Lokalitet, globalitet och folklighet : Hälsingegårdarna som världsarv

Sammanfattning: The aim of this essay was to investigate the effects of adopting a site to the UNESCOs World Heritage List. Thefocus laid on the example of the Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland, which was the most recent Swedishadoption. With the question of impact of the World Heritage List in mind, the region of Hälsingland became themain focus. The study was made with particular focus on Gästgivars, a farm located in the municipality ofBollnäs, to which the theory of social life of things was applied. The result of the World Heritage was, in the caseof Gästgivars, an increase of the cultural value and social status.This case study has shown that the impact of the nomination has not been immense, but suggests that longtermeffects can show. The nomination to the World Heritage has led to some small changes in how thefarmhouses are managed, for example an increase of guided tours of a site. Although there were some opinionson how it was handled, World Heritage site recognition is looked upon as something positive. In this studyUNESCO and ICOMOS, in addition to other governing bodies, appeared to be authoritarian in some aspects,mainly when it came to local decisions concerning the World Heritage site. Thus, it has also shown that thoseinstitutions were not the only authoritarians regarding the handling of the site.The adoption of the Decorated Farmhouses could contribute to a feeling of community, or to create asymbol of the region and municipality, or perhaps a feeling of local identity and community. On an economiclevel, the World Heritage designation could contribute to additional income for the region and secondary effects.The case study is not completely a part of the experience industry which shows that cultural economy had littleeffects. Furthermore, the study showed that the adoption of the Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland to theWorld Heritage List can promote the view upon culture in small cities and an alternation of the cultural life.To analyze possible interactions due to a site being added to the World Heritage list has succesfully beenperformed with qualitative methods and interviews. The interviews became the primary material of the study andwas backed by statistics of the number of visitors to a site, some documents, and historical facts.