind of performance and it tells
us what participant words and stories look like in motion” (Galman, 2009, p. 213).
Moreover,
It is possible to think about all of the images created by participants, and the
stories they told in teacher education contexts, as performances – or negotiations –
of their valued identity. What individuals choose to highlight in representations,
like the story they choose to tell, is an important facet of their developing identity.
(Goffman, 1959, cited by Galman, 2009, p. 212)
Specifically, storyboards in this study represent visual data produced as engaging
narrative on communities and heritage preservation and reflecting a deep self-
consciousness on such topics.
As social research the cultural and social practices and processes embedded in the visual
texts have to be investigated. When engaging in the interpretative process involved in
working with visual research, there are several considerations to take into account. From
the reflexivity in the research process, that is “situating one‟s self in the research texts –
taking it personally” (Mitchell, 2011, p.11), to close-reading strategies. Since the
process of working with the visual data “can draw on a range of practices that may be
applied to other types of transcripts and data sets, including content analysis and
engaging in coding and developing thematic categories” (2011, p.11).
Still, according to Mitchell (2011), in social research also material culture, such as
things and artifacts, become a social text to be added as evidence for analysis. And he
suggests focusing on socio-semiotics as a reading strategy when dealing with material
culture, using the categories of denotation and connotation to read the meanings of
30
objects (p. 35-37). Particularly, when considering the exploration of the connotative
meaning Mitchell (2011) cites Riggins (1994) and refers to mapping as:
to describe the ways in which objects serve as entry points for the telling of stories
about the self … the ways in which the self uses the displayed objects (gift,
heirlooms, photographs, etc.) as a way of plotting its social network, representing
its cosmology and ideology, and projecting its history onto the world‟s map, its
spatial spread so to speak. (p. 41)
Already social archaeologists pointed out the interpretive potential when working with
the mute evidence of artifacts and written documents (Hodder, 1998, cited by Mitchell,
2011, p. 49); and Mitchell (2011) suggests that “it is worth considering the interpretive
possibilities of objects, documents and things … in so doing, we can situate the thing or
object within broader societal question” (p. 49). In fact, “narrative inquiry can be
enriched through the inclusion of texts of material culture … in such contexts, a dress is
much more than just a dress, and an object is not just an object” (2011, p. 50).
In the framework of qualitative research and visual studies this textual approach to
material culture and artifacts can be used to complement other qualitative methods.
Indeed, a visual story can enhance our understanding of the topic since it can “show
how an ordinary, routine self is intricately connected with wider social issues and social
relationships” (2011, p. 44). Thus, the visual analysis for this study included a situated
reading of the drawings.
Finally, when analyzing a visual text it can be considered also the questions of presence
and absence, visibility and invisibility. Thus, “asking not only what we think they show
us … but also what they don‟t (can‟t) show us” (Spence, 1986, cited by Mitchell, 2011,
p. 99). Furthermore, participatory drawings by children, like those objects of this study,
could be explored also in the context of a participatory archive, comparing them to
similar visual texts produced in different times (Mitchell, 2011, p. 118).
Due to the visual form of the texts I probably avoided part of the loss of relevant
cultural aspects that can be related to specific language use and that can happen during a
field research in a foreign setting. But still it was a challenge to conduct analysis on
texts produced in a cultural and social context different from mine. Indeed, some limits
and challenges of interpretation can occur during the categorization of the drawings
31
when they are removed from their actual context (2011, p. 126). It can be pointed out
that “presenting the visual „narrative‟ as a text that „speaks for itself‟ is problematic”
(Atkinson & Delamont, 2006, cited by Galman, 2009, p. 212). Because “the cornerstone
of community-based visual research is reflexivity – the reflexivity of the research team,
but also the community and the production process” (Mitchell, 2011, p. 16); and images
“are culturally and historically situated, and as such their interpretation should include
the full participation of the individuals who create them” (Galman, 2009, p. 214-215).
While, as previously stated, after the analysis it was not possible to receive feedbacks
from the participants and organizers of the initiative.
Semiotics and Transmedia Storytelling
The semiotics approach considers languages as system of signs. A semiotic analysis try
to understand not only what signs mean but also how they mean (Groensteen, 2007, p.
viii). Semiotics can be applied to any cultural form that thus can be „decoded‟ (Creeber,
2006), including visual texts. Using a semiotic perspective to explore the Patrimonito
storyboards means to use mainly semiotics of comics even if these texts can be
considered as part of transmedia storytelling. Indeed, the whole UNESCO Patrimonito
narrative includes a series of stories expressed through different media like comics and
videos. Where children “can participate in the expansion of the fictional world by
applying this set of attributes [characters, topics, and aesthetic style of the fictional
world] to create new situations and characters” (Scolari, 2009, p. 600).
