There are definitely criticism on UNESCO intangible cultural heritage designation, despite its benefits received by some communities. However, together with it comes the complexity of entanglement between the official real intangible cultural heritage of the community it was supposed to present and the ones that prevailed as the official version/style accepted by the majority as its representative. What are your thoughts?
Anthropology is in theoretical fragmentation. It does not even agree on definitions of 'culture' (as a 2024 conference tried to resolve). Most definitions are of 'cultures' in plural, thus the science serves cultural, political purposes. Until anthropology studies culture, singular, the curation agencies such as museums and UNESCO, will serve political purposes. Your concern is justified. Here is one of my papers about the unity of culture, and the need for a theoretical framework: https://stoneprintjournal.wordpress.com/2024/01/08/archetypal-structure-in-medieval-pop-culture/
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