Session: #61

Theme & Session Format

Theme:
3. Heritage Narratives and Representations
Session format:
Regular session

Title & Content

Title:
More than a Feeling: New Perspectives on Archaeology and Wellbeing
Content:
Over the last decade the interaction between the arts, humanities, and social sciences, including archaeology, has been of growing interest and importance. Research has repeatedly demonstrated that cultural heritage-related activities can break down barriers to public participation and have a positive impact on individual and community wellbeing.
The relationship between archaeology and wellbeing has not emerged out of the blue: it is aligned with specific goals in the Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan. Wellbeing provides archaeology with an invaluable opportunity to widen groups of stakeholders, diversify demographics of both participants and professionals involved, demonstrate its impact on society and secure funds for projects.
Archaeology can impact everyone through activities such as object-handling sessions, excavation, and photography workshops in a historic landscape. Confirmed outcomes include improved socialisation, happiness, self-esteem, and reduction in stigma. Should archaeologists research wellbeing? May wellbeing be a game-changer for archaeology? Or is it a passing fad? Taking into account the themes and methods identified in recent volumes curated by Darvill et al. (2019) and Everill et al. (2022), this session aims to examine the recent developments and challenges in this emerging research area, expanding the discussion of the following points:
• The contribution of specific fields of study within archaeology (i.e. experimental archaeology) to wellbeing
• Interventions on archaeology and wellbeing in different domains (i.e. contract archaeology, urban planning, community healthcare)
• Methodologies and tools for impact assessment of individual and community wellbeing (i.e. specific scales, mixed-method analysis)
• Focus on the so-called vulnerable and under-represented groups (persons with disabilities, women, older persons, children, asylum seekers and refugees)
We welcome any paper focusing on the previous points and investigating the relationship between archaeology and wellbeing. We also encourage submitting data-informed papers and focusing on case studies from non-anglophone countries.
Keywords:
public archaeology, wellbeing, health, vulnerable groups, impact, inclusion
Session associated with MERC:
no
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Session associated with CAA:
no
Session associated with DGUF:
no
Session associated with other:

Organisers

Main organiser:
Francesco Ripanti (Ireland) 1
Co-organisers:
Faye Sayer (United Kingdom) 2
Tomomi Fushiya (Poland) 3
Amy Luck (United Kingdom) 2
Brian Sloan (United Kingdom) 4
Affiliations:
1. Trinity College Dublin
2. University of Birmingham
3. University of Warsaw
4. Queen's University Belfast