Study involving UTM scholar provides insights into how nostalgia, when harnessed effectively, can serve as a tool in heritage preservation, especially in areas like Mainland China, where cultural revitalisation is a central focus
New research has revealed how nostalgia linked to heritage sites can foster a reciprocal relationship between ‘psychological ownership’ of these sites and heritage preservation, offering a potential approach for supporting conservation cultural landmarks.
The study was conducted by UTM Lecturer Mr. Wilson Hong Cheong Hin, in collaboration with Mr. C.J. Lin Zhiwei, a PhD candidate from Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangdong, and Ms. Sivin Xiao Xiwen, a PhD student at Griffith University in Australia.
Their work, titled “Slowing Down in ‘Little Shanghai’: A Nostalgia-induced Framework of Reciprocity between Psychological Ownership and Heritage Preservation”, was published earlier this year in the Journal of Travel Research. (Click here for access to the full paper.) The study highlighted how nostalgia can encourage individuals to take psychological ownership of cultural sites, motivating them to support preservation initiatives.
The research identified a “nostalgia-induced framework of reciprocity” between psychological ownership of heritage sites and heritage preservation. “Understanding this reciprocal relationship is vital to fostering a better comprehension of nostalgic appeals, particularly linking these appeals with preservation endeavours,” the authors suggested.
According to their paper, psychological ownership of heritage sites reflects an extension of self-identity, with individuals perceiving certain heritage sites as “theirs”. This ownership, the research demonstrated, goes beyond mere cognitive recognition; it includes emotional attachment, which promotes a willingness to protect and preserve.
The findings indicated that this reciprocal relationship between psychological ownership and heritage preservation could be nurtured through three routes. These pathways helped individuals develop a deeper connection with heritage sites, which in turn strengthened their commitment to preservation.
The first route, “exercise of control”, emphasised how much control individuals could exert over heritage sites they perceive as their own. The second route, “intimate knowing”, concerned prolonged experiences with heritage sites, which served as a driving force in developing a psychological sense of possession.
The third route, identified as “investment of the self”, involved the continuous investment of personal resources in the target of possession, i.e., the heritage site.
Nostalgia and Luomutian
The research focused on Luomutian, a cultural-historical site in Putian, in Mainland China. Luomutian was once a flourishing area known as “Little Shanghai” and the “Oriental Venice”. Although the site is now underdeveloped, its past prosperity, characterised by bustling waterways and traditional architecture, evokes feelings of nostalgia among visitors, according to the authors.
The research employed a multi-method qualitative design, consisting of two studies. The first involved analysing 137 online travel diaries from the popular Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, also known in English as “Little Red Book” or “Red”, to understand the motivations behind nostalgic heritage travel to Luomutian. The second study included 23 semi-structured interviews, including to tourists to Luomutian, as well as tourism service employees, business operators, local historians, and community members.
Based on their findings, the researchers suggested that local authorities and heritage site operators should leverage visitor nostalgia to foster the reciprocal relationship between psychological ownership and heritage preservation. To achieve this, they should employ the three routes identified: exercise of control, intimate knowing, and investment of the self.
For example, operators were encouraged to give stakeholders a sense of control, particularly by offering opportunities to raise their voices and actively participate in heritage preservation. Providing hotlines was one way to meet this growing need for control, while ignoring such input could diminish individuals’ desire to participate, the authors argued.
The researchers also recommended creating opportunities for stakeholders to engage more intimately with heritage sites, whether through extended visits or community events. Tourism operators and authorities should collaborate to promote heritage stories, offering cultural and historical lessons both on-site and online, allowing stakeholders to gain a deeper understanding of local histories and traditions, the study noted.
Given the cultural significance of homes and hometowns in Chinese tradition, where they represent belonging and identity, the authors argued that fostering this connection could enhance psychological ownership of heritage sites. This sense of ownership, in turn, could inspire individuals to act as cultural ambassadors, sharing news, stories, and images of these sites on social media, thereby extending the reach and impact of preservation efforts.
The study emphasised that as individuals identified more closely with particular heritage sites, they were more likely to invest personal resources in their maintenance, ensuring the survival of cultural and historical landmarks for future generations.
Editor: UTM Public Relations Team
