Form and Question? The graduate courses on heritage in the 1970s

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to discuss the graduate courses on heritage that were offered in the 1970s as a result of the educational and cultural policies of the Ministry of Education and Culture of Brazil. In 1974, 1976 and 1978, three different courses were offered in the states of São Paulo, Pernambuco and Minas Gerais, respectively. These courses were created by request from the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Institute of National Historic and Artistic Heritage (Iphan) at the Governors' Meetings of 1970 and 1971. Demand for specialized professionals increased, motivated by the Program of Historic Cities (PCH), and Iphan along with Universities became responsible for providing support for these studies. In the 1970s, a perceived shortage of professionals specialized in cultural heritage at various levels justified offering the courses, which were an important forum for discussions on preservation practice and theory. By gathering teachers and students with different backgrounds and experiences, the courses (consisting of lectures, activities, field trips and final projects presented to a board of examiners) provided the specialists with a space to dialogue on the different preservation practices of the time.