The Economics of Heritage

Heritage sites, museums, and the archaeology profession face enormous challenges arising from employment and consumer markets reshaped by economic change and technological disruption, from governmental and philanthropic priorities refocused on urgent social and environmental issues, and from ethical and practical questions arising in a time of political turbulence.   As never before, practicing heritage management means operating under severe resource constraints, making fraught choices, engaging with stakeholders as partners and customers, and innovating to deliver scholarly, social and economic value in an ethical package. Students will gain a critical understanding of the uses and limitations of economic theory when applied to heritage, a grounding in essential analytical techniques, and insights into how economic tools can help clarify choices they will face in future careers. Although the course covers basic economic theory and some analytical techniques employed by economists, an extensive background in mathematics or economics is not expected or necessary.