There are 34 state-supported historic sites that are managed by the Texas
Historical Commission (THC) and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).
These sites have been acquired over the years with various justifications and acquisition
histories and are not a planned system of historic sites. With the rapidly changing
demographics in Texas, it is clear that new strategies need to be developed so that these
sites better represent the history of all Texans. The thesis investigation begins with a
history of diversity initiatives within the preservation movement. Next, I present an
innovative method for identifying potential areas of focus for diversity initiatives at state
historic sites using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). I developed a spatial analysis
methodology to quantify the level of diversity of the web content of each of the 34 state
historic sites. Each historic site’s web site was then ranked according to its relevance to
four ethnic groups: African Americans, Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans.
Additionally, I generated population maps, descriptive maps, and analytical maps in order
to understand how historic sites interact with the surrounding population. Finally, I
present a set of strategies for existing state historic sites that will provide greater diversity
in interpretative techniques and promotion. The goal of the GIS-based spatial analysis
and the subsequent development of strategies aimed at targeted sites is to broaden the
appeal of historic sites to a more diverse audience. / text
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UTEXAS/oai:repositories.lib.utexas.edu:2152/ETD-UT-2011-05-3600 |
| Date | 07 July 2011 |
| Creators | McKnight, Kimberly Anne |
| Source Sets | University of Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
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