Canon formation

Cultural cannons – a selection of the best-known and most authoritative objects of cultural heritage – is not exactly the same for everybody or in all eras. The content changes. What belongs to the canon, or continues to be part of it, is not only dependent on the quality of culture or public taste. The content is also determined by the historical, social and political context. The selection of heritage and the value attributed to this is therefore closely associated with the social position and interests of those who determine the canon. An important question is the influence of political power and social status on canon formation and with this on the formation of national identities.