Preservation and Social Inclusion

affirmation of the importance of studying people, performance and politics. The third section mobilizes the extensive array of data to explore the emotional work that is undertaken by individuals and groups within museums and heritage sites. It is the series of chapters within this section which firmly demonstrate the importance of affect within heritage studies. Smith draws attention to the way that people use emotional tools to align themselves or to feel distance from exhibitions to reiterate their own sense of self regardless of the content of the display. This enfranchisement of the individual is clearly demonstrated in the data as agents undertake complex negotiations of their own identity to interpret the histories they observe. This poses another challenge to the accepted traditions of heritage studies as Smith highlights the inability of sites to function as locales of education and learning because of the emotional and affective frames of reference we use to engage the world. In an era where emotional engagement and awareness are needed to address the enveloping crises we experience, this is a book that allows us to think differently about our work within heritage studies. This is not a study of the importance of making us feel. It is an astute assessment that these feelings matter. They serve as barriers and bridges to enable people to engage and are essential in our understanding of what people do when they visit museums and sites. Lastly, what stands out within this assessment is the awareness of how people respond. The examination is detailed, the statistical analysis and interpretation is sophisticated but it is the concern that people and their reactions should be the sole focus which marks this work. This allows us to take emotions seriously. This book is a significant development in the field of heritage studies because of its recognition that heritage is both political and emotive.