It can be argued that performing textual analysis means that “we make an educated
guess at some of the most likely interpretations that might be made of that text”
(McKee, 2003, p. 1). A text “is something we make meaning from” (2003, p. 4) and
with a textual analysis we try to understand the assumptions behind the representations
in the text. Briefly, “how these texts tell their stories, how they represent the world, and
how they make sense of it” (2003, p. 17).
As pointed out by El Refaie (2009) “the greater the degree of iconic abstraction, the
more interpretative work and knowledge of cultural conventions are required on the part
32
of the viewer” (cited by Dittmer, 2010, p. 233). Also with comics, as well as with
literary narratology, the active cooperation provided by the reader is fundamental to
reconstruct the story told by the several images (Groensteen, 2007, p. 10). Therefore,
there is a progressive construction of meaning that is never possible without the active
participation of the reader, through the production of inferences (2007, p. 116). From a
semiotic perspective “every text constructs its reader … the reader inside the text, who
may be considered a strategy or virtual figure, is defined as the model or implicit reader”
(Eco, 1979, citedy by Scolari, 2009, p. 592).
It is relevant to point out that “viewers can focus on certain aspects of the text and
ignore others, thus giving a very different interpretation from the mainstream one”
(Creeber, 2006, p.82). Indeed, due to the active audience issue, that allows the audience
to interpret the same visual text in different ways, a textual analysis it is only one
possible interpretation among several and cannot be definitive as it would be with a
universal reader (Creeber, 2006). Thus, a semiotic analysis has one weakness in the fact
that interpretations can vary greatly and a totally fixed meaning cannot be reached (Hall,
1997). Briefly, the researcher should not be the only reader of the text and involve
participant collaboration in reading and understanding the text (Galman, 2009, p. 204).
It can be argued that “the narrative genre with all of its categories … exists in itself and
… it cuts across different semiotic systems and can incarnate itself indifferently in each
of them” (Groensteen, 2007, p. 8). Accordingly, comics can be considered a narrative
species, and not a narrative genre. Nevertheless, the graphic novel is a sub-genre of
comics with differences in format, style and content. Particularly, it can be argued that
“graphic novel is better suited for telling human stories of experience and identity while
comic books are more applicable to super-human tales of mythic proportion” (Galman,
2009, p. 200). And that graphic novel is a suitable tool “for the examination,
understanding and representation of cultural phenomena, including participant data in
educational research” (2009, p.199).
Semiotics of Comics
A neo-semiotic approach embraced the medium and language of comics into the field of
semiotics. For Groensteen (2007) comics are a form of storytelling and a language, “as
33
an original ensemble of productive mechanisms of meaning” (p. 2). They can be seen as
“fixed sequential images, or better as images in a narrative chain spread in co-presence
across space (2007, p. 7); as “a succession of discrete units, the panels, which are
frequently associated with verbal utterances, and that are links of a narrative chain”
(2007, p. 142).
When defining a semiotics of comics Groensteen (2007) renounces at the idea that like
“every other semiotic system, must pass through a decomposition into constitutive
elementary units” (p. 2) and claims the primacy of the image and more relevance to the
visual codes rather than a sharing relevance with the linguistic ones (2007, p. 3).
Moreover, he points out the need for a macro-semiotic approach since with comics “the
operativity of the micro-semiotic is revealed to be, in practice, extremely weak” (2007,
p. 5).
According to Round (2007) “the three main elements underlying a semiotics of comics
may be defined as the depiction of time-as-space, the construction of an open narrative
that relies upon the reader‟s contribution, and the creation of the hyperreal” (p. 316).
While for Groensteen (2007) key concepts are the spatio-topical system and its
arthrology, organizing the relations among panels. There are two main degrees of
relations between images to consider, “the elementary relations, of the linear type
[restricted arthrology] … put in place the sequential syntagms … the other relations,
translinear or distant, emerge from general arthrology” (p. 22). While another main
element of comics is iconic solidarity, “interdependent images that, participating in a
series, present the double characteristic of being separated … and which are plastically
and semantically over-determined by the fact of their coexistence in praesentia” (2007,
p. 18).
According to Dittmer (2010) the panel “is the foundational unit of comic book
storytelling. It consists of a singular image (although it can be quite complex), set apart
from other images by a frame” (p. 228). Similarly, Groensteen (2007) identifies the
panel as the reference unit of comics and defines it as “a portion of space isolated by
blank spaces and enclosed by a frame that insures its integrity” (p. 25). When
considering the internal relations of the panel, its three major components are the image,
the story and the frame. While when considering the syntagmatic level and larger
utterances after the panel there is the page and then the full story (2007, p. 27). Apart
34
from its content a panel can be described by its geometry and by its location on the
page. Key moments of a story can coincide with initial, central, or terminal positions
(2007, p. 30). Thus, the position of a panel marks a specific moment in the unfolding of
the story, as well as in the process of reading. With its breakdown giving its temporal
coordinates (2007, p. 35). However, also the page can be used as a narrative unit
“making the change of a page coincide with a change of place, of time, or of action”
(2007, p. 61). Round (2007) argues that the panel can be seen “as a signifier, with its
signified being a narrative morpheme – a scene, moment, or gesture in a story,
overwhelmingly dependent on context” (p. 320). So he considers the definition of
comics as sequential art, strengthening the dependence of each single panel on the
context.
