Museums as organised places in society – a study of inclusion in university art museums across Australia
No Thumbnail Available
URL
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
School of Business |
Master's thesis
Authors
Date
2023
Department
Johtamisen laitos
Major/Subject
Mcode
Degree programme
Management and International Business (MIB)
Language
en
Pages
66+34
Series
Abstract
In the ever-changing and heavily contested context of cultural institutions, university art museums emerge as dynamic and experimental microcosms at the intersections of tradition and transformation, where the past dialogues with the present, and the barriers of exclusion are breached by the embrace of inclusivity. This thesis interrogates university art museums as organised places in society through an iterative approach whereby the knowledge and spotlight of enquiry is progressively narrowed and refined, from the societal challenges of the broad museum sector to the local embodiment of inclusivity through the eyes of the university art museums’ directors and curators. By delving into the convoluted perpetuation of the museum in society in spite of internal and external pressures, this study navigates the inherent tensions between social expectations and operational requirements and inclusivity and exclusivity in the museum. The participation at a university art museum conference in Sydney offered fertile ground for providing a contemporary assessment of the field’s primary challenges and a preliminary understanding of the operational and resourcing requirements facing museum professionals. Additionally, intimate interviews with the local university art museums’ directors and curators enriched the understanding of inclusivity in the museum, the paradigm of exclusivity and space conceptualisation. The findings show that navigating exclusivity and the paradigm of exclusivity is key to embodying inclusivity, as exclusion is a product of a lack of inclusionary structures. The findings suggest that university art museums are inclusive public spaces and exclusive institutions which produce and reproduce exclusive spaces. Hence, space represents both an opportunity and a restriction to social inclusion in the museum, opening up opportunities for further scholarly investigation of organised places of inclusion in society.Description
Thesis advisor
Ritvala, TiinaKeywords
place, space, inclusion, exclusion, university art museums