From Colonial Loot to Cultural Restitution: An Analysis of UNESCO Conventions and France’s SHURCWA Guidelines
(2024) STVK12 20241Department of Political Science
- Abstract
- This thesis investigates the restitution of cultural artefacts looted during the colonial-era, through the comparison between two United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Conventions and the newly proposed French guideline, Shared Heritage: Universality, Restitution and Circulation of Works of Art (SHURCWA). Through a qualitative case study employing Carol Bacchi’s What is the problem represented to be? (WPR) approach, the research critically examines and compares how these guidelines frame the restitution process. By analysing both international and national guidelines, this study explores the extent to which international norms influence national practices in heritage preservation. The study finds that... (More)
- This thesis investigates the restitution of cultural artefacts looted during the colonial-era, through the comparison between two United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Conventions and the newly proposed French guideline, Shared Heritage: Universality, Restitution and Circulation of Works of Art (SHURCWA). Through a qualitative case study employing Carol Bacchi’s What is the problem represented to be? (WPR) approach, the research critically examines and compares how these guidelines frame the restitution process. By analysing both international and national guidelines, this study explores the extent to which international norms influence national practices in heritage preservation. The study finds that the narrow scope of both UNESCO Conventions and SHURCWA challenges the possibility of just restitutions. This thesis underscores the need for a refined approach to restitution, since the guidelines impose a Eurocentric standpoint that omits the rights and voices of indigenous communities who experienced looting. Since SHURCWA acknowledge the persisting repercussions of French colonialism, it takes a step further the UNESCO Conventions, but restrictions of the guideline are likely to hamper successful restitution claims. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- This thesis investigates the restitution of cultural artefacts looted during the colonial-era, through the comparison between two United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Conventions and the newly proposed French guideline, Shared Heritage: Universality, Restitution and Circulation of Works of Art (SHURCWA). Through a qualitative case study employing Carol Bacchi’s What is the problem represented to be? (WPR) approach, the research critically examines and compares how these guidelines frame the restitution process. By analysing both international and national guidelines, this study explores the extent to which international norms influence national practices in heritage preservation. The study finds that... (More)
- This thesis investigates the restitution of cultural artefacts looted during the colonial-era, through the comparison between two United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Conventions and the newly proposed French guideline, Shared Heritage: Universality, Restitution and Circulation of Works of Art (SHURCWA). Through a qualitative case study employing Carol Bacchi’s What is the problem represented to be? (WPR) approach, the research critically examines and compares how these guidelines frame the restitution process. By analysing both international and national guidelines, this study explores the extent to which international norms influence national practices in heritage preservation. The study finds that the narrow scope of both UNESCO Conventions and SHURCWA challenges the possibility of just restitutions. This thesis underscores the need for a refined approach to restitution, since the guidelines impose a Eurocentric standpoint that omits the rights and voices of indigenous communities who experienced looting. Since SHURCWA acknowledge the persisting repercussions of French colonialism, it takes a step further the UNESCO Conventions, but restrictions of the guideline are likely to hamper successful restitution claims. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9159492
- author
- Sjögren, Sara LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- STVK12 20241
- year
- 2024
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- Restitution, Cultural Heritage, France, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Justice
- language
- English
- id
- 9159492
- date added to LUP
- 2024-07-18 13:54:02
- date last changed
- 2024-07-18 13:54:02
@misc{9159492,
abstract = {{This thesis investigates the restitution of cultural artefacts looted during the colonial-era, through the comparison between two United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Conventions and the newly proposed French guideline, Shared Heritage: Universality, Restitution and Circulation of Works of Art (SHURCWA). Through a qualitative case study employing Carol Bacchi’s What is the problem represented to be? (WPR) approach, the research critically examines and compares how these guidelines frame the restitution process. By analysing both international and national guidelines, this study explores the extent to which international norms influence national practices in heritage preservation. The study finds that the narrow scope of both UNESCO Conventions and SHURCWA challenges the possibility of just restitutions. This thesis underscores the need for a refined approach to restitution, since the guidelines impose a Eurocentric standpoint that omits the rights and voices of indigenous communities who experienced looting. Since SHURCWA acknowledge the persisting repercussions of French colonialism, it takes a step further the UNESCO Conventions, but restrictions of the guideline are likely to hamper successful restitution claims.}},
author = {{Sjögren, Sara}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{From Colonial Loot to Cultural Restitution: An Analysis of UNESCO Conventions and France’s SHURCWA Guidelines}},
year = {{2024}},
}