Heritage and Society 2018 has been released by Historic England (HE), which ‘includes recent research findings as well as past seminal pieces’ to highlight the importance of the historic environment for wellbeing and sense of place.
image: Cover of Heritage & Society Document: © Sunny Bank Mills
HE writes:
Heritage plays a significant role in society, enhancing our wellbeing and quality of life, improving the way places are perceived, and engaging the general public.
Heritage and Society is produced each year by Historic England on behalf of the Historic Environment Forum (HEF). This document provides the body of evidence demonstrating the importance of heritage to society. These are based on reliable studies that are referenced and hyperlinked for anyone seeking more detailed information. The evidence presented here can be used by anyone who seeks to understand the social value of heritage and advocate for the historic environment.
Introductory section to Heritage & Society:
Heritage and Society presents evidence on the ways that the historic environment benefits individuals and communities. It is gathered from a wide range of reliable sources including major household panel surveys, systematic literature reviews, bespoke evaluation studies and public opinion surveys.
The evidence is structured around seven topics:
- England’s historic environment is enjoyed by millions (p.4)
- Members of the public deeply value the historic environment (p.6)
- The historic environment is important for our health and wellbeing (p.8)
- The historic environment creates a strong sense of place (p.12)
- The historic environment influences how we perceive places (p.14)
- The historic environment brings people together (p.16)
- The historic environment inspires learning and understanding (p.20)
The evidence presented here includes recent research findings as well as past seminal pieces thus forming part of the heritage sector’s rich, multidimensional knowledge base. The evidence is presented as brief bite-sized facts with links to the detailed evidence sources for more technical readers, or those with more specific evidence needs.
Together with Heritage and the Economy, Heritage and Society can be used by anyone to make the case for heritage.