A full storyboard appears to be as a strip, that is the traditional model of comics page.
Thus, panels in horizontal rows separated by white interstices (Groensteen, 2007, p. 57)
and it can be argued that the mental form under which it is thought of is the roll of a
film (2007, p. 58). It is interesting to note that reading orientation of comics panels in
Western culture moves in horizontal strips from the left to the right and from top-to-
bottom (2007, p. 47). An apparent natural orientation to be taken into account because
then is according to “the dominant rule … that the dynamic of the action [i.e. someone
running] submits to the imagined movement of the gaze” (2007, p. 48).
There are several planes of meaning in a comics narrative. A plurivectorial narration
occurring on three different planes: from the panel content to the level of syntagm and
then to sequence. As well summarized by Dittmer (2010),
the first plane, observation, is a process of recognition, in which the reductionist
icons are associated with people, objects and concepts. The second plane,
syntagm, incorporates an understanding of the icons based on the panels
immediately preceding and following … The third plane of meaning, sequence,
expands the linkages under analysis to include all the panels that are linked
through iconic solidarity (usually a „scene‟ or the events transpiring around a
single character). (p. 230)
Groensteen (2007) argues that is dominant the meaning plane of the syntagm (p. 112).
Thus, the level of interpretation that is “limited, in occurrence, to the triad composed of
the panel that is currently being read, the panel that preceded it, and the panel that
immediately follows it” (2007, p. 111). Moreover, it can be argued that “the comics
35
image, whose meaning often remains open when it is presented as isolated (and without
verbal anchorage), finds its truth in the sequence” (2007, p. 114).
From the juxtaposition of comics image a narrative proposition can be deduced and thus
readers can “construct meaning on the basis of inferences that appear to be the most
probable. There is the content that each of these images shows, and there is the meaning
that their confrontation permits them to say” (2007, p. 108). However, as already stated,
the interpretation can never be considered final. Indeed, as pointed out by Groensteen
(2007),
the image can present characteristic traits or constituent elements that signal
exterior referents to the considered work; interpretation – forever unfinished – is
therefore invited to take into account all the pertinent determinations that belong
to culture, to collective memory (socio-historic) or the individual memory of the
reader, to the encyclopedia, in the sense of Umberto Eco. (p. 126)
In order to reduce such limitation Groensteen (2007) suggests, when conducting an
analysis, to perform “a descriptive reading – attentive, notably, to its graphic materiality
– and an interpretive reading allows the image to deploy all of its significations and
resonances” (p. 127). Particularly, he states:
to read a comic, in the first instance, is always to attach priority to the chain of
events or, if we prefer, to the dynamic of the story … the description is completed
only through an attentive active reading that establishes and inventory of
information contained in the image. (Groensteen, 2007, p. 124).
Finally, it has to be pointed out that in comics “it is by the frequency of appearances
that this character or that object will be privileged over any others … once the same
motif is represented several times it transports all of its attributes (its predicates) along
with it” (2007, p. 124). And that captions, when included, can be considered as
enclosing the speech of the explicit narrator (2007, p. 128).
36
IV. ANALYSIS
The material used for the analysis from the Patrimonito International Storyboard
Competition 2010-2011 was freely downloadable on the UNESCO website (UNESCO,
2011).
According to published statistics (UNESCO, 2011) of the competition there were a total
of 289 storyboards received at the World Heritage Centre from the UNESCO National
Commissions of 43 States. Indeed, there was a first selection at the national level –
choosing 5 storyboards maximum per theme – and then a final selection at UNESCO
headquarters. The first place winner of each theme, as selected by an independent jury
composed of heritage and education specialists, will be then eventually professionally
developed into an episode of the animated cartoon Patrimonito's World Heritage
Adventures.
I had to wait several months before the data for the analysis were available online. I
collected all the material on the related UNESCO web page since fall 2011. The corpus
to be analyzed was formed by 12 storyboards totaling 232 frames. All these winning
visual stories in the four thematic categories came from children outside Western
countries apart from one. Rules of the competition allowed the possibility either to draw
in black and white or in color, using a minimum of 16 and a maximum 24 of frames,
without the chance to insert dialogues in the frames but captions in English or French
(UNESCO, 2010b). The registration form and frames, as well as a presentation with the
competition guidelines, were freely downloadable on the website (UNESCO, 2010a). A
first categorization of the storyboards was arranged as it follows.
