EViDAnCE - Exploring Value in Digital Archives and the Comainn Eachdraidh
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Aberdeen
Department Name: Sch of Social Science
Abstract
Rural areas have strong place identities, formed through the reproduction of traditional cultural practices alongside contemporary influences. These identities are performed and constructed through a repertoire of knowledges, histories, and customs, and include modes of expression such as story-telling, music and song, poetry and literature, dance and drama. Together with material objects, artefacts, sites and cultural spaces, these form dynamic cultural heritages. Both tangible and intangible heritage activity takes place in remote rural areas. Community based initiatives play an important role in such areas in the collation, production and communication of local cultural heritage. The Outer Hebrides contains 14 of Scotland's 28 Comainn Eachdraidh (CE) or historical societies which began in the 1970's with a very specific political and cultural purpose. Within their recent history, there has been a specific turn towards the digitisation of such work but to-date the relationship between the production of lived and virtual heritage is little understood and valued.
Community digital archives represent both a major economic asset and a key community resource, having potential as education tools, for empowerment through co-production of local knowledge, to encourage community engagement in local history, and for recreation and tourism consumption purposes. Yet, the conversion to digital archives is not a neutral process. The interrelationship between volunteers, professionals and digital applications needs further interrogation to understand the fluid practices involved. By comprehending these networks of cultural heritage production the value of such digitisation initiatives will be understood in terms of how they assist or problematize community development and cohesion, cultural preservations, individual identity, wellbeing and finally how they contribute economic value to communities.
Community digital archives represent both a major economic asset and a key community resource, having potential as education tools, for empowerment through co-production of local knowledge, to encourage community engagement in local history, and for recreation and tourism consumption purposes. Yet, the conversion to digital archives is not a neutral process. The interrelationship between volunteers, professionals and digital applications needs further interrogation to understand the fluid practices involved. By comprehending these networks of cultural heritage production the value of such digitisation initiatives will be understood in terms of how they assist or problematize community development and cohesion, cultural preservations, individual identity, wellbeing and finally how they contribute economic value to communities.
Planned Impact
This project seeks to create impact across the stakeholders involved in the research and dissemination. For the Comainn Eachdraidh (CE) and Hebridean Connections (HC) the project seeks to have two primary impacts in terms of how they conduct their work. First, the project will seek to show how digital technology has an effect upon cultural value and is of benefit to the Islander communities. This is central to HC as it is trying to expand its collections into more CE groups. By having an evidence base that backs up the value of their work, this would make their case for joining CE, and improving the collections, much stronger. Second, the project wants to highlight, on a national level, the work of the CE, as a model for embedded heritage production in all communities thus increasing the presence of the CE as cultural entity.
We will give a different perspective in terms of understanding and measuring cultural value from a very different setting to the rest of the UK. With previous focus having primarily been on more urban and institutional perspectives, a key impact of this project is to showcase how non-institutional and bottom-up organisations have the capacity to create real and sustainable cultural value for communities, in terms of their cultural, social and economic benefit to different locations.
We will give a different perspective in terms of understanding and measuring cultural value from a very different setting to the rest of the UK. With previous focus having primarily been on more urban and institutional perspectives, a key impact of this project is to showcase how non-institutional and bottom-up organisations have the capacity to create real and sustainable cultural value for communities, in terms of their cultural, social and economic benefit to different locations.
