Short description
"A Companion to Museum Studies"captures the multidisciplinary approach to the study of the development, roles, and significance of museums in contemporary society.
Collects first-rate original essays by leading figures from a range of disciplines and theoretical stances, including anthropology, art history, history, literature, sociology, cultural studies, and museum studies.
Examines the complexity of the museum from cultural, political, curatorial, historical and representational perspectives.
Covers traditional subjects, such as space, display, buildings, objects and collecting, and more contemporary challenges such as visiting, commerce, community and experimental exhibition forms.
Long description
"A Companion to Museum Studies" captures a fresh, multidisciplinary approach to the study of the development, roles, and significance of museums in contemporary society. The volume collects authoritative original essays by leading figures from a range of disciplines and theoretical stances - anthropology, art history, history, literature, sociology, cultural studies, and museum studies proper. The book examines the complexity of the museum from cultural, political governance, curatorial, historical and representational perspectives. From traditional subjects, including space, display, buildings, and collecting, to more contemporary challenges and concerns, such as visiting, commerce, community and experimental exhibition forms, this companion proves itself an indispensable reference for art historians, museum curators, and art and culture lovers.
Review
Required reading for museum professionals and scholars in museum studies, art and cultural history, sociology of art, and anthropology ... The text is rich in information and diverse in perspectives; it both introduces and complicates in an intriguing and necessary way what we 'know' about museums ... Essential. Choice No one is better qualified than Sharon Macdonald to create this definitive companion to museum studies. The field has not only come of age but has also burgeoned in all directions. How wise then to capture the vibrancy of its interdisciplinarity by assembling the work of a veritable who's who of museum studies. Each voice is at once distinct and in dialogue and debate with others. A vital text for the field. Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, New York University A Companion to Museum Studies is an indispensable guide to what has come to be called 'the New Museology.' This set of papers by some of the most distinguished scholars of museums examines museums, displays and exhibits from the perspectives of different disciplines. No one attempting to study or teach about museums will be able to do without this aptly named Companion. It will be both guide and landmark in museum studies for years to come. Ivan Karp, Emory University This is a wonderfully comprehensive collection of essays, offering diverse perspectives, covering all aspects of the museum profession, and addressing contemporary and historical discourse ... It really is the best compendium I've read in years. Museums Australia
Table of contents
- List of illustrations Notes on contributors
- Expanding Museum Studies
- an Introduction Sharon Macdonald (University of Sheffield) Part I
- Perspectives, disciplines, concepts Introduction
- Cultural Theory and Museum Studies Rhiannon Mason (University of Newcastle)
- Sociology and the Social Aspects of Museums Gordon Fyfe (Keele University)
- Art History and Museology
- Rendering the Visible Legible Donald Preziosi (Oxford University)
- Museums and Anthropologies
- Practices and Narratives Anthony Alan Shelton (University of British Columbia)
- Collecting Practices Sharon Macdonald (University of Sheffield)
- The Conundrum of Ephemerality
- Time, Memory and Museums Susan A
- Crane (University of Arizona) Part II
- Histories, heritage, identities Introduction
- The Origins of the Public Museum Jeffrey Abt (Wayne State University)
- World's Fairs and Museums Robert W
- Rydell (Montana State University)
- Making and Remaking National Identities Flora Edouwaye S
- Kaplan (New York University)
- Museums and Community Elizabeth Crooke (University of Ulster)
- Re
- staging Histories and Identities Rosmarie Beier
- de Haan (Technical University)
- Heritage Steven Hoelscher (University of Texas at Austin) Part III
- Architecture, space, media Introduction
- Museum Architecture
- a Brief History Michaela Giebelhausen (University of Essex)
- Insight versus Entertainment
- Untimely Meditations on the Architecture of th
- Century Art Museums Vittorio Magnago Lampugnani (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)
- Civic Seeing
- Museums and the Organisation of Vision Tony Bennett (Open University)
- Spatial Syntax
- the Language of Museum Space Bill Hillier (University College London) and Kali Tzortzi (University College London)
- New Media Michelle Henning (University of the West of England) Part IV
- Visitors, learning, interacting Introduction
- Living in a Learning Society
- Museums and Free
- Choice Learning John H
- Falk (Institute for Learning Innovation), Lynn D
- Dierking (Institute for Learning Innovation) and Marianna Adams (Institute for Learning Innovation)
- Museum Education George E
- Hein (Lesley University)
- Interactivity
- Thinking Beyond Andrea Witcomb (Curtin University of Technology)
- Studying Visitors Eilean Hooper
- Greenhill (University of Leicester) Part V
- Globalization, profession, practice Introduction
- Globalization
- In
- Corporating the Museum Mark W
- Rectanus (Iowa State University)
- Cultural Economics Bruno S
- Frey (University of Zurich) and Stephan Meier (University of Zurich)
- The Museum Profession Patrick J
- Boylan (City University, London)
- Museum Ethics Tristram Besterman (The Manchester Museum)
- Museum Practice
- Legal Issues Patty Gerstenblith (DePaul University)
- Non
- Western Models of Museums and Curation in Cross
- Cultural Perspective Christina Kreps (University of Denver) Part VI
- Culture wars, transformations, futures Introduction
- Incivilities in Civil(
- ized) Places
- "Culture Wars" in Comparative Perspective Steven C
- Dubin (State University of New York)
- Science Museums and the Culture Wars Steven Conn (Ohio State University)
- Postmodern Restructurings Nick Prior (University of Edinburgh)
- Exposing the Public Mieke Bal (University of Amsterdam)
- The Future of Museums Charles Saumarez Smith (National Gallery, London) Index