ABSTRACT
This chapter goes to the heart of a central question in the field of heritage studies – it asks what heritage is for; what it does in the world; and what those responsible for deciding what constitutes heritage and for looking after it feel that it provides to the culture and society on whose behalf they work. The chapter considers these issues in terms of a comparison between the generally dominant Western Anglophone (European, Australian and American) modes of thought on heritage, and those which apply in Asian countries. It is clear from any study of heritage as a phenomenon – at least as far as Western Anglophone commentators are concerned – that ‘value’ is a central issue in a number of ways: as a theoretical matter in coming to terms with a complex modern phenomenon; as a matter of policy direction; and as a matter of everyday practice.
