Year: 2020
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This thesis critically evaluates Google Arts & Culture 'Korean Heritage' and the platform's claims of 'democratizing' heritage and 'blurring the lines between experts and users'. Within scholarship, Digital Heritage has often been characterized as a force of democratization as well as a possible threat to traditional authority by enabling more active engagement. However, while GA&C's presentation of content capitalizes on digital technologies' strengths, it remains dialogically closed. As a result, projects such as 'Korean Heritage' actually reinforce the authority of state-sponsored heritage institutions and help reproduce a state-authorized view of heritage. Additionally, through collaboration with heritage institutions, Google is able to strengthen its business image as benevolent tech-giant, while simultaneously collecting data on user activity on the platform.
Author: Knaap, Laura van der
Institution: Leiden University
Language: English
Subfield: Cultural Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6999505670