Värderingsprocess i förändring? En undersökande fallstudie om kulturhistorisk värdering i Plattform – kulturhistorisk värdering och urval

Abstract

What you hold in your hand is an investigative thesis on a report from the Swedish national heritage board, concluding the 2015 official approach on historical evaluation in Sweden. Although the report, Plattform kulturhistorisk värdering- och urval is not a method per say, its explains a methodological approach on historical evaluation with the goal och making the Swedish evaluation of heritage more of a transparent process. Traditionally, Sweden has used the historical evaluation term synonymously with Heritage evaluation, resulting in a concept on historical evaluation containing both social and esthetical evaluations. Since this has made the results of heritage evaluations hard to comprehend the board decided to divide the old term historical value in to five independent aspects of heritage, historical value being one of them, each having its own evaluation process. This has been criticized, partly since it leaves questions as to whom is supposed to perform the different evaluations in the new system. The new system has also been criticized for leaving decision-making regarding historical evaluation wholly in the hands of professional experts. This thesis investigates Plattform kulturhistorisk värdering- och urval, seeking to further explore and debate these issues and the opportunity for a more transparent evaluation process. The thesis concludes that the new approach from the heritage board certainly might bring a more transparent heritage evaluation process, that is, if all aspects on heritage is evaluated. Furthermore, the thesis concludes that the role of the evaluator as a professional expert might be problematic, since the goal with the historical evaluation process according to the board is to increase understanding of past times and present relations. The process of understanding present relations by understanding the past would be likely to benefit from involvement with the people of whom it is supposed to help.