Organisations
- University of Aberdeen (Lead Research Organisation)
- North Uist Historical Society (Collaboration)
- Kinloch Historical Society (Collaboration)
- North Tolsta Historical Society (Collaboration)
- Berneray Historical Society (Comunn Eachdraidh Bheàrnaraigh) (Collaboration)
- Uig Historical Society (Collaboration)
- Hebridean Connections (Collaboration)
- Stornoway Historical Society (Collaboration)
- North Lochs Historical Society (Comann Eachdraidh Cheann a Tuath nan Loch) (Collaboration)
- Barvas and Brue Historical Society (Collaboration)
- Carloway Historical Society (Collaboration)
- South Uist Historical Society (Collaboration)
- Pairc Historical Society (Collaboration)
- University of Bremen (Collaboration)
- Ness Historical Society (Collaboration)
- Bernera Historical Society (Comann Eachdraidh Sgire Bhearnaraigh) (Collaboration)
People |
ORCID iD |
David Beel (Principal Investigator) | |
Claire Wallace (Co-Investigator) |
Publications
Beel D
(2017)
Cultural resilience: The production of rural community heritage, digital archives and the role of volunteers
in Journal of Rural Studies
Beel D
(2018)
Gathering together: social capital, cultural capital and the value of cultural heritage in a digital age
in Social & Cultural Geography
Roberts E
(2017)
Rural resilience in a digital society: Editorial
in Journal of Rural Studies
Description | EViDAnCE has shown the different ways in which the collection and production of a local sense of history build cultural value for the communities that undertake these processes. This is specifically connected to the ways in which members of CE position themselves in relation to their history and the associations they make to the landscape in which they are embedded. The research has shown the processes through which this takes place in an everyday sense of collecting practices that are built upon a notion of dwelling, and also extends this sense of dwelling to the ancestral connection many members have to the land and its history. In doing this the project has also shown how these processes move beyond simply the production of history itself. Moreover, the cultural activity and the subsequent human capital this produces provides other benefits for the surrounding communities. In following the processes by which collected materials take on digital form, the project has also highlighted the ways in which the notion of value attached to these materials changes. The process of needing to collaborate has meant that for the individuals involved, the way in which they view their archive changes when it is placed in the digital form. By highlighting the impact of digitisation, the project has represented the ways in which the processes of producing 'lived world' heritage differs from that of building and disseminating such materials in digital form. The progression of turning heritage materials into digital form is still relatively nascent, especially at the community level. This report therefore offers a snapshot, at this moment in time, into a series of entangled processes which are continuing to progress in different ways. As the report has shown, a number of initial benefits have developed from engaging in digital archives and social media. This has been shown in the way in which the process has brought employment to the islands, expanded social capital and increased the digital skills of participants. But, it has also shown that this is an unfolding process that still has a long way to develop, and that as HC and CE make more materials digitally available, and as the technology for doing this changes over time, so too will the discourses that surround the production of such materials. This will continue to change the nature and sense in which cultural value is produced and constructed. At the present time, for the most part, cultural value is still constructed as an expectant benefit from undertaking these processes, but the labour in producing such digital infrastructure is seen as having future benefits than is currently being produced. As a jumping off point from which this research can then build, the following up of these processes to a more mature stage, particularly the interactions between CE and a broader public and after the new HC web archive goes 'live', will be an exceedingly fertile research are to follow. Finally, the project has spoken to the concept of cultural value by embracing the different resonances and discourses of cultural value that propagate through the CE movement. In doing this, the authors have aimed to show that as a framing concept, cultural value is an exceedingly useful way to think through and articulate the way in which cultural activity brings benefits to both individuals and communities. This is in terms of how cultural participation can be a constitutive process for those involved and how that activity can then lead to other developments beyond its initial purpose. The role of ethnographic research has been central to this, as the act of being there, 'in place', embedding qualitative research within its context allows for a much stronger sense by which the narratives that produce the discourses can then be captured, analysed and understood. |
Exploitation Route | See impact section for importance of findings for research partner organisation. |
Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) Culture Heritage Museums and Collections |
Description | My findings have been used in a number of ways by the main project partner (Hebridean Connections). They have been used to promote and advertise their current activity. They have been used to evidence the impact they are having as an organisation and to articulate this to funders. They have been used to create future funding bids. For the other project partners (the historical societies) a number of similar impacts have been identified but they have also talked about an increased sense of confidence with regards to the activities they undertake. The project also highlighted to them the importance that digital technologies can have in terms of disseminating their heritage. A number of participants discussed how this has given them an increased sense of confidence to continue with such activities. |
First Year Of Impact | 2014 |
Sector | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
Impact Types | Cultural Societal |
Description | Semantic Media Network Small Grants |
