Anthropology 230 - Race and the American Museum

The museum stands as an institution that holds both cultural and social aspects of our past and present lives. The museum also functions as a symbol of power and truth. However, the potential that museums can act as agents of social change for some is a radical idea. Although many museums still value the process of collection, preservation and display, the need to broaden access and diversify their appeal has become essential for the museum?s survival. Through this course, we will begin by exploring ways that ?race? is represented in the context of the American museum. We will also interrogate the contentious relationship between exhibit curators, marginalized communities, historians, and archaeologists. We will then consider several specific museums and will pay close attention to how they are becoming sites of confrontation, experimentation, and debate through partnerships with descendant communities and other stakeholders.