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http://doi.org/10.33234/SSR.21.5

Published 19/3/2025

 

Amalia Nurma Dewi

Department of Library Science, Faculty of Letters, Malang State University, Indonesia. E-mail: amalia.nurma.fs@um.ac.in

Bent Sørensen

Independent scholar, Aalborg, Denmark E-mail: bennometaphor@gmail.com

Abstract
The article explores the significance of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), emphasizing the role of UNESCO in its preservation. It highlights the shift from focusing solely on tangible artifacts to recognizing the importance of intangible elements like oral traditions, rituals, and craftsmanship. The article discusses, in particular, the intrinsic relationship between intangible cultural heritage and its tangible elements, advocating for a semiotic approach to this relationship and, thereby, to inventorying ICH – with an emphasis on the concept of meaning and meaning-making processes. It underscores the need for community involvement in these processes and involves Peirce`s concepts of interpretant (and some of its divisions) and collateral experience as well as Eco`s three types of intention regarding (textual) interpretation: Intentio auctoris, intentio operis and intentio lectoris. The article is, first and foremost, theoretical, aiming to present a semiotic perspective on intangible cultural heritage only tentatively and briefly touching upon a few implications for inventorying practices.

Keywords: UNESCO, intangible cultural heritage, tangible culture, archiving, inventorying, meaning, community, value, Peirce, Eco.