It is not an everyday event for an artwork in a museum or gallery to be harmed deliberately by a member of the public. Such acts of iconoclasm do occur more regularly than many people might assume though, and when attacks take place the repercussions can be serious. This thesis examines the ways in which cultural institutions react to this phenomenon, investigating how responses could be improved to tackle it more effectively. The first chapter establishes the context to the discussion by categorising and rationalising the various motives behind iconoclastic crimes. The next chapter concentrates on historical trends of response, using the case of the suffragette iconoclasts to illuminate reactions from across society, before assessing the effects of their endurance. The third chapter broaches new ground in the field of prevention by exploring the access and education approach: a means of forestalling destructive compulsions among the public by promoting engagement with cultural institutions and works of art. The fourth chapter looks at security enhancement: the more traditional answer to iconoclastic offences. It evaluates the options open to museums from a defensive standpoint, but it also discusses the wider impact of implementation on accessibility. The final chapter presents the findings of a postal survey of 250 British museums and galleries undertaken in 2006. The purpose of the survey was to gauge the current nature and extent of the problem, and to determine how contemporary museum professionals deal with it. Although some cultural institutions respond to iconoclasm with considered, sustainable and effective tactics, others would be wise to revise their conduct. This thesis concludes that while instances of iconoclasm will never be eradicated from galleries completely, the threat could be curbed significantly if the museum sector was to make a concerted effort to study its own responses and introduce necessary changes.

What is the work of the Durban Holocaust Centre museum educators and how are they shaping Holocaust education there? These questions provided the impetus for this study. Education about the Holocaust has been included in curricula not only in South African schools but in various countries around the world. The reasons for this extends beyond the hard historical facts and figures and go to the heart of a human search for meaning and the desire to promote democracy and human rights in society. The Holocaust was an event in which millions of Jewish men, women and children were murdered as well other ethnic groups. The dilemmas they faced and the decisions taken at that time differentiated the participants into victims, perpetrators, bystanders and upstanders. In the years since the end of World War II, people have strived to extract meaning from those events and to teach it to new generations in order to create a better world - a world in which bullying, racial and ethnic taunts and tensions, violence, discrimination against minorities and strangers, and genocide still occur. The findings show that as in other places in the world, this is the educational focus at the DHC. Teaching the history and events is the bedrock on which this social Holocaust education rests but it takes second place in the educational programme to this social goal. The findings show the local context for this learning is significant and that apartheid, racism and xenophobia all underpin the museum educators' educational philosophies while mother-tongue language moulds their teaching strategies. The museum educators play a pivotal role in presenting the educational programme and in so doing shaping the Holocaust for the visiting learners and teachers. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2011.

