This thesis presents three main arguments. First, that curating in national museums is a process of meaning making and that the exhibitionary meaning is situated in and mediated by culture, thus, the products of curatorial work, i.e. the exhibitionary complexes are complex political and cultural constructions. Second, that the exhibitionary complexes final visual outcome, i.e. the exhibitionary complexes images and texts result in the presentation of mythological constructs of Byzantium as the only truth to their audiences. Third, that what is finally communicated through the presentation of mythological constructs of Byzantium is national identity and dominant cultural values. The latter is effected through the representation of the Byzantine Empire as part of the identity of the dominant cultural group of the country to which each national museum belongs. National identity is communicated through the exhibitionary complexes, either by suggesting historical continuity of the contemporary national identity of a country s dominant cultural group through Byzantium, as in the case of the Greek national museums, or by undermining the very idea that Byzantine history, European history and British history are so very different, as in the case of the British Museum. Both interpretations are culturally constructed realities . The above approaches are explained through the investigation of exhibitionary meaning around Byzantium, by identifying and analysing the nature and cultural functions of the presuppositions that are involved in each museum s curatorial practices. These presuppositions are the cultural ideas, values and beliefs of the involved dominant cultural groups on Byzantium and on their own identity. My identification and analysis of these presuppositions includes research on the historical, political and cultural context of each museum, the culturally accepted history and art history literature of each country on Byzantium, as well as research on museum archives. By explaining and using the curatorial concepts of democratisation and demystification , adopted and adapted to the practices of the museums under study, and by analysing the British and Greek interpretations of Byzantium, which make themselves apparent in the images and texts of the British and Greek exhibitionary complexes , I provide a cultural account of the making of exhibitionary meaning, explaining contemporary perceptions of Byzantium, its use in identity making and its relation to national politics. By doing this, I also explain the implications of those presuppositions to the making of exhibitionary meaning, and I provide an explanation of how and why the power system of the exhibitionary complex is still in play although we are shifting into the era of the Democratic museum (Fleming, 2008). The concluding remarks of the thesis include suggestions for the further development of the curatorial practices of democratisation and demystification.

Les technologies de l’information et de la communication (TIC) occupent une place importante dans les débats publics sénégalais. En outre, elles semblent être au centre des préoccupations des dirigeants de ce pays, car les espoirs qu’elles suscitent dans le domaine de l’éducation sont assez nombreux. Mais, l’introduction des TIC dans les lycées soulève également des interrogations de la part des chercheurs et des acteurs éducatifs quant à leurs usages. Cette thèse porte sur les pratiques numériques des lycéens. L’objectif que nous poursuivons est de comprendre dans quelle mesure les usages des TIC peuvent leur permettre de s’approprier des savoirs. Ici, comprendre c’est, s’intéresser aux représentations, aux connaissances et aux compétences qui impliquent l’usage des outils informatisés, mais aussi aux sens des usages. La question des usages des TIC par les élèves suscite un intérêt particulier auprès des chercheurs de certaines disciplines, particulièrement ceux de la sociologie des usages, des sciences cognitives et des sciences de l’éducation. Ainsi, nous avons privilégié une approche théorique pluridisciplinaire et une pluralité méthodologique (le questionnaire, l’observation directe et l’entretien d’explicitation) en ayant recours à des outils spécifiques pour recueillir les données (dictaphone, notes, captures d’écrans). L’analyse a permis de voir que ces usagers-apprenants s’approprient les technologies numériques à des fins d’apprentissage et a mis en relief le « versant sombre » de leurs pratiques. Partant des données obtenues nous proposons quelques pistes de réflexion pour une intégration optimale des TIC dans les pratiques d’enseignement et d’apprentissage. / Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are central to Senegalese public debates. Moreover, the leaders of this country view them as very advantageous to education. However, their introduction in high schools raises a lot of questions from both researchers and educators as regards their usage. This study is about digital practices of high school students Our aim is to understand the extent to which the use of ICTs can enable them to acquire knowledge. Understanding in this regard implies looking at the perceptions, knowledge and skills related to the use of computerized tools, but also the meanings of this usage. The use of ICTs by pupils is also of particular interest to researchers in the fields of humanities and social sciences, especially those in the sociology, cognitive sciences and education areas. Thus, in order to better define the subject, this study used a multidisciplinary theoretical approach and a plural methodology (questionnaires, direct observation and interviews) as well as specific tools (voice-recorder, notes and screenshots) to collect data during two field investigations that were conducted in Dakar secondary schools (from March to April 2013 and November to December 2015). The analysis revealed that these learner-users use digital technologies for learning purposes but also highlighted the "dark side" of their practices. On the basis of the data obtained, we also suggest ways in which ICTs can be optimally integrated in teaching and learning practices.