Fifteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

The intercultural approach of the concept and role of cultural heritage through educational programs in schools reinforces students’ cultural identity. Knowledge concerning humans and nature such us nutritional traditions and practices of collecting, preparing, and consuming food, can give appropriate stimuli to cultivate children’s interest in cultural heritage. In this context, this study focuses on cultural heritage as a field of research by students in a primary school. Specifically, students are introduced to the content of cultural heritage approaching local varieties and their transformations in the framework of a project combining cross-thematic and intercultural examination. The local variety of “naxos citrus” is examined as an element of material and intangible cultural heritage and in particular the traditional local product, the “naxos citrus” liqueur, which is derived from it. The contribution of processed products of local varieties to the development of local economies is highlighted, as well as the history and culture of the local communities that created them. The project’s evaluation show students’ positive response to traditional knowledge and practices concerning nature, the development of their social and intercultural perception, the adoption of new attitudes towards the rural landscape as a cultural product and the awareness of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.