History 391WH - S-Social Resp in Museums

The purpose of this course is to explore how museums are increasing their relevancy in the 21st century by transforming themselves into agencies of social responsibility. Museums have traditionally accepted the values of the cultures that created and organized them, often a century ago, and have limited their collections, messages, and audiences to serve those values. In this course, we will examine the ways in which many of today's museums are moving beyond their original missions to become socially relevant institutions unafraid to discuss hard truths about the past, to engage in a dialogue with the public about how the past has shaped the present, and to imagine new futures. We will look at case studies of museum that accept the role of being the trusted place where people go to learn and to connect after a community or national trauma and address enduring social issues in new ways by serving as a neutral ground for dialogue about equity. Museums are living up to their responsibilities as ADA-compliant institutions by offering inclusive experiences for disabled persons, including those with learning, sensory, social, and cognitive disabilities. We will address underlying ethics and political issues, community participatory models, public reaction, funding, and the decision-making process.

This course is open to Senior, Junior, and Sophmore Commonwealth College students only. Non-honors sophomores, juniors and seniors may enroll with permission of instructor.