Museum Philosophy for the Twenty-First Century

by Hugh H. Genoways (Editor), Robert R. Archibald (Contribution by), Patrick J. Boylan (Contribution by), David Carr (Contribution by), Christy S. Coleman (Contribution by)

Overview

What underlying philosophy and mission should museums pursue in the first half of the twenty-first century? In Museum Philosophy, twenty-four authors use the lenses of a variety of disciplines to answer this essential question. Museum professionals offer their answers alongside philosophers, historians, political scientists, educators, sociologists, and others in a wide-ranging exploration of institutions from art museums to zoos. Hugh Genoway's book offers philosophical and ethical guidelines, describes the ways specific institutions illustrate different philosophies, examines major divisions in the museum community, and explores outreach and engagement between the museum and its larger community. Both established museum professionals and students of museum studies will benefit from this insightful look into the foundations and future of their field.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780759114258
Publisher:	AltaMira Press
Publication date:	06/08/2006
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	310
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Hugh H. Genoways is Professor of Museum Studies and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has co-written Museum Administration with Lynne M. Ireland, published by AltaMira Press in 2003. He is also the editor of Collections: A Journal for Museum and Archives Professionals.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 1. Assuming Responsibility: Lessons from Aesthetics
Chapter 3 2. Mind as Verb
Chapter 4 3. The Museum: Where Civilizations Clash or Clash Civilizes?
Chapter 5 4. Legal and Ethical Considerations in Museum Acquisitions
Chapter 6 5. Connection, Recollection, and Museum Missions
Chapter 7 6. Museums and Restlessness
Chapter 8 7. Philosophy and the Ends of the Museum
Chapter 9 8. The Moral Obligations Incumbent upon Institutions, Administrators, and Directors in Maintaining and Caring for Museum Collections
Chapter 10 9. As Long as the Grass Will Grow: My Teaching Philosophy
Chapter 11 10. Science Centres: Creating a Platform for Twenty-first Century Innovation
Chapter 12 11. Renewing the Social Contract at Berkeley
Chapter 13 12. Museums and (In)Justice
Chapter 14 13. Open Minds: Inclusive Practice
Chapter 15 14. Africal American Museums in the Twenty-first Century
Chapter 16 15. Learning by Looking: The Future of Museums
Chapter 17 16. A Plea for Silence: Putting Art back into the Art Museum
Chapter 18 17. Values, Advocacy, and Science: Toward an Empirical Philosophy for Zoo and Aquarium Leadership
Chapter 19 18. Current Trends in Governance and Management of Museums in Europe
Chapter 20 19. To Members of the Museum Profession
Chapter 21 20. The Power of Museum Pedagogy
Chapter 22 21. Defining Our Museum Audience: An Extraordinary Opportunity
Chapter 23 22. How Can Museums Attract Visitors in the Twenty-first Century?
Chapter 24 23. Community Choices, Museum Concerns
Chapter 25 Brief Biographical Sketches of Contributors

Editorial Reviews

This volume offers a rich feast of essays about museums of all kinds and from every point of view. In our rapidly changing society, the role of every kind of institution needs reexamination and reevaluation. For those concerned with museums and their future, valuable help will be obtained from the thoughtful and often provocative perspectives offered here. Both theoretical and practical, they should be considered carefully by all those interested in enriching our cultural and scientific future.

Peter H. Raven

Hugh Genoways has assembled an all-star cast of some of today's most courageous thinkers in the museum world to ponder where our institututions are heading. Taken together, their essays offer a diverse set of opinions, often provocative, always intelligent. This book is essential reading for those of us who care about museums' integrity, promise, and future.

Marjorie Schwarzer

Hugh Genoways has engaged national and international proponents of museological theory and practice to address a range of topics that will benefit museum personnel as they prepare for the challenges and opportunities of the twenty-first century. This is a book that should be read with a keen eye toward the expanding roles and responsibilities of museums in the new millennium.

Gary Edson

In the interest of stimulating healthy debate, essays were solicited from contributors representing both museum professionals working in a wide variety of museums, as well as scholars who write about museums but work in other disciplines, to provide an outside perspective. Adding a further layer of diversity, authors represent a number of different countries, whose approaches represent a variety of philosophies. I found myself doing a lot of scribbling of musings in the margins as I read — always a sign of a book that provokes gut reactions and stimulates thought... This book would undoubtedly be a useful addition to the library of any museum professional, and a springboard for discussion and debate in any course on contemporary museum practice.

Dee Stubbs-Lee

Hugh Genoways has engaged national and international proponents of museological theory and practice to address a range of topics that will benefit museum personnel as they prepare for the challenges and opportunities of the twenty-first century. This is a book that should be read with a keen eye toward the expanding roles and responsibilities of museums in the new millennium.--Gary Edson, Executive Director, Museum of Texas Tech University

This volume offers a rich feast of essays about museums of all kinds and from every point of view. In our rapidly changing society, the role of every kind of institution needs reexamination and reevaluation. For those concerned with museums and their future, valuable help will be obtained from the thoughtful and often provocative perspectives offered here. Both theoretical and practical, they should be considered carefully by all those interested in enriching our cultural and scientific future.--Peter H. Raven, President, Missouri Botanical Garden

Hugh Genoways has assembled an all-star cast of some of today's most courageous thinkers in the museum world to ponder where our institututions are heading. Taken together, their essays offer a diverse set of opinions, often provocative, always intelligent. This book is essential reading for those of us who care about museums' integrity, promise, and future.--Marjorie Schwarzer, Professor and Chair, Department of Museum Studies, John F. Kennedy University

From the Publisher