Project: Heritage and social sustainability
We are studying heritage processes as futures making practices and how it relates to social sustainability.
Project information
Project manager
Anders Högberg
Other project members
Cornelius Holtorf, Gustav Wollentz, Linnaeus University; Ulrika Söderström, Kalmar County Museum
Participating organizations
Linnaeus University, Kalmar County Museum, The Swedish National Heritage Board
Financier
The Swedish National Heritage Board
Timetable
1 Jan 2026–31 Dec 2026
Subject
Archaeology (Department of Cultural Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Humanities )
More about the project
It is often said that the only thing we know about the future is that it will differ from the present. This is because change is one of the few constants throughout human history. Yet, despite the unpredictability of the future, we live with a number of megatrends that most agree require new knowledge and innovative research approaches to address. The resilience of our nature is breaking down, human well-being is challenged on multiple fronts, the struggle to uphold democratic systems is intensifying, and new technologies are testing our intellectual and organisational capacity to use them responsibly – just to mention a few examples.
Heritage consists of tangible and intangible elements of the past that are (implicit or explicit) activated to shape meaning and action in the present, thereby contributing to the creation of specific futures. Heritage is a double-edged sword. While it can be used to foster innovation and change, it is also employed to reinforce conservative nostalgia and “things were better before” rhetoric. Heritage practices can be inclusive and welcoming, or critically exclusive and divisive. They can help build socially sustainable societies or fragment and polarise them, with serious consequences for societal survival.
Our research focuses on studying the processes through which heritage is used. We examine the specific futures that different heritage practices create. We are also interested in generating new knowledge to enable innovative ways of engaging with heritage in a changing present and future. Our focus is social sustainability
The project is part of the Centre for Applied Heritage research group and the UNESCO Chair on Heritage Futures.