UNESCO heritage inscription reshapes local politics, study finds

A new study from the University of the Arts Helsinki (Uniarts Helsinki) sheds light on a relatively understudied aspect of UNESCO heritage recognition: its influence on local politics. While UNESCO heritage listings are often examined in relation to safeguarding cultural traditions, tourism, and local identity, their impact on local political decision-making has received comparatively limited scholarly attention. Focusing on Kaustinen, a municipality in western Finland internationally known for its fiddle-playing tradition, the study finds that UNESCO recognition reshaped political debates, municipal strategies, and public investment priorities across party lines.

Researchers Outi Valo and Heidi Henriikka Mäkelä from the University of the Arts Helsinki examined how the inscription of Kaustinen fiddle playing and related practices and expressions on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity affected municipal politics, political discourse, and heritage-related investments. The researchers analysed municipal council and executive board minutes from 2016 to 2023, as well as reporting in the local newspaper Perhonjokilaakso concerning the same debates and decisions.

The study found that before local organisations began pursuing UNESCO recognition, cultural funding was frequently questioned in municipal politics. The municipality’s main political parties proposed cuts to the cultural sector, and support for organisations such as the Folk Art Centre, Pro Kaustinen, and the Finnish Folk Music Institute was repeatedly challenged.

However, the UNESCO nomination process and the subsequent inscription in 2021 changed the terms of the debate. Heritage increasingly came to be viewed not as a cost but as a strategic resource that could support local vitality, tourism, place branding, and future development. The researchers found that heritage-related language gradually became embedded in municipal strategies, budgets, annual reports, and development plans.

“In contrast, the term ‘intangible cultural heritage’ was used very rarely. We interpret this as indicating that ‘living heritage’ was an easier, more positive, and more future-oriented concept for politicians to embrace,” says researcher Outi Valo.

The findings also show how UNESCO recognition reshaped political discourse and positioning at the local level. Whereas some politicians had previously advocated reducing cultural expenditure, they later began referring to UNESCO status in municipal decision-making and public discussions. According to the researchers, political actors across the spectrum recognised the symbolic value of the UNESCO designation and sought to incorporate it into their agendas.

The study further demonstrates that symbolic recognition does not automatically eliminate political disagreements. While elected officials widely supported using UNESCO status for tourism promotion, place branding, and municipal marketing, debates over spending and maintenance costs continued. Funding for the Folk Art Centre, in particular, remained a recurring source of political disagreement.

According to the researchers, the case of Kaustinen illustrates how international heritage recognition can become a resource in local power struggles and political competition.

“UNESCO recognition gave Kaustinen fiddle playing a symbolic value that every political party wanted to utilise in one way or another. Even parties that had previously opposed cultural funding can adopt heritage-based rhetoric once the value of the UNESCO brand is recognised,” says Valo.