A Companion to Museum Studies
Blackwell Companions in Cultural Studies
1. Edition March 2006
592 Pages, Hardcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
ISBN:
978-1-4051-0839-3
John Wiley & Sons
A Companion to Museum Studies captures the multidisciplinary
approach to the study of the development, roles, and significance
of museums in contemporary society.
* Collects first-rate original essays by leading figures from a
range of disciplines and theoretical stances, including
anthropology, art history, history, literature, sociology, cultural
studies, and museum studies
* Examines the complexity of the museum from cultural, political,
curatorial, historical and representational perspectives
* Covers traditional subjects, such as space, display, buildings,
objects and collecting, and more contemporary challenges such as
visiting, commerce, community and experimental exhibition
forms
List of Illustrations ix
Notes on Contributors xii
Acknowledgments xix
Bibliographical Note xx
1 Expanding Museum Studies: An Introduction 1
Sharon Macdonald
Part I Perspectives, Disciplines, Concepts 13
Introduction 14
2 Cultural Theory and Museum Studies 17
Rhiannon Mason
3 Sociology and the Social Aspects of Museums 33
Gordon Fyfe
4 Art History and Museology: Rendering the Visible Legible
50
Donald Preziosi
5 Museums and Anthropologies: Practices and Narratives 64
Anthony Alan Shelton
6 Collecting Practices 81
Sharon Macdonald
7 The Conundrum of Ephemerality: Time, Memory, and Museums
98
Susan A. Crane
Part II Histories, Heritage, Identities 111
Introduction 112
8 The Origins of the Public Museum 115
Jeffrey Abt
9 World Fairs and Museums 135
Robert W. Rydell
10 Making and Remaking National Identities 152
Flora Edouwaye S. Kaplan
11 Museums and Community 170
Elizabeth Crooke
12 Re-staging Histories and Identities 186
Rosmarie Beier-de Haan
13 Heritage 198
Steven Hoelscher
Part III Architecture, Space, Media 219
Introduction 220
14 Museum Architecture: A Brief History 223
Michaela Giebelhausen
15 Insight versus Entertainment: Untimely Meditations on the
Architecture of Twentieth-century Art Museums 245
Vittorio Magnago Lampugnani
16 Civic Seeing: Museums and the Organization of Vision
263
Tony Bennett
17 Space Syntax: The Language of Museum Space 282
Bill Hillier and Kali Tzortzi
18 New Media 302
Michelle Henning
Part IV Visitors, Learning, Interacting 319
Introduction 320
19 Living in a Learning Society: Museums and Free-choice
Learning 323
John H. Falk, Lynn D. Dierking, and Marianna Adams
20 Museum Education 340
George E. Hein
21 Interactivity: Thinking Beyond 353
Andrea Witcomb
22 Studying Visitors 362
Eilean Hooper-Greenhill
Part V Globalization, Profession, Practice 377
Introduction 378
23 Globalization: Incorporating the Museum 381
Mark W. Rectanus
24 Cultural Economics 398
Bruno S. Frey and Stephan Meier
25 The Museum Profession 415
Patrick J. Boylan
26 Museum Ethics 431
Tristram Besterman
27 Museum Practice: Legal Issues 442
Patty Gerstenblith
28 Non-Western Models of Museums and Curation in Cross-cultural
Perspective 457
Christina Kreps
Part VI Culture Wars, Transformations, Futures 473
Introduction 474
29 Incivilities in Civil(-ized) Places: "Culture Wars" in
Comparative Perspective 477
Steven C. Dubin
30 Science Museums and the Culture Wars 494
Steven Conn
31 Postmodern Restructurings 509
Nick Prior
32 Exposing the Public 525
Mieke Bal
33 The Future of the Museum 543
Charles Saumarez Smith
Index 555
Notes on Contributors xii
Acknowledgments xix
Bibliographical Note xx
1 Expanding Museum Studies: An Introduction 1
Sharon Macdonald
Part I Perspectives, Disciplines, Concepts 13
Introduction 14
2 Cultural Theory and Museum Studies 17
Rhiannon Mason
3 Sociology and the Social Aspects of Museums 33
Gordon Fyfe
4 Art History and Museology: Rendering the Visible Legible
50
Donald Preziosi
5 Museums and Anthropologies: Practices and Narratives 64
Anthony Alan Shelton
6 Collecting Practices 81
Sharon Macdonald
7 The Conundrum of Ephemerality: Time, Memory, and Museums
98
Susan A. Crane
Part II Histories, Heritage, Identities 111
Introduction 112
8 The Origins of the Public Museum 115
Jeffrey Abt
9 World Fairs and Museums 135
Robert W. Rydell
10 Making and Remaking National Identities 152
Flora Edouwaye S. Kaplan
11 Museums and Community 170
Elizabeth Crooke
12 Re-staging Histories and Identities 186
Rosmarie Beier-de Haan
13 Heritage 198
Steven Hoelscher
Part III Architecture, Space, Media 219
Introduction 220
14 Museum Architecture: A Brief History 223
Michaela Giebelhausen
15 Insight versus Entertainment: Untimely Meditations on the
Architecture of Twentieth-century Art Museums 245
Vittorio Magnago Lampugnani
16 Civic Seeing: Museums and the Organization of Vision
263
Tony Bennett
17 Space Syntax: The Language of Museum Space 282
Bill Hillier and Kali Tzortzi
18 New Media 302
Michelle Henning
Part IV Visitors, Learning, Interacting 319
Introduction 320
19 Living in a Learning Society: Museums and Free-choice
Learning 323
John H. Falk, Lynn D. Dierking, and Marianna Adams
20 Museum Education 340
George E. Hein
21 Interactivity: Thinking Beyond 353
Andrea Witcomb
22 Studying Visitors 362
Eilean Hooper-Greenhill
Part V Globalization, Profession, Practice 377
Introduction 378
23 Globalization: Incorporating the Museum 381
Mark W. Rectanus
24 Cultural Economics 398
Bruno S. Frey and Stephan Meier
25 The Museum Profession 415
Patrick J. Boylan
26 Museum Ethics 431
Tristram Besterman
27 Museum Practice: Legal Issues 442
