Abstract

For much of the 20th century, there was a widespread belief that local and traditional practices, knowledge, and objects would vanish under the pressures of globalization. However, what can be understood as vernacular heritage—encompassing traditional craft techniques, oral traditions, indigenous social practices, and their associated materialities—not only persists but is becoming increasingly relevant in contemporary societies. Despite growing interest in investigating, documenting, and preserving these practices, there remains a lack of in-depth reflection on the diversity and effectiveness of preservation and continuity strategies, their consequences for practitioners, and their broader impacts on both the present and the future.