The Challenge of Cultural Heritage and Identity for Inclusive and Open Societies

Issues of cultural identity and cultural heritage are at the heart of contemporary discourses in many parts of the world. They are used to identify and address the inequalities by marginalized groups; however, they also feed the re-nationalization and ethno-purist fantasies. But what exactly is culture? In this volume, the authors explore how culture is conceptualized and practised by young people in eight countries in numerous and very diverse contexts – schools, interest clubs, organizations and informal youth groups. The chapters show that concepts of culture vary widely within and across sites, regions and countries, highlighting the common, as well as particular, challenges that notions of identity and heritage pose for young people who often aspire to an inclusive and open society