Patty Gerstenblith
28 Non-Western Models of Museums and Curation in Cross-cultural
Perspective 457
Christina Kreps
Part VI Culture Wars, Transformations, Futures 473
Introduction 474
29 Incivilities in Civil(-ized) Places: "Culture Wars" in
Comparative Perspective 477
Steven C. Dubin
30 Science Museums and the Culture Wars 494
Steven Conn
31 Postmodern Restructurings 509
Nick Prior
32 Exposing the Public 525
Mieke Bal
33 The Future of the Museum 543
Charles Saumarez Smith
Index 555
"This account captures a fresh, multi-disciplinary approach to the
study of the development, roles, and significance of museums in our
society. It expands museum studies and presents a wide range of
theoretical perspectives. The essays examine the complexity of the
museum from cultural, political governance, curatorial, historical,
and representational perspectives, Sharon Macdonald is the author
and Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of
Manchester." (Neopoprealism Journal, 24 November 2011)
"The collection is not primarily a compendium of the work
of ethnographers. The group of scholars Macdonald brought together
reflects the current makeup of museum studies as an
interdisciplinary endeavor." (Museum Anthropology,
April 2009)
A Choice Outstanding Academic Title for
2007
"Required reading for museum professionals and scholars in
museum studies, art and cultural history, sociology of art, and
anthropology ... The text is rich in information and diverse in
perspectives; it both introduces and complicates in an intriguing
and necessary way what we 'know' about museums ... Essential."
(Choice)
"This is a wonderfully comprehensive collection of essays,
offering diverse perspectives, covering all aspects of the museum
profession, and addressing contemporary and historical discourse
... It really is the best compendium I've read in
years." (Museums Australia)
"No one is better qualified than Sharon Macdonald to create
this definitive companion to museum studies. The field has not only
come of age but has also burgeoned in all directions. How wise then
to capture the vibrancy of its interdisciplinarity by assembling
the work of a veritable who's who of museum studies. Each
voice is at once distinct and in dialogue and debate with others. A
vital text for the field."
-Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, New York
University
"A Companion to Museum Studies is an indispensable
guide to what has come to be called 'the New
Museology.' This set of papers by some of the most
distinguished scholars of museums examines museums, displays and
exhibits from the perspectives of different disciplines. No one
attempting to study or teach about museums will be able to do
without this aptly named Companion. It will be both guide
and landmark in museum studies for years to come."
-Ivan Karp, Emory University
study of the development, roles, and significance of museums in our
society. It expands museum studies and presents a wide range of
theoretical perspectives. The essays examine the complexity of the
museum from cultural, political governance, curatorial, historical,
and representational perspectives, Sharon Macdonald is the author
and Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of
Manchester." (Neopoprealism Journal, 24 November 2011)
"The collection is not primarily a compendium of the work
of ethnographers. The group of scholars Macdonald brought together
reflects the current makeup of museum studies as an
interdisciplinary endeavor." (Museum Anthropology,
April 2009)
A Choice Outstanding Academic Title for
2007
"Required reading for museum professionals and scholars in
museum studies, art and cultural history, sociology of art, and
anthropology ... The text is rich in information and diverse in
perspectives; it both introduces and complicates in an intriguing
and necessary way what we 'know' about museums ... Essential."
(Choice)
"This is a wonderfully comprehensive collection of essays,
offering diverse perspectives, covering all aspects of the museum
profession, and addressing contemporary and historical discourse
... It really is the best compendium I've read in
years." (Museums Australia)
"No one is better qualified than Sharon Macdonald to create
this definitive companion to museum studies. The field has not only
come of age but has also burgeoned in all directions. How wise then
to capture the vibrancy of its interdisciplinarity by assembling
the work of a veritable who's who of museum studies. Each
voice is at once distinct and in dialogue and debate with others. A
vital text for the field."
-Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, New York
University
"A Companion to Museum Studies is an indispensable
guide to what has come to be called 'the New
Museology.' This set of papers by some of the most
distinguished scholars of museums examines museums, displays and
exhibits from the perspectives of different disciplines. No one
attempting to study or teach about museums will be able to do
without this aptly named Companion. It will be both guide
and landmark in museum studies for years to come."
-Ivan Karp, Emory University
Sharon Macdonald is Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Manchester. Her books include Theorizing Museums (edited with Gordon Fyfe, Blackwell 1996), Reimagining Culture (1997), The Politics of Display (ed., 1998), Behind the Scenes at the Science Museum (2002), and Exhibition Experiments (edited with Paul Basu, Blackwell 2007).
