A Fiddle for Everyone? : Municipal Level Decision Making and the UNESCO Process in Kaustinen, Finland

Abstract

This chapter examines the local-level implications of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) through the case of Kaustinen fiddle playing in Western Finland, inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List in 2021. Drawing on municipal council and executive minutes (2016–2023) and regional media coverage, the study investigates how the UNESCO process influenced cultural policy, political discourse, and decision-making in the small municipality of Kaustinen. It demonstrates how the ICH nomination reshaped local governance by introducing new heritage-related vocabulary, particularly the concept of living heritage, into municipal strategies and debates. While the conservative Centre Party and populist Finns Party initially diverged in their attitudes toward cultural funding, both eventually adopted the symbolic and economic potential of the UNESCO label. The analysis shows how intangible heritage became a site of negotiation for political legitimacy, economic development, and identity-making at the local level. By tracing these discursive and policy transformations, the chapter reveals how global heritage frameworks are locally appropriated, producing both empowerment and contestation in rural political arenas. Ultimately, the Kaustinen case highlights how ICH listings can function as instruments of municipal branding, cultural politics, and populist adaptation beyond their intended safeguarding aims.