ABSTRACT
Sustaining heritage means sustaining values. In keeping with progressive theories of heritage – centering on function and use, as well as form and materiality – professionals need dynamic means of informing and managing decisions, engaging beyond the professions and, more broadly, making heritage and its conservation relevant to contemporary society. Concepts and practices of values-centered conservation (VCC), as they continue to evolve, can provide such a dynamic framework. The underlying theory of VCC holds that accounting for a greater range of values will produce more meaningful, useful, sustainable outcomes. The main concern of this chapter is exploring how the VCC framework is used (with less emphasis on describing ‘what it is’). After establishing some conceptual ground surrounding VCC, I assert the continuing utility of values-centered frameworks in conservation practice, policy, intellectual and political work on heritage in contemporary society.
