ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the rifts between the aesthetic and social approaches to heritage tours. It describes applied social science theories and their relevance to heritage. The chapter also describes a tour of a former world's fair site in San Antonio, relating heritage tactics and the tours to communicative action theory, collaborative rationality, and phronesis. It proposes the use of theories of applied social sciences in professional practice and heritage, education, and to encourage public dialogue about the past, present, and future. The chapter argues that tours and other similar mobile events can provide an essential opportunity for critical interpretation and two-way dialogue that can lend more depth and inclusivity to heritage conservation. It also argues that tours aid in deliberation over contemporary issues of power, redevelopment, and displacement by encouraging public discussion and raising awareness about power relations and urban space.
