"A museum is a community service that displays and preserves objects of significance."
A study of the origins and evolution of museums, including their changing roles and functions in society. It explores how their collections and displays have changed over time and the historical context in which they emerged.
Origins of museums: The history of institutional collecting and display.
Museum anthropology: The study of museums as cultural institutions.
Object biographies: Tracing the life history of museum objects.
Colonial collecting: Critique of museum practices in the imperial context.
Curatorial roles and responsibilities: The role of curators in shaping exhibitions and museum collections.
Museums and nationalism: The role of museums in the construction of national identity.
Museum learning: Methods and approaches to museum education.
Exhibition design: The process of designing and constructing museum exhibitions.
Communities and museums: The role of museums in engaging with local communities.
Ethics and repatriation: Debates around the return of cultural objects to their places of origin.
Classical Museology: Classical Museology refers to the study and practice of traditional museum techniques and principles that originated in the late 18th and 19th centuries.
Enlightenment Museology: Enlightenment Museology refers to the development and establishment of museums during the Enlightenment period, which aimed to educate and inspire individuals through the systematic collection, display, and dissemination of objects from various disciplines.
Romantic and Nationalistic Museology: Romantic and Nationalistic Museology refers to a period in museum history characterized by the promotion of museums as a means to preserve and celebrate a nation's cultural heritage, often accompanied by an emphasis on emotional and patriotic narratives.
Modernist Museology: Modernist Museology is a theoretical framework that examines the transformative shift in museums during the mid-20th century, highlighting modernist ideologies, practices, and approaches employed in the presentation and interpretation of artifacts and exhibitions.
Postmodernist Museology: Postmodernist Museology challenges traditional modes of exhibition and interpretation, emphasizing subjectivity, diversity, and critical engagement with power dynamics in creating and presenting museum narratives.
Critical Museology: Critical Museology is an interdisciplinary approach that questions the traditional roles and power dynamics within museums, challenging their interpretations and representations of history.
New Museology: New Museology is a contemporary approach to museum practice that emphasizes inclusivity, community engagement, and social relevance.
Museology of Memory: The topic of Museology of Memory explores how museums engage with and represent collective memories through their collections, exhibitions, and narratives.
Digital Museology: Digital Museology is the study of the impact digital technologies have on the preservation, interpretation, and engagement with museum collections and practices.
Exhibitionary Museology.: Exhibitionary Museology refers to the study of the theory and practice behind the creation, curation, and interpretation of museum exhibitions as powerful tools of communication and social engagement.
"Many museums have exhibitions of these objects in public display"
"Compared to a library, a museum hosts a much wider range of objects..."
"...usually focus around a specific theme such as the arts, science, natural history, local history, and other topics."
"Public museums that host exhibitions and interactive demonstrations are often considered to be tourist attractions."
"Museums have been associated with academia and the preservation of rare items."
"Museums originated as private collections of interesting items..."
"Only much later did the emphasis on educating the public take root."
"Many museums attract large numbers of visitors from outside their host country..."
"Some have private collections that are used by researchers and specialists."
"Since the establishment of the earliest known museum in ancient times..."
"Museums...preserve objects of significance."
"Many museums have exhibitions of these objects in public display..."
"The most visited museums in the world regularly attracting millions of visitors annually."
"Museums usually focus around a specific theme such as the arts, science, natural history, local history, and other topics."
"Some have private collections that are used by researchers and specialists."
"Museums originated as private collections...and only much later did the emphasis on educating the public take root."
"...focus around a specific theme such as...local history..."
"Many museums attract large numbers of visitors from outside their host country..."
"Public museums that host exhibitions and interactive demonstrations are often considered to be tourist attractions."