Country World Heritage Site Theme Placement
Age of
the
author
Number
of frames
Peru City of Cuzco World heritage and the
Role of Communities 1
st 15 years 17
India Sundarbans
National Park
World heritage and the
Role of Communities 2
nd 12 years 16
Cameroon Dja Faunal Reserve World heritage and the
Role of Communities 3
rd 17 years 20
Lebanon
Ouadi Qadisha (the
Holy Valley) and
the Forest of the
Cedars of God
(Horsh Arz el-Rab)
World Heritage and
Sustainable
Development
1st 15 years 17
37
Malaysia Kinabalu Park,
World Heritage and
Sustainable
Development
2nd
16 years 20
Malaysia Gunung Mulu
National Park
World Heritage and
Sustainable
Development
3rd
16 years 20
Cameroon Dja Faunal Reserve World Heritage and
Sustainable Tourism 1
st 16 years 16
Greece Archeological Site
of Delphi
World Heritage and
Sustainable Tourism 2
nd 13 years 24
Dominican
Republic
Colonial City of
Santo Domingo
World Heritage and
Sustainable Tourism 3
rd 16 years 24
India Sundarbans
National Park
World Heritage and
Biodiversity 1
st 14 years 20
India Manas Wildlife
Sanctuary
World Heritage and
Biodiversity 2
nd 16 years 16
Malaysia Kinabalu Park World Heritage and
Biodiversity 3
rd 14 years 22
To come up with a clearer idea of the main narrative form in which such themes were
presented, narratives and key elements of the storyboards were explored. Particularly,
the main functions of the Patrimonito character and its actions trying to save/preserve
the world heritage were identified.
A close-reading analysis of the storyboards has shown interesting aspects emerging
from the texts. Reading them several times and taking notes on visual and linguistic
details, I identified some of the possible meaning of representations, emerging from
these media texts anchored in particular contexts of culture, communication and
development.
As suggested by Groensteen (2007) I firstly observed the visual stories translating what
I saw inside the frame into linguistic terms. Then, I interpreted the main syntagms of the
stories. Finally, I translated the whole sequence into a synthetic statement, transcending
the other levels of analysis, and producing an explicit global meaning as a reader. In the
transcription of these comics‟ pages into its linguistic equivalent I avoided all
speculation on hypotheses that are not proven (p. 137).
While analyzing the visual storytelling I referred to the official guidelines for creating
the Patrimonito storyboards (UNESCO, 2010b) to better analyze the narratives created.
38
I tried to understand if there were also some counter-narratives and their relationship to
dominant narratives. Through breaking the stories into smaller units like the syntagm, I
identified also some subthemes, apart from the known key themes. Namely, World
Heritage and the role of the Communities (people living in and around World Heritage
sites); World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism (visiting responsibility); World
Heritage and Sustainable Development (how to balance preserving heritage for future
generations with meeting human needs); World Heritage and Biodiversity (sites that are
crucial to sustaining life, nature, or species, including those endangered). Moreover,
when considering the storytelling process I analyzed the narratives and grouped related
emotions and characteristics according to theme, resources and representations. While
with regards to their outcomes it was considered the storyline and the communicative
strategies.
Afterwards, considering also some of the criteria used by UNESCO for the selection
process (UNESCO, 2010a) (UNESCO, 2011) I decided to look for visual illustrations
portraying: a) the personal knowledge of the World Heritage site, drawn usually at the
beginning; b) the challenge/problem faced by the site, presented usually in the middle;
c) the solutions proposed, exposed usually at the end of the story. Specifically,
highlighting A) the role played by the Patrimonito character, B) the main message the
author wanted to communicate.
The analysis of the graphic stories frames brought to a division into categories of the
main representations identified. As suggested by Galman (2009, p. 204) I categorized
on one side the concrete images intended by participants to primarily represent objects
and on the other side abstract images intended by participants to represent feelings or
ideas. Moreover, it was relevant to point out which tangible and material elements have
been drawn significantly, since they could have been used by participants to express
abstract concepts and emotions in a concrete way; maybe marking a social change
wished by their young creators. Moreover, I tried to highlights main visual synecdoches.
Indeed, visual synecdoche, “taking one part of visible attribute to represent, or stand for,
a whole – as a method of decontextualization” (Hawkins, 2010, p. 70), can lend iconic
significance to decontextualized aspects of cultural distinctiveness.
39
Finally, in the visual analysis I asked myself questions such as: What can be seen as
important in the images? What points would they like to convey through their images?
Which story angle was used? Did the stories offered practical approaches to the
challenges addressed? What have the stories to say to their audiences?
I tried to understand what the young creators intended to convey within individual
images or in their image series as a whole (Drew et. al., 2010, p. 1680), taking into
consideration also the bias in the narratives and perspectives presented. As suggested by
Mitchell (2011) I considered each of the visual stories also in the framework of the
following criteria: being evocative (drawing forth emotion, meaning, and understanding
– see Figure 1), action oriented (judging how the creative process inspired learners to
take action in their own lives and to inspire action in their communities – see Figure 2),
fostering reflexivity (becoming more self-aware as a result of producing or interacting
with the creative artifact – see Figure 3).
Figure 1 – Frame n. 13 of the storyboard about the Sundarbans National Park, India
40
Figure 2 – Frame n. 13 of the storyboard about the City of Cuzco, Peru
Figure 3 – Frame n. 13 of the storyboard about the Forest of the Cedars, Lebanon
41
Thus, according to the various methods the analysis followed several steps, such as:
A – Writing up utterances translating visual frames, syntagms and sequence.
B – Identification of main narratives and counter-narratives.
C – Identification of main concrete and intangible representations, and visual
synecdoches.
D – Identification of roles and narratives of Patrimonito.
E – Reflexive questioning on the images and visual stories.
F – Framing of emotions emerging from the visual stories.
Resulting main observations and evidence were put in a series of tables (see Appendix
I) then used as a useful base to draw research findings.
42
V. RESEARCH FINDINGS
These storyboards have to be understood as microstories to be integrated in the
macrostory (Scolari, 2009, p. 598) of Patrimonito‟s adventures formed by the
succession of several previous episodes. Thus, they can be considered part of a strategy
to expand UNESCO‟s Patrimonito narrative world and have a close relationship with
such macrostory.
The proposed ordinary script of the cartoon character of Patrimonito consists of
Patrimonito helping children “to learn about a World Heritage site and the challenges it
faces, proposing a solution to help conserve the site” (UNESCO, 2010c). Indeed, when
considering the main role given to the Patrimonito character, it emerges a relevant
narrative focalization translated into the stories by its ubiquity. With its depiction in a
large number of panels, its appearances are many and redundant. And redundancy in
comics, as argued by Groensteen (2007), “it is generally a direct consequence of the
story‟s organization around a central figure (conventionally designated as the „hero‟)
who, alone or flanked by side-kicks, will always be continually at the heart of the
action” (p. 115). The role given to Patrimonito is often that of a responsible tourist but it
has been also depicted several times as an advisor. Usually it has an active role in the
story and it is just a passive viewer only in few storyboards. In many cases it carries on
relevant actions to promote social change such as training and educating local residents
and staff, rising relevant issues and awareness, actively participating in solving the
threats faced by heritage sites.
Existing links among tourism, heritage and identity emerged through the analysis. For
example, it is the sense of belonging that foster the call to action when heritage is
threatened; while it is heritage tourism that can foster local development and create job
opportunities for the youth and their communities. And it is still tourism that needs to be
sustainable to avoid threatening natural heritage sites to which the children depicted a
strong sense of ownership and are felt as part of their identity. Storyboards reflect both
positive and negative effects of heritage tourism. Particularly, tourism is seen positively
as a possible driver to help raising local awareness and improve preservation of heritage
sites; as well as a way to boost local economies, improving lives of related
communities. While it is framed negatively with regards to the threat it can pose to
conservation of heritage if not respectful and sustainable.
43
It has to be pointed out that all the World Heritage Sites represented in the storyboards
are considered valuable by their young authors. And from the analysis, it is shown that
is their shared glocal value that allows them to be safeguarded and preserved for future
generations if they become endangered. From the texts emerged that tourists are
perceived as visiting heritage sites because attracted by their historical relevance or
natural beauty. They are seen mainly as visitors willing to explore and experience these
sites. They are often represented as foreigners and taking pictures or at least carrying
cameras; as to capture and bring home some images and essence of the local heritage,
thus contributing to its glocal value.
Several images and panels express emotional connection to the heritage place or trigger
emotional answers. Particularly, it is relevant the sense of empathy that viewers can
experience after the happy ending of several stories, which mixes heritage preservation
and improvements in the livelihoods of local communities. While it is annoying the
sense of powerlessness felt reading of heritage sites endangered for example by wild
climate change consequences or human greed.
Stakeholders emerging from these heritage representations are local residents, children,
tourists, national and global citizens. While heritage ownership and belonging appear in
almost all the texts. And on such basis there are plenty of calls to action sent to readers,
or more broadly speaking to the stakeholders of World Heritage. So, these texts can
raise awareness and push towards change in individual behaviors as well as support in
relevant policy-making solutions.
Among the many relevant identity markers found in the texts it is necessary to point out
the tiger, repeatedly used by several Indian children. Since tiger is the national animal of
India it can be easily understood why several representations of it have been depicted by
these children in the storyboards related to natural heritage sites in India. However, in
one case the tiger was not endangered, together with the site, as in the other storyboards.
Indeed, a child framed the tiger as being the natural threat coming from biodiversity and
as such requiring a change in behavior of local communities to reach a balanced
preservation of the natural heritage site.
