How Two Cities Taught Me to See the Past Differently

Editor’s Note: This blog was written as a retrospective by Nancy Yonglin Guan, a History & Archival Studies student, who participated in Dr. Goode’s Heritage, Culture, and Managing the Past in the Old World and the New course. This summer marked the eleventh year that the class has been offered to students to help them understand more broadly and dynamically the world of heritage preservation. The class is an exchange between CGU and their counterparts in Heritage Management and other disciplines at Bath Spa University.

Before enrolling in the Heritage, Culture, and Managing the Past in the Old World and the New course, I had a general idea of what to expect. Dr. Joshua Goode mentioned early on that this course would break away from the traditional classroom model. Instead, most sessions would take place offsite — at museums across Los Angeles and cultural landmarks like the Watts Towers.

I couldn’t have imagined just how immersive the experience would be, particularly during our second week, which took place in the historic city of Bath, England. While I had some background knowledge of the course’s themes, what I ended up learning challenged my assumptions and taught me that meaningful learning can — and often should — take place outside the four walls of a lecture hall.

Old World Meets New

What also made this course unique was its central comparative theme: examining how heritage and culture are managed in the “Old World” (Europe) versus the “New World” (America). This comparative framework helped me critically explore how different societies preserve, interpret, and present their past in museums and historic sites.
 

In Los Angeles, many of the cultural landscapes we visited were defined by urban development, concrete infrastructure, and often underfunded historical initiatives. By contrast, Bath presented a strikingly different context. Surrounded by elegant Georgian architecture and home to the World Heritage-designated Roman Baths, the city revealed how historical preservation can dominate a region’s identity — and tourism economy.

This side-by-side comparison brought to life the challenges and opportunities of heritage management in both new and old contexts, from grassroots preservation efforts in LA to institutionalized heritage in Bath.

Living Classrooms

Our site visits were the heart of the course. In Los Angeles, visiting the Watts Towers offered powerful insights into community-led preservation and the role of art in cultural memory. Another standout experience was our visit to the Gamble House in Pasadena — a landmark of the American Arts and Crafts movement. Exploring its carefully preserved interiors, we examined the intersection of design, domestic space, and cultural heritage, while also discussing how architecture can reflect broader social values and histories.

In Bath, our learning deepened through a series of immersive site visits. The Holburne Museum introduced us to issues of collecting and display, especially within the context of 18th- and 19th-century British imperialism. Beckford’s Tower sparked thoughtful discussion about wealth, legacy, and the problematic histories tied to colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade. At Fairfield House — once the home of Emperor Haile Selassie — we explored themes of exile, diaspora, and the living legacy of Black heritage in Britain. Each location offered a different lens through which to view how history is remembered, represented, and negotiated in the public sphere.
 

These places became “living classrooms,” where theory met practice and where the physical spaces themselves shaped our understanding. Whether analyzing architecture, curatorial choices, or the contested nature of memory, we were constantly challenged to think critically about how the past is managed in both local and global contexts.

Challenges and New Perspectives

One of the challenges I faced during the course was grappling with whose heritage is being preserved and whose is being excluded. In both LA and Bath, it became clear that managing the past is as much about power and representation as it is about conservation.

For instance, in LA, some marginalized communities fight to preserve their cultural sites despite lacking institutional support. Meanwhile, in Bath, heritage preservation often caters to tourism and elite historical narratives. This raised questions for me about authenticity, accessibility, and the politics of memory.

Through discussions, group projects, and personal reflection, I gained a deeper understanding of how heritage is used to shape identity and who gets to decide what stories are told.

Rethinking My Understanding

This course reshaped my understanding of education, heritage, and the role of place in shaping our perspectives. By moving beyond the traditional classroom and into the very environments we were studying, I saw how heritage is not static. It is actively negotiated, managed, and challenged.

The site visits were especially transformative. Whether standing beneath the handmade spires of the Watts Towers, exploring the intricate woodwork of the Gamble House, or reflecting on empire and memory at Beckford’s Tower and Fairfield House, I engaged with heritage in a tangible, embodied way. Each location challenged me to see the past not just as history, but as something that continues to influence the present—through architecture, narrative, policy, and identity.

Ultimately, Heritage, Culture, and Managing the Past in the Old World and the New taught me that the most meaningful learning happens when we step outside of the classroom and into the world. It’s there—in the museums, homes, towers, and streets—that we truly begin to understand the complexities of heritage and the responsibilities that come with interpreting and preserving it.

This class reflects CGU’s commitment to its international partnerships, especially as a founding member of the Global Academy of Liberal Arts (GALA) which began in 2014, the first year Prof. Goode led the class as a pillar of GALA’s alliance.