18 Section 4 – Discussion Questions

1. What is one example of “participatory heritage” in the state or region where you live (Roued-Cunliffe and Copeland 2017)? What makes this space participatory heritage? (see pg 228)
2. Chapter 12 and the other chapters in this section and book discuss the embodiment of toxic heritage such as the health impacts of asbestos in Glasglow (McIvor). But embodiment can also be articles of clothes produced as final products from the chemicals, such as the “forever chemical” fabric coatings in Chapter 3. What parts of the body are affected? Whose bodies? Do you think business models and policies/laws should be adjusted to account for the human/embodied costs of pollution and how should those impacts be balanced with economic costs and benefits? Is it possible? Why or Why not? What can we do to reduce these bodily costs? How are societies’ and our own consumption habits impacting our bodies and those of others?
3. Counter or parallel narratives are a common theme across many of the chapters in section 4. Imagine you were placed in one of these case studies/examples and asked to create a museum exhibition about the toxic heritage. What would you do and why? How would you help move forward or place in dialogue these counter and parallel narratives? What might be the end goal?

Roued-Cunliffe, Henriette, and Andrea Copeland. 2017. “Introduction: What is participatory heritage?” In Participatory Heritage. Edited by Henriette Roued-Cunliffe, and Andrea Copeland, xv–xxi. London: Facet Publishing.