Amount | £20,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Semantic Media Network |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | Global |
Start | 08/2014 |
End | 12/2014 |
Description | Barvas and Bru |
Organisation | Barvas and Brue Historical Society |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Research collaboration with the historical society |
Collaborator Contribution | Their time and consent to participate in research. |
Impact | Project report, knowledge dissemination workshops, RGS-IBG paper. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | Bernera |
Organisation | Bernera Historical Society (Comann Eachdraidh Sgire Bhearnaraigh) |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Research collaboration with the historical society. |
Collaborator Contribution | Their time and consent to participate in research. |
Impact | Project report, knowledge dissemination workshops, RGS-IBG paper. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | Berneray |
Organisation | Berneray Historical Society (Comunn Eachdraidh Bheàrnaraigh) |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Research collaboration with the historical society. |
Collaborator Contribution | Their time and consent to participate in research. |
Impact | Project report, knowledge dissemination workshops, RGS-IBG paper. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | Carloway |
Organisation | Carloway Historical Society |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Research collaboration with the historical society. |
Collaborator Contribution | Their time and consent to participate in research. |
Impact | Project report, knowledge dissemination workshops, RGS-IBG paper. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | Hebridean Connections |
Organisation | Hebridean Connections |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Research that addressed core aims of HC as well as my own. Research has fed into HC own project reporting. |
Collaborator Contribution | Helped to provide research connections in the Outer Hebrides with multiple organisations and people. Allowed access to a variety of events, which they were running as part of their project. |
Impact | Project report, two knowledge dissemination workshops, assistance with future funding applications. |
Start Year | 2013 |
Description | Kinloch |
Organisation | Kinloch Historical Society |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Research collaboration with the historical society. |
Collaborator Contribution | Their time and consent to participate in research. |
Impact | Project report, knowledge dissemination workshops, RGS-IBG paper. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | Ness |
Organisation | Ness Historical Society |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Research collaboration with the historical society. |
Collaborator Contribution | Their time and consent to participate in research. |
Impact | Project report, knowledge dissemination workshops, RGS-IBG paper. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | North Lochs |
Organisation | North Lochs Historical Society (Comann Eachdraidh Cheann a Tuath nan Loch) |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Research collaboration with the historical society. |
Collaborator Contribution | Their time and consent to participate in research. |
Impact | Project report, knowledge dissemination workshops, RGS-IBG paper. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | North Tolsta |
Organisation | North Tolsta Historical Society |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Research collaboration with the historical society. |
Collaborator Contribution | Their time and consent to participate in research. |
Impact | Project report, knowledge dissemination workshops, RGS-IBG paper. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | North Uist |
Organisation | North Uist Historical Society |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Research collaboration with the historical society. |
Collaborator Contribution | Their time and consent to participate in research. |
Impact | Project report, knowledge dissemination workshops, RGS-IBG paper. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | Pairc |
Organisation | Pairc Historical Society |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Research collaboration with the historical society. |
Collaborator Contribution | Their time and consent to participate in research. |
Impact | Project report, knowledge dissemination workshops, RGS-IBG paper. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | South Uist |
Organisation | South Uist Historical Society |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Research collaboration with the historical society |
Collaborator Contribution | Their time and consent to participate in research |
Impact | Project report, knowledge dissemination workshops, RGS-IBG paper. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | Stornoway |
Organisation | Stornoway Historical Society |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Research collaboration with the historical society. |
Collaborator Contribution | Their time and consent to participate in research. |
Impact | Project report, knowledge dissemination workshops, RGS-IBG paper. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | The Digitization of Rural Communities: Media, Communication, Infrasstructures |
Organisation | University of Bremen |
Country | Germany |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Presented at research workshop on title above based upon work from EViDAnCE project |
Collaborator Contribution | Funded travel, accommodation and subsistence at workshop |
Impact | This was an initial meeting to consider future research and funding opportunities moving forward. |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | Uig |
Organisation | Uig Historical Society |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Research collaboration with the historical society. |
Collaborator Contribution | Their time and consent to participate in research. |