This thesis considers exhibitions in natural history museums as a process of negotiation between three parties: the museum as an institution, the museum staff, and the visitors. These represent different interests that shape exhibitions relating to nature. The thesis asks the following main question: In what way do discourses play a role in the staff’s work within natural history museums? The empirical sources are based on interviews conducted with staffmembers from eight different natural history museums: six in Austria and two in Norway. The interviews are analysed based on the principles of discourse psychology and critical discourse analysis. The theoretical framework is based on postmodernism as a reaction and countermovement to modernism. Kant’s theory of knowledge, the concept of representation and discourse theory are considered in relation to one another and form an ontological departure for the epistemology. The methodology combines critical discourse analysis and discourse psychology as applied to conversational text. The discourse analysis reveals different discourses concerning the museum as institution, professional museum staff, and the visitors. The thesis concludes that the museum as institution is characterised by a knowledge culture/tradition that was particularly substantiated during the Enlightenment. In turn, the knowledge tradition is characterised by discourse that places expectations regarding the procedures of the employee, but also through the visitors’ expectations as to what a museumis and what the exhibitions provide them with. The employees meet the museum understood as discourse through mainly three different strategies for how exhibitions should function. I call these strategies ‘action promotion’, ‘communication focus’ and ‘political context’. In this way, the identities and actions of the employees depend considerably on their personal relationship to the museum as a concept and discourse, as well as to the visitors’ presumptions, expectations and experiences concerning museums. / Diese Master-Arbeit betrachtet die Ausstellung eines naturgeschichtlichen Museums als Ergebnis eines Verhandlungsprozesses zwischen drei Parteien mit unterschiedlichen Interessen: dem Museumspersonal, dem Museum als Institution sowie dem Publikum. Die Hauptfragestellung der Arbeit lautet: In welcher Weise spielen Diskurse in der Arbeit derwissenschaftlichen Angestellten naturgeschichtlicher Museen eine Rolle? Der theoretische Rahmen der Arbeit basiert auf dem Postmodernismus als einer Reaktion auf und Gegenbewegung zum Modernismus. Kants Erkenntnistheorie, das Konzept der Repräsentation sowie die Diskurstheorie bilden zusammen die ontologische Grundlage der Epistemologie. Die Methodologie kombiniert gesprächsbezogene kritische Diskursanalyse und Diskurspsychologie. Das empirische Material besteht aus Interviews mit wissenschaftlichen Angestellten acht naturgeschichtlicher Museen, davon sechs in Österreich und zwei in Norwegen. Die Diskursanalyse deckt unterschiedliche Diskurse hinsichtlich des Museums als Institution, der wissenschaftlichen Angestellten sowie des Publikums auf. Die Arbeit schlussfolgert, dass das Museum als Institution von einer Wissenskultur gekennzeichnet ist, die insbesondere in der Zeit der Aufklärung begründet ist. Diese Kultur ist insofern diskursgeprägt, als dass sie bestimmte Erwartungen an die Arbeit des Museumspersonals beinhaltet, aber auch durch die Erwartungen des Publikums an ein Museum und seine Ausstellungen. Die Angestellten nähern sich dem Museum als Diskurs, in dem sie hauptsächlich drei verschiedene Strategien im Hinblick auf die Funktion von Ausstellungen verfolgen: Inspiration zu eigenständigem Handeln (”Handlungspromotion”),auf das Publikum zugeschnittene Kommunikation (”Kommunikationsfokus”) sowie Einbeziehung politischen Kontexts. Insofern hängen Identität und Handeln der Angestellten stark von ihrer persönlichen Beziehung zum Museum als Konzept und Diskurs ab, ebenso wie von ihren Annahmen bezüglich der Erwartungen des Publikums und dessen Erfahrungen mit Museen.

This dissertation critically analyses New Zealand’s National Museum Te Papa Tongarewa. Since it opened in 1998, Te Papa, arguably the world’s foremost exponent of the ‘new museology’, has been popularly and critically supported for its innovations in the areas of popular accessibility, bicultural history, and Maori-government management arrangements. As the first in-depth study of Te Papa, I examine and problematise these claims to exceptionality. In producing an analysis that locates the museum within cultural, political, economic and museological contexts, I examine how the museum’s particular institutional program develop, and point to limitations in its policy and practice.

Thesis (Kandidatspeciale / MA)--Institute of Anthropology, University of Copenhagen. / Title from screen page; viewed 25 July 2005. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print format.

Zugl.: Halle, Univ., Diss., 2005

Το σύγχρονο μουσείο επιχειρεί ένα άνοιγμα στην κοινωνία με εκθέσεις, σεμινάρια, διάφορες εκδηλώσεις κλπ. Η μορφωτική αποστολή του μουσείου για την κοινωνία εκφράζεται μέσω των εκπαιδευτικών προγραμμάτων. Στην παρούσα έρευνα μελετάται ο λόγος των γραπτών κειμένων των εκπαιδευτικών προγραμμάτων έντεκα ιστορικών και λαογραφικών μουσείων της Αθήνας, που εκπονήθηκαν κατά τη σχολική χρονιά (2009-2010), ως προς την ιδεολογική κατεύθυνση. Επιχειρούμε να διαπιστώσουμε αν τα μουσεία εξακολουθούν, μέσω των εκπαιδευτικών τους προγραμμάτων, να επιτελούν ιδεολογικές λειτουργίες που συμβάλλουν στη δημιουργία εθνικής ταυτότητας, στην εγχάραξη εθνικής συνείδησης και στον προσδιορισμό και την οριοθέτηση της εθνικής μνήμης. Η αρχική μας υπόθεση ότι το μουσείο δεν είναι ένας αξιολογικά ουδέτερος χώρος, αλλά αντανακλά τις αντιλήψεις και τα χαρακτηριστικά γνωρίσματα της κοινωνίας μέσα στην οποία λειτουργεί, επιβεβαιώθηκε με την μεθοδολογική προσέγγιση της ανάλυσης περιεχομένου. Το θεωρητικό υπόβαθρο για την ερμηνεία των αποτελεσμάτων της έρευνας έδωσε η νεομαρξιστική θεωρία του Αλτουσέρ, σύμφωνα με την οποία τα μουσεία είναι μέρος του ιδεολογικού μηχανισμού του κράτους. / The modern museum attempts an opening to the society with exhibitions, seminars, several festivals displays e.t.c. The educational mission of the museum for the society is expressed through the educational programs. The literary value of the written texts of the educational programs of eleven historical and folklore museums of Athens, is studied in the current research, that was worked out during the school season (2009-2010), as far as the ideological direction is concerned. We attempt to ascertain if the museums, through their educational programs, continue to fulfill the ideological functions that contribute to the creation of a national identity, to the deep impression of a national consciousness and to the definition and foundation of a national memory. Our initial supposition that the museum is not of neutral value place, but reflects the conceptions and the special features of the society in which it functions, was confirmed by the methological process of analyzing the contents. The theoretical base for the interprentance of the results of this research was given by the Altousher’s neomarxist theory. According to this theory the museums are part of the ideological mechanism of the state.

This study examines a project carried out by Stockholms stadsmuseum in the area of Östberga in Stockholm called Stadsmuseet på plats – Östberga. Interviews with museum personnel and analysis of documents related to the project make up the material for this study. The theory used is The Contextual Model of Learning, which in this study is adjusted to apply a museum-centered perspective rather than a visitor-centered one. The aim is to examine the intentions behind this type of outreach work and how it relates to the concept of the socially responsible museum. This concept is an expression of the development of the museum towards a visitor-centered, democratic and inclusive institution. It also includes a political idea, primarily in a British context, of the museum as a vehicle for positive social change. This study shows that Stadsmuseet på plats – Östberga is connected to larger political goals within the municipality regarding a sustainable social development. The museum’s intentions behind the project combines a regard for the local development of Östberga, with the fulfillment of internal institutional goals relating to audience development, development of museum collections, and creating an inclusive cultural heritage that represents every part of Stockholm. This is a two years master’s thesis in Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies.

This dissertation examines the history of the Durban Art Gallery from its founding in 1892 until 2004, a decade after the First Democratic Election. While the emphasis is on significant changes that were introduced in the post-1994 period, the earlier section of the study locates these initiatives within a broad historical framework. The collecting policies of the museum as well as its exhibitions and programmes are considered in the light of the institution 's changing social and political context as well as shifting imperatives within a local, regional and national art world. The Durban Art Gallery was established in order to promote a European, and particularly British, culture, and the acquisition and appreciation of art was considered an important element in the formation of a stable society. By providing a broad overview of the early years of the gallery, I identify reasons for the choice of acquisitions and explore the impact and reception of a selection of exhibitions. I investigate changes during the 1960s and 1970s through an examination of the Art South Africa Today exhibitions: in addition to opening up institutional spaces to a racially mixed community, these exhibitions marked the beginning of an imperative to show protest art. I argue that, during the political climate of the 1980s, there was a tension in the cultural arena between, on the one hand, a motivation to retain a Western ideal of 'high art' and, on the other, a drive to accommodate the new forms of people's art and to challenge the values and ideological standpoints that had been instrumental in shaping collecting and exhibiting policies in the South African art arena. I explore this tension through a discussion of the Cape Town Triennial exhibitions, organised jointly by all the official museums, which ran alongside more inclusive and independently curated exhibitions, such as Tributaries, which were shown mainly outside the country. The post-1994 period marked an opening up of spaces, both literally and conceptually. This openness was manifest in the revised strategies that were introduced to show the Durban Art Gallery 's permanent collection as well as in two key public projects that were started - Red Eye @rt and the AIDS 2000 ribbon. Through an examination of these strategies and initiatives, I argue that the central role of the Durban Art Gallery has shifted from being a repository to providing an interactive public space.

Submitted by ANA MARIA MINICI MIRIO null (anamirio@bol.com.br) on 2016-10-11T18:10:19Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Ana_Mirio dissert final.pdf: 6720046 bytes, checksum: d1795baa94ed4d0ec2e08605ca3e4cff (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Juliano Benedito Ferreira (julianoferreira@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-10-14T17:40:35Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 mirio_amm_me_ia.pdf: 6720046 bytes, checksum: d1795baa94ed4d0ec2e08605ca3e4cff (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-14T17:40:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 mirio_amm_me_ia.pdf: 6720046 bytes, checksum: d1795baa94ed4d0ec2e08605ca3e4cff (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-08-22 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Diante do crescente destaque do processo da mediação cultural no contexto das instituições museológicas brasileiras, as questões relativas à formação do educador/mediador, que é o profissional responsável por estabelecer este processo, adquiriu uma distinta importância. Trabalhando como educadora/mediadora em diversas instituições culturais desde 1997, com passagens também como professora do ensino formal, a autora pretendeu apresentar um trabalho relatando sua experiência como professora do curso Técnico em Museologia, na ETEC/Parque da Juventude, responsável pelos componentes curriculares “Mediação em Museus” e “Laboratório de Práticas de Mediação em Museus”. Com o objetivo de elencar os assuntos e as estratégias pedagógicas que poderiam contribuir para uma maior qualificação do profissional Técnico em Museologia, os questionamentos surgidos a respeito dos temas teóricos e práticos, a forma de apresentação e articulação entre eles, além da sua adequação aos profissionais que irão desempenhar seu trabalho em museus de diferentes tipologias, foram os principais desafios para a elaboração do plano de aulas, colocado em prática ao longo do segundo semestre de 2013 até o segundo semestre do ano de 2015. O trabalho relatado foi desenvolvido com cinco turmas atendidas no período especificado e aborda as quatro vertentes práticas desenvolvidas, a saber: temas das aulas - teoria e prática- e a bibliografia sugerida; parcerias com instituições culturais, orientação dos trabalhos de conclusão de curso e palestras com profissionais da área da Educação em Museus. / Given the increasing empashis put on the cultural mediation process in the context of Brazilian museological institutions, the questions relative to the training of the educator/mediator; that is, the professional responsible for establishing the mediation process; acquired a distinct importance. Working as an educator/mediator in a multitude of cultural institutions since 1997, and having worked, also, as a formal education teacher, the author intended to present a paper portraying her experience as a teacher in the Technical course of Museology, at ETEC/Parque da Juventude, responsible for the curricular components Mediation in Museums and Laboratory of Mediation Practices in Museums. In order to list the subjects and pedagogical strategies that could contribute to a larger qualification of the professional museology technician, the questions arisen about the topics, both theoretical and practical, the form of presentation and articulation between them, as well as its suitability to the professionals that will perform their work in museums of different typologies, were the main challenges regarding the formulation of a lesson plan, put in practice from the second semester of 2013 to the second semester of the year 2015. The work reported was developed alongside five classes tended to during the specified period and covers four practical lines formulated, the themes of each lesson - theoretical and practical - and the suggested bibliography; the partnerships with cultural institutions, the orientation of course completion assignments and the lectures with professionals from the Education in Museums field.