ANTH 3820 - Museum Anthropology

Goals: To present students with an introduction to museums and exhibitions, and their social, political, and cultural roles in society; to provide students with basic theoretical approaches for examining the power and politics of collection, display and representation at work in museums; to examine specific examples of the ways that museums and exhibitions provide spaces for articulating and practicing different communities and identities, and their relationship to “others”; and to provide students with an introduction to aspects of museum collection, exhibit design, and public interpretation.

Content: The course is taught using a mixture of theoretical readings, ethnographies, field excursions to local museums, and a student field project. Topics covered include: a basic introduction to the history of collecting and display; the beginnings and institutionalization of museums; different museums and their publics; theories of representation and cultural production; and the design, collection, and curation of museum exhibits.

Credits: 4