Heritage Vandalism: Psychological and Sociological Reasons

Alan C Dominic1

1

Publication Date: 2024/11/22

Abstract: Vandalism is the intentional destruction of public or private property, possessing a significant threat to heritage monuments. In Kerala, historical sites frequently suffer from acts such as scribbling, defacement and unscientific restoration, diminishing their aesthetic, historic and cultural significance. Beyond the physical damage, vandalism impacts cultural identity, community pride, and the socio-economic landscape by eroding the sense of this shared heritage. This paper explores the psychological and sociological reasons behind vandalism in built heritage, on the basis of survey conducted on the built heritage sites of Kerala. It also presents potential remedies, focusing on education, legislation, and community involvement to limit this destructive behaviour.

Keywords: Vandalism, Heritage Conservation, Built Heritage, Kerala, Psychology, Sociological Impact, Cultural Identity.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24NOV951

PDF: https://ijirst.demo4.arinfotech.co/assets/upload/files/IJISRT24NOV951.pdf

REFERENCES

  1. Becker, E. 1973. The denial of death, New York, The Free Press.
  2. Chalfant, H. 1992. No One is in Control, In H. H. Christensen, D. J. Johnson, & M. H. Brookes (Eds.), Vandalism: Research, prevention, and social policy. Seattle: US Dept. of Agriculture / Pacific Northwest Research Station and University of Washington.
  3. Goldstein, A.P. 1996. The Psychology of Vandalism. 1st ed. Dymocks, Berlin, Germany: Springer Nature Customer Service Centre LLC.
  4. Higgins, H.C. 1992. Rock Art Vandalism: Causes and Prevention. In H. H. Christensen, D. J. Johnson, & M. H. Brookes (Eds.), Vandalism: Research, prevention, and social policy. Seattle: US Dept. of Agriculture / Pacific Northwest Research Station and University of Washington.
  5. Merrills, A. 2009. The Origins of ‘Vandalism’. International Journal of the Classical Tradition, 16(2).
  6. Monto, M.A. 2003. The social construction of masculinity: a study of graffiti writers. Journal of Men's Studies.
  7. Monto, M.A., Anderson, T.L. and Machalek, J. 2013. Boys doing art: the construction of outlaw masculinity in a Portland, Oregon, graffiti crew. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography. 42(3), pp.259–290.
  8. Namba, R. and Dustin, D. 1992. Towards New Definitions of Depreciative Behaviour and Vandalism. In H. H. Christensen, D. J. Johnson, & M. H. Brookes (Eds.), Vandalism: Research, prevention, and social policy. Seattle: US Dept. of Agriculture / Pacific Northwest Research Station and University of Washington.
  9. Patil, C.B. 2019. Protection of Cultural Heritage in Indian (With Special Reference to Illicit Trafficking) Problems and Prospects. In: Joint Conference: 52th IAS, 47th ISPQS, and 43th of History and Cultural Society. J P Joshi Memorial Lecture. Bengaluru: Archaeological Survey of India.