Nordhordland - en identitetsregion? En studie av demokratisering av kulturminneforvaltningen i et regionalt perspektiv.

Abstract

The building of national identity has been important in the building of a nation, and cultural heritage has been an important aspect of this process. In Norway, the use of cultural heritage to promote a national identity has been less important in later years. The focus has shifted in regards to the governmental heritage policy. It no longer just seeks to preserve the cultural heritage, but to use it in business development, employment, tourism and other purposes. It’s the responsibility of the regional government (Fylkeskommunen) to care for the cultural heritage. Is it then possible to use the cultural heritage to promote regional identity, and in this strengthen the region? In this thesis I study the region of Nordhordland, north of Bergen. By looking at four case studies I will try to see if it’s possible to use these to promote regional identity. To learn more of these cases that I’ve chosen I conducted interviews with those that were responsible for the project and some that were volunteering. To properly analyse my case studies I look at intangible cultural heritage and what I have called democratization of the heritage policy. By this I mean the involvement of more volunteers in the cultural heritage work. In the last chapter I discuss Nordhordland as a region, and how strong their regional identity is. In my discussion and analysis of Nordhordland, I find that it has a strong local identity, but by contrast has weak regional identity. By analysing my case studies I find that it is possible to use these to further the regional identity, but since the local identity is strong in Nordhordland, it is important that there are regional developers to promote the projects and put them in to a regional focus.

I denne oppgaven undersøker jeg Nordhordland som region, og ser på hvordan kulturminner og kulturarv kan være med styrke en regional identitet. For å svare på dette undersøker jeg fire prosjekter som arbeider med kulturminner i Nordhordland.For å analysere disse prosjektene ved å knyttet dem til immateriell kulturarv, verdiskapning av kulturminner og det jeg har valgt å kalle demokratisering av kulturminnevernet. Med demokratisering av kulturminnevernet mener jeg et økt frivillig engasjement i arbeidet med kulturminnevern. Til sist undersøker jeg Nordhordland som region og om det kan kalles en identitetsregion.