A identidade como recurso metonímico dos processos de patrimonialização

• Main Author: Paulo Peixoto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Centro de Estudos Sociais da Universidade de Coimbra 2004-12-01
• Series: Revista Crítica de Ciências Sociais
• Subjects: heritage; Portugal; historic centres; identity; patrimonialization; city
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/rccs/1056

Patrimonialization processes are based on a rhetoric that deifies the notion of identity. Processes of identity construction are also anchored on a sublimated notion of patrimony. The result is an inextricable ambiguity between the two terms. However, not all manner of patrimony creates identity, nor does all manner of identity give rise to a patrimony. This recognition allows us to question the way in which processes of identity construction sometimes make use of resources which are granted patrimonial status. But it also allows us to see that processes of patrimonialization don’t always pursue ends that are related with the preservation of an identity. This text follows the latter line of analysis, since it emphasizes processes of patrimonialization rather than identity construction. The analysis of processes that have taken place in Portugal illustrates, through some empirical cases, the way in which identity becomes a metonymic resource of patrimonialization processes.