Impact | Project report, knowledge dissemination workshops, RGS-IBG paper. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | Digital Archive Innovation Seminar |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Type Of Presentation | paper presentation |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Talk sparked questions and discussion afterwards with regards to link data use in digital archives. It also created a discussion around the ways in which cultural value can be an interesting framework for showcasing the work of digital archive users. None to date. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Hebridean Connections Website Launch - South Uist |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Participants in your research and patient groups |
Results and Impact | Delivered presentation on the cultural value of archives which stimulated talk about the merits of doing such activities and future directions. The talk has given risen to the potential of a further historical society (South Uist) joining Hebridean Connections. The talk was given to a number of members of local government (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar) this has lead to the potential of them becoming a full partner in Hebridean Connections in the future. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
URL | http://www.stornowaygazette.co.uk/news/local-headlines/hebridean-connections-launch-new-site-1-35693... |
Description | Hebridean Connections Website Launch - Stornoway |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Participants in your research and patient groups |
Results and Impact | Delivered presentation on the cultural value of archives which stimulated talk about the merits of doing such activities and future directions. The talk helped convince a further historical society (Stornoway) to join Hebridean Connections. The talk was given to a number of members of local government (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar) this has lead to the potential of them becoming a full partner in Hebridean Connections in the future. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
URL | http://www.stornowaygazette.co.uk/news/local-headlines/hebridean-connections-launch-new-site-1-35693... |
Description | Knowledge Dissemination Workshop 1 - South Uist |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Participants in your research and patient groups |
Results and Impact | Disseminated research findings; stimulated conversation amongst participants; raised a series of questions about the future direction of Hebridean Connections; gave participants the opportunity to think through the cultural value of the work they do. Keen interest in reading the full project report; new approaches to collecting digital history discussed. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
URL | http://evidance-ahrc.com/2014/09/10/workshop-reports-design-ethnography/ |
Description | Knowledge Dissemination Workshop 1 - Stornoway |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Participants in your research and patient groups |
Results and Impact | Disseminated research findings; stimulated conversation amongst participants; raised a series of questions about the future direction of Hebridean Connections; gave participants the opportunity to think through the cultural value of the work they do. Keen interest in reading the full project report; new approaches to collecting digital history discussed. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
URL | http://evidance-ahrc.com/2014/09/10/workshop-reports-design-ethnography/ |
Description | RGS-IBG Locating Value |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Type Of Presentation | paper presentation |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | The presentation stimulated a number of questions from the audience. A number of people asked about the potential of future collaboration. An invitation to contribute to a book chapter on Locating Value. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
URL | http://conference.rgs.org/AC2014/256 |
Description | Research Paper at the AAG Annual Conference in San Fransisco 4/1/2016 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The author delivered a paper presentation on the research findings developed in the EViDaNCE to an international audience of academics. The purpose was to share the research findings and to generate discussion on approaches creating digital heritage. The paper was entitled: 'Gathering the past to reshape the present: history, heritage and digital technology in the on-going production of rural places' The author was also involved in organising the sessions on 'Ordinary Place Making'. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | http://meridian.aag.org/callforpapers/program/SessionDetail.cfm?SessionID=25323 |
Description | The Digitalization of Rural Communities: Media, Communication, Infrastructures |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | This was a workshop at the Universitat Bremen. It considered the investigation of current trends of digitalization in the field of media and communication predominantly focuses on urban centers and media spaces. This, among others, becomes apparent through buzzwords such as "smart cities" or "networked urban spaces". In turn, "[t]he siginificance of mediatization in countryside settings is an underresearched topic" (cf. Jansson & Andersson 2012: 173). Furthermore, communication studies still very much focus on the digital in terms of media communication in a rather narrow sense: topics such as infrastructure, digital economy or socio-cultural aspects tend to be underrepresented. However, in the face of growing societal challenges such as digital infrastructure development and rural deprivation, researching digitalization in general - and mediatization in particular - under rural conditions is a pressing need. This calls for a research approach that is strongly informed by international and interdisciplinary exchange. Thus, we aim at bringing together views from geography, sociology, information science as well as communication studies and combining them with a sensitivity for regional as well as national peculiarities. The focus of this meeting is directed towards the meanings, the potentials as well as the challenges of digital media, communication and infrastructures for rural communities. The papers presented contribute to this field of research through theoretical approaches, reports on empirical endeavors and applied research projects. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |