@article{2282,
  keywords = {Social practices, Community participation (THE\_204), rituals and festive events (ICH\_1229), Minority groups (THE\_1697), Türkiye (TR)},
  author = {B. Aykan},
  title = {How participatory is participatory heritage management? the politics of safeguarding the Alevi Semah ritual as intangible heritage},
  abstract = {This article addresses the shortcomings of UNESCO s intangible heritage program in developing effective mechanisms for community participation in heritage management. Contrary to its original intentions, by prioritizing national perspectives and interests on heritage, UNESCO s program inadvertently allows for strengthening the control of the state over the heritage of minorities and other marginalized groups. This article explores the complexities of state-led intangible heritage management, using the Semah ritual of Turkey s Alevi religious groups as a case in point. I first detail how Alevi voices were silenced during Semah s intangible heritage nomination process, despite those documents submitted by Turkey to UNESCO that claim Alevis  active engagement and full support. Then I discuss in what ways the heritage making of Semah plays into the ongoing efforts of the Turkish government to integrate Alevis into dominant Sunni majority. I conclude by arguing that UNESCO s intangible heritage program, though unintentionally, assists nondemocratic countries in their efforts to force marginalized groups to adopt the mainstream culture.},
  year = {2013},
  journal = {International Journal of Cultural Property},
  volume = {20},
  number = {4},
  pages = {381-405},
  issn = {09407391 (ISSN)},
  url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84907418977&doi=10.1017%2fS0940739113000180&partnerID=40&md5=f60ab7117fc3b9409c7acc7390e4df33},
  doi = {10.1017/S0940739113000180},
  note = {Publisher: Cambridge University Press},
  language = {English},
}