Paper short abstract:

Many patrimonialization processes specifically regard the Unesco List of the Immaterial Heritage: the presentation describes the role of applied anthropology in Italy into a the fast-moving sector, which the State let to the ONGs, and to the holders, or better to the "heritage communities", according to the Conventions around the Cultural Rights.

Paper long abstract:

The presentation describes how anthropology is being applied today in Italy in the patrimonialization processes specifically regarding the Unesco List of the Immaterial Heritage. That means to explore a the fast-moving sector in Italy, which the State let to the ONGs, and to the holders, or better to the "heritage communities", according to the Conventions around the Cultural Rights.

The presentation also demonstrates how the applied anthropologists are more or less adaptable, in this domain, and how their mission on the ground could be dependent to their theorical and ethical approach. The presentation will elso explore a case study around the challenges of moving out of, and back into, the academia, studing and appliyng the patrimonialization processes specifically regarding the Unesco List of the Immaterial Heritage.

The presentation concludes how the academian training in anthropology in Italy did not prepare, expecially in the past, the professionals for these specific role, and how differently we should structure an anthropology curriculum to prepare the graduates for work about the patrimonialization processes outside academia.