Proxemic communication code in the representation of cultural landscape of Italy in the UNESCO world heritage list of humanity

Abstract

The article studies ethno-specific characteristics of Italian cultural landscapes nominated for the UNESCO World Heritage List as representatives of national cultural identity and as symbols of the proxemic communicative code in international cultural diplomacy. The author examines the evolution of the concept of “cultural landscape” in scientific discourse and UNESCO documents, as well as the classifications of cultural landscapes developed by Russian scientists F.N. Milkov, Y.A. Vedenin, and V.N. Kalutskov. Based on the ethnological-geographical approach, the author hypothesizes that the cultural landscapes nominated by Italy can serve as symbolic topoi of national culture, transmitting concepts of national identity through the proxemic communicative code. The article contributes to the study of the role of cultural landscapes in the formation and representation of national identity. The author analyzes landscape descriptions, classifies them according to N.F. Milkov’s typology, and identifies two main topoi of national culture: mountain-sea and mountain landscapes. The study shows that the transformative method of interaction with nature is leading for the Italian national community, while associativity and the presence of signssymbols of the national cultural code determine the significance of landscapes in the global cultural context. The article contributes to the understanding of the role of cultural landscapes in the formation and transmission of national identity.

References

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