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.

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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.