Scher, Philip Wyman

DR. PHILLIP WYMAN SCHER, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, received funding in April 2011 to aid research on 'The Politics of Historic Preservation and the Development of Heritage Tourism in Barbados.' The focus of this project was the ethnographic investigation of the political and economic processes that lie behind the protection and preservation of cultural heritage in Barbados, specifically the World Heritage site designated for Bridgetown (the capital city) and its historic military garrison. Over the last fifteen years, a dramatic transformation has occurred in the economic profile of this nation and of the region that has profoundly affected official and unofficial conceptions of culture and heritage. In the wake of decreasing economic options in the Caribbean due to free market initiatives, renewed pressure on creating or expanding a market for culture and tourism has developed. At the forefront of this development are applications for World Heritage status from UNESCO and attempts to copyright cultural forms in order to protect them. Barbados has pursued and recently obtained World Heritage Status for 'Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison.' This research pursued two different lines of inquiry. The first was to understand the nomination process and the various state and local parties involved in the successful nomination. The second was to gain insight into the neighborhoods surrounding the World Heritage site, including local businesses, schools and residents and how they view the historical legacy of British colonialism and their role in the memorialization of Colonial history.