44
All the storyboards tell about changes or threats to heritage places and in several cases it
is evident that accordingly also local identity is endangered. Apart from the case of
tigers hunted in Indian parks, another good example is deforestation leading to a village
and community displacement in a natural reserve in Cameroon. Or the risk that Cedar
trees, a national symbol of Lebanon and also a good example of heritage
commodification, disappear from the Lebanese mountains in few decades, remaining
only printed on their national flag.
45
VI. FINAL REMARKS
In this study World Heritage preservation is explored in terms of empowerment,
participation and community change. Indeed, community participation is relevant to
understand for example benefits that related tourism can bring, such as the preservation
of historic sites (Singh et al., 2003, p. 13). Issues of participation and empowerment are
core concepts in the development process. According to World Bank Staff (2001) when
dealing with benefits that can be reached through cultural heritage preservation it can be
claimed that apart from policy makers and governments also surrounding populations
are essential in supporting and participating in the preservation, that is like a
„partnership endeavor‟ (2001, p. vii). Indeed, keeping proper maintenance of cultural
heritage assets can positively influence the quality of life of related communities (2001,
p. viii). And there is the need to safeguard “endangered patrimony assets in ways that
incorporate them into development strategies and yield economic and social benefits”
(2001, p. 3).
There is definitely an actual communication for development approach in the researched
UNESCO activity due to its bottom-up approach and the focus on vulnerable groups
(Davies, 2004). The Patrimonito initiative, focusing on youth and letting them
participate and express, can be considered as a valid communication tool helping to
encourage youngsters participation and raise their awareness on themes linked to their
heritage; promoting preservation of the glocal heritage. While contributing to social
change with representations that viewers can easily understand and experience, this
ComDev tool empowers people through fostering participation and dialogue at the local
level among the younger generation, including those children directly affected by issues
discussed in the competition themes. Such initiative helps disseminate to a large
audience works from local children who created from their mental image and local
knowledge a storyboard about a glocal heritage topic that could be globally
communicated. Thus, it can be considered an effective tool to foster community
education, engagement and local governance.
46
Finally, it can be claimed that a visual approach appears to be a relevant methodology
when dealing with youth-produced stories and that this initiative, as part of a children
education campaign, is successfully showing the benefits of taking care of World
Heritage Sites, especially if you live around them. With participatory drawing it can be
enabled a successful process of engagement and participation of local children. Thus, it
can help future adults, participating either as authors or viewers, in supporting the
protection and sustainable development of those sites.
Feedbacks from local focus groups and discussions in schools taking part in the
competition could have helped into a better understanding of the topic. A deeper and
broader analysis would be needed in order to determine actual effects on the recipients
of this kind of UNESCO initiative and messages.
47
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Appendix I
Table I
Country World Heritage Site Main theme
Peru City of Cuzco WH and role of communities
Narratives /
counter-narratives
Importance of cooperation with local government – well kept local
heritage as foreign tourism magnet - Dirtiness vs. cleanness – local
institutions involvement/tourist happiness
Kind of resources Cultural heritage, ancient ruins
Role of
Patrimonito
Hero. Arrives, identifies what‟s wrong, implements a solution, solves the
problem.
Main message Keep clean the site and tourists will flock
Author position Strong sense of belonging to the city, self-identity exposed.
Relevant concrete
representations
Cuzco ancient walls, city cathedral, statue of Christ.
Relevant abstract
representations
National flag and map, graffiti, cleaning actions
Visual synecdoche Traditional Peruvian hat
Reflexive
questions on the
visual story
The role of young generations in keeping clean and accessible the historic
heritage is considered essential. But it is interesting that the cleaned
cathedral is framed as making the foreign tourists happy more than having
a direct positive impact on locals.
Emotions emerging
from the visual
story
A very action-oriented story inspiring viewers to take action as well in
their community
Table II
Country World Heritage Site Main theme
India Sundarbans National Park WH and role of communities
Narratives /
counter-narratives
Importance of rising local awareness – well trained local guards as
necessary to fight those misbehaving in the site – risks/benefits of living in
a wild natural site
Kind of resources Natural heritage
Role of
Patrimonito
Advisor. Arrives, raises local awareness, trains local staff, shows how to
implement solutions.
Main message Preserve natural resources which represent part of your heritage and
identity
Author position Strong sense of identity linked to its country and this park
Relevant concrete
representations
Tiger, woodcutters, hunters, smugglers, forest rangers
Relevant abstract
representations
Training camp, deforestation,
Visual synecdoche Indian tiger
Reflexive
questions on the
visual story
There is a double framing concerning the killing of tigers in the park. As
self-defense when done by villagers vs. for money, greed, if done by
hunters.
Emotions
emerging from the
visual story
It is an evocative story very much centered on the value of the tiger in
Indian heritage. But also partly action-oriented when suggesting to fight
deforestation and tiger hunting.
