The Global Turn of Local Heritage: Reconstructing the Value of Folk Art and Its Modern Practice

Abstract

The global standardization heritage system and the restructuring of capital consumption logic have reconfigured the criteria for evaluating the value of folk art. Local handicrafts have transitioned from mere daily survival tools to cultural symbols circulating globally, thereby giving rise to structural tensions such as the erosion of cultural depth, the loss of voice within local communities, and a polarization of values. This paper draws upon Clifford Geertz's concept of 'local knowledge' and Jinbult's 'Heritage Critique' as the core theoretical tools to trace the four-tiered evolution of folk art values: indigenous knowledge rooted in regional ecology and community rituals; global aesthetic heritage standardized and documented under UNESCO's heritage system; a dual commercialization dilemma divided into high-end luxury products and low-cost imitations; and a dynamic revitalization approach grounded in participatory design that bridges local empathy with contemporary sustainable development. The research demonstrates that current heritage conservation and commercial development often treat folk art as an external aesthetic object, severing the symbiotic relationship between craftsmanship and local life. Only by centering efforts on community co-creation and harnessing the ecological insights and slow-production wisdom embedded in local knowledge can we achieve value reconstruction that balances cultural authenticity with contemporary relevance, thereby addressing cultural fragmentation caused by heritageification and commercialization. This study contributes to the broader discourse on intangible cultural heritage by proposing a community-centered framework that reconciles global heritage standards with localized cultural practices, offering actionable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and scholars engaged in sustainable heritage development.