On the intangible cultural heritage or the patrimonialization of culture

Abstract

he notion of intangible cultural heritage has been enthusiastically received by UNESCO member states, including Mexico. However, there are very few critical analyzes of the various social, economic and political phenomena behind the patrimonialization of cultural practices. The new conceptualization of heritage by cultural institutions is inheriting the vices of traditional conceptualization, among which is the essentialist vision of heritage, the material and symbolic appropriation of it by the hegemonic groups, the emphasis on the grandiose and spectacular, and the search for the preservation of authenticity, defined from perspectives external to those of the subjects who build said heritage. Despite the various UNESCO guidelines,

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