56
Table III
Country World Heritage Site Main theme
Cameroon Dja Faunal Reserve WH and role of communities
Narratives /
counter-narratives
Heritage preservation can lead to job creation opportunities – deforestation
can cause displacement of community and contributes to climate change
Kind of resources Natural heritage
Role of
Patrimonito
Passive viewer. At the corner of the frames only expressing approval or
dislike for what‟s going on in the story
Main message They (outsiders / tourists / foreign aid) can foster the reserve development
creating job opportunities for us (locals)
Author position The reserve is a very good thing for our community
Relevant concrete
representations
Lumberjacks, , forest guards, hunter
Relevant abstract
representations
Storm, displacement, deforestation, isolation in jail, wild life center,
village celebration
Visual synecdoche Female village chief
Reflexive
questions on the
visual story
Until the last frame it seems that tourists are those happy if change
happens and not locals. And they are framed as happy for the opened
centers creating jobs more than for stopping deforestation.
Emotions
emerging from the
visual story
It is a passive action oriented story. Things can change and also locals can
benefit from it but such change has to be implemented from others. Not
evocative as a visual story.
Table IV
Country World Heritage Site Main theme
Lebanon Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the
Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab) WH and sustainable development
Narratives /
counter-narratives
National heritage is endangered – local government intervention can fix
things and save it
Kind of resources Natural heritage
Role of
Patrimonito
Learner, as a student. Actively rising issues. Participating in implementing
the learned lesson
Main message Change is needed to preserve Lebanese Cedars from disappearing
Author position Strong sense of identity linked to Cedars
Relevant concrete
representations
National flag and map, teacher, students
Relevant abstract
representations
Learning, pollution, global warming
Visual synecdoche Cedar tree
Reflexive
questions on the
visual story
The dangers faced by this Lebanese tree are told as relevant threat for
national heritage and identity, and framed in a global context thanks to
climate change issues.
Emotions
emerging from the
visual story
There is concern emerging from the story about the future of the Cedars in
Lebanon. As well a call to collective action to change things and try to
save them, with government intervention.
57
Table V
Country World Heritage Site Main theme
Malaysia Kinabalu Park, WH and sustainable development
Narratives /
counter-narratives
Tourism development can destroy a natural site – sustainability of
development means involving the local community with daily sustainable
practices, actions, lives
Kind of resources Natural heritage
Role of
Patrimonito
Local resident. Loves local fauna and flora. Thanks human beings for
protection of the site.
Main message Thanks for helping to protect the environment
Author position We, local children, can have a role in preserving our common heritage
Relevant concrete
representations
Pirates/intruders, weapons, golf course
Relevant abstract
representations
Smiles, peace and harmony
Visual synecdoche Rafflesia plant
Reflexive
questions on the
visual story
Are outsiders those breaking the existing harmony. Are insiders, children,
those raising awareness and promoting a sustainable development of the
park also benefiting local residents.
Emotions
emerging from the
visual story
Pretty evocative in describing the balance and the possible unbalance that
could devastate wildlife and heritage.
Table VI
Country World Heritage Site Main theme
Malaysia Gunung Mulu National Park WH and sustainable development
Narratives /
counter-narratives
Development can destroy natural wealth – raising local awareness and
increasing participation can fix things
Kind of resources Natural heritage
Role of
Patrimonito
Visitor. Observes and advises, raising awareness.
Main message Natural wonders are fragile and can be easily endangered
Author position Community involvement as necessary to take care of common heritage
Relevant concrete
representations
National map and flag, cave, factories
Relevant abstract
representations Participation, endangerment, UNESCO recognition
Visual synecdoche n/a
Reflexive
questions on the
visual story
It tells us that to have unique natural wonder to show to the rest of the
world is a gift but also a responsibility for the local residents, that could
destroy it and losing also its positive tourism linked economic impact
Emotions
emerging from the
visual story
This is a story action-oriented. Calling the local youth to be actively
involved in actions to preserve the common heritage benefiting also the
local economy.
58
Table VII
Country World Heritage Site Main theme
Cameroon Dja Faunal Reserve WH and sustainable tourism
Narratives /
counter-narratives
Overexploitation of natural resources can leave nothing –
Government legislation to protect heritage sites is fundamental
Kind of resources Natural heritage, wildlife reserve
Role of
Patrimonito
Tourist. Pleads successfully with the government for help.
Main message Forests need to be even more protected by law
Author position Against invaders and other external threat we need our government to act
Relevant concrete
representations
National flag and map, chimpanzees, forest guards, hunters, woodcutters,
weapons
Relevant abstract
representations
Deforestation, wilderness, filmmaking
Visual synecdoche Elephant tusks
Reflexive
questions on the
visual story
Animals seem the most happy in the story, while humans are seen
negatively apart from tourist filming animals and the president of the
country signing the new good law.
