Digital Heritage as a Rhetorical Tool for Cultural Preservation

Abstract

Extensive research has been conducted on community engagement in the context of cultural heritage. Similarly, research linking digital humanities and cultural heritage has also been explored. Typically research in these areas is done through a social science lens or with technical detail (e.g., three-dimensional (3D) imaging). To add a new lens to the literature, this chapter explores community–university engagement and cultural/digital heritage from a humanistic perspective. In particular, this chapter considers digital heritage as a rhetorical tool. Following Kenneth Burke’s rhetorical theory of identification, which focuses on human desire to seek common ground, this chapter illustrates the ways in which identification in community–university engagement and digital heritage occurs at two levels: (1) at the university, where different faculties (e.g., computer science and anthropology) collaborate to produce digital heritage artifacts or exhibits, and (2) at the university–community level, where universities engage with communities to preserve cultural heritage (a common goal) for the benefit of society. This essay looks at the Mah Meri Unmasked project at the University of Malaya (Malaysia) as a prime example. Cultural heritage is an important link between universities and communities, continuing to value and draw deeply from cultural roots.