Young People’s Perceptions of World Cultural Heritage: Suggestions for a Critical and Reflexive World Heritage Education

A qualitative study of 43 German secondary school students aged 14–17 revealed Eurocentric biases in their perceptions of World Cultural Heritage (WCH), highlighting imbalanced global recognition. Using focus groups and hermeneutic photography, researchers explored both universal and personal values attached to WCH, including a site visit to St Mary's Cathedral and St Michael's Church at Hildesheim. The findings underscore the need for critical and reflexive education approaches that foster sustainability literacy, empowering young people to engage more thoughtfully with cultural heritage beyond Western-centric narratives.

Röll, V., & Meyer, C. (2020). Young People’s Perceptions of World Cultural Heritage: Suggestions for a Critical and Reflexive World Heritage Education. Sustainability, 12(20), 8640. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208640