Emotions
emerging from the
visual story
Kind of passive story, with locals as unable to change things without laws
directly addressing problems and giving suitable solutions
Table VIII
Country World Heritage Site Main theme
Greece Archeological Site of Delphi WH and sustainable tourism
Narratives /
counter-narratives
Common heritage is valuable – heritage detriment or subtraction is
punished
Kind of resources Cultural heritage, ancient ruins and artifacts
Role of
Patrimonito
Tourist guide.
Main message Common heritage needs to be protected
Author position Strong identity, linked to past valuable artifacts and myths
Relevant concrete
representations
Ancient temple, ancient soldiers, tripod, archeological site, thieves
Relevant abstract
representations
Tradition, myth, greed, theft
Visual synecdoche Oracle of Delphi
Reflexive
questions on the
visual story
In this western perspective story the threat is represented by greed pushing
to steal common heritage and thus touching a part of shared national
identity
Emotions
emerging from the
visual story
Very evocative in telling the constructed value of ancient artifacts and thus
why they count and need to be well protected
59
Table IX
Country World Heritage Site Main theme
Dominican Republic Colonial City of Santo Domingo WH and sustainable tourism
Narratives /
counter-narratives
insecurity hurts tourism development - local awareness can trigger change
Kind of resources Cultural heritage, historical buildings
Role of
Patrimonito
Tourist. Documenting and raising local awareness. Helps cleaning up
Main message Things can improve with local community involvement
Author position Strong identity with the city which feels insecure
Relevant concrete
representations
National flag, camera, photo album,
Relevant abstract
representations
Pollution, insecurity, future hologram
Visual synecdoche n/a
Reflexive
questions on the
visual story
Very creative ideas. Like Patrimonito touring around to complete the
World Heritage Album with photos from the site, and a watch with
holograms showing the likely future of the area.
Emotions
emerging from the
visual story
Both evocative with regards to the sense of insecurity felt in this historical
area and action-oriented when telling fellow residents to contribute
cleaning and fixing things
Table X
Country World Heritage Site Main theme
India Sundarbans National Park WH and biodiversity
Narratives /
counter-narratives
Humanity and nature can coexist – education of local communities is key
to behavior change
Kind of resources Natural heritage
Role of
Patrimonito
Problem-solver. Raises local awareness and gives practical advices
Main message Human beings can coexist peacefully with wildlife
Author position Discrete national identity exposed but stereotyping rural residents
Relevant concrete
representations
National map, tiger, villagers, fence
Relevant abstract
representations
Wildlife, harmony, family
Visual synecdoche Padmini, an Indian tiger
Reflexive
questions on the
visual story
Tigers are framed as dangerous even if not in a negative way. As a natural
threat that can be well managed by residents that can coexist peacefully.
Emotions
emerging from the
visual story
It is mainly action-oriented in providing practical solutions to local rural
residents to improve their daily livelihood in this extreme wildlife setting
60
Table XI
Country World Heritage Site Main theme
India Manas Wildlife Sanctuary WH and biodiversity
Narratives /
counter-narratives
Local poverty and education are issues to be addressed to foster heritage
preservation – local NGOs can support in educating a promote change -
Tourists vs. tribals deforesting. Modern vs. traditional lifestyle
Kind of resources Natural heritage
Role of
Patrimonito
Tourist. Visiting, talking to locals, asking for help, participating in
education to promote social change
Main message Switching to a different lifestyle can help protect the environment
Author position Discrete sense of identity but stereotypes on tribals / rural residents
Relevant concrete
representations
National flag and map, NGO workers, tribals
Relevant abstract
representations
Photo safari, wildlife, exploitation, conservation, help, modernity
Visual synecdoche n/a
Reflexive
questions on the
visual story
The help is provided from outside, through a NGO consultancy, teaching
and speaking to educate. Tribals become more modern and happy.
Emotions
emerging from the
visual story
It is evocative in advocating the relevant role of conservation and
protection of biodiversity also to improve the quality of life of local
residents
Table XII
Country World Heritage Site Main theme
Malaysia Kinabalu Park WH and biodiversity
Narratives /
counter-narratives
Natural wealth is fragile – human beings can support the balance in
complex natural settings
Kind of resources Natural heritage
Role of
Patrimonito
Responsible Tourist. Advices other tourist on respecting wildlife.
Main message Importance of preserving biodiversity for future generations
Author position He stands firmly as an insider and tourists (outsiders) represent a threat
and need to take care when encountering local biodiversity
Relevant concrete
representations
Wildlife, dandelions, leech, hikers,
Relevant abstract
representations
hiking, bad smell, sitting together
Visual synecdoche Rafflesia plant
Reflexive
questions on the
visual story
There is no representation of local residents. Only tourists that need to be
more conscious about the need to conserve biodiversity and continue to
enjoy such beautiful heritage
Emotions
emerging from the
visual story
Evocative when well explaining several times why biodiversity has its
balance and tourists need to try not to interfere with it when visiting.
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