Thursday, January 20, 2011

Upcoming Lecture by Dr. Robert Shepherd: Tourism, Heritage, and Sacred Space in China

Dr. Robert Shepherd, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Honors, will give a lecture entitled "Tourism, Heritage, and Sacred Space in China" as part of the Sigur Center Faculty Lecture Series.

Monday, February 7, 2011
12:30 - 1:45 PM
The Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E Street, NW, Room 505


Although the Chinese government has become one of the most prominent supporters of the UNESCO-led World Heritage movement, the economic, political and bureaucratic reasons for this are often at cross-purposes with the preservationist goals of UNESCO. This presentation will examine the relationship between heritage projects, tourism, and economic development in China by focusing on the Buddhist pilgrimage destination of Mount Wutai, Shanxi Province, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2009.

Dr. Shepherd's work on tourism, cultural heritage issues, and the side effects of market changes in China has appeared in Southeast Asia Research, Consumption, Markets, and Culture, the International Journal of Cultural Studies, and the Journal of Contemporary Asia, among other publications. His book, When Culture Goes to the Market: The Politics of Space, Place and Identity in an Urban Marketplace (Peter Lang) was published in 2008.

Please RSVP at http://tinyurl.com/ShepherdJan19 by Friday, February 4, 2011.

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