Imagine trying to update a city's statues or school books, but half the people are angry about the changes and the other half are angry that they happened too slowly. This work studies why people react emotionally to these changes in museums and public spaces. It creates a set of practical guides to help institutions handle these arguments without causing a social divide.
Cultural institutions and publishers face intense public polarization and resistance when updating colonial-era content. This leads to reputational risk and social conflict.
Four confidence-building methods for textbooks, public spaces, museums, and cultural consumption. These are supported by empirical reports on how different social groups react to heritage changes.
If you are a textbook publisher dealing with accusations of Eurocentric bias in history books — this project developed analysis of 200 textbooks that provides evidence-based methods to update content while maintaining public confidence.
If you are a museum manager dealing with visitor polarization over colonial exhibits — this project developed a confidence-building method for museums that promotes constructive dialogue and inclusive engagement.
If you are a design agency dealing with community resistance to changing colonial monuments in public spaces — this project developed a specific method for public spaces to help citizens navigate these controversies confidently.
Based on available project data, no pricing or cost structures for the resulting methods have been disclosed.
The project tests its methods through 4 small scale pilot trials across 6 European countries, suggesting a model for regional scaling rather than industrial mass production.
Based on available project data, there is no mention of specific patents or licensing agreements for the 4 proposed methods.
The project is designed to inform European strategies on heritage and memory to improve inclusiveness in public institutions.
The project runs from 2024-03-01 to 2027-02-28, meaning final validated methods will be available by early 2027.
The consortium is heavily academic, consisting of 13 partners with 7 universities and 3 research organizations. There are 0 industry partners and 0 SMEs, indicating that the current output is focused on social science research and evidence-based methodology rather than immediate commercial products.
Contact the Universidade de Coimbra research office regarding the CCH methods.
Contact us to find a partner for the upcoming pilot trials in cultural heritage.
