LNDN3243: London Museums: Introduction to British Museology, Society and Culture

In the early twenty-first century, museums are becoming increasingly more relevant to all parts of society, exhibition displays are often controversial and politically charged. This course is an introduction to both British society, culture and museology. The course considers museums as reflections of the British psyche, unique cultural constructs that help us understand "Britishness". We will also be looking at museums as institutions of "global" heritage in the context of a global city, with a unique British perspective. As an introduction to museology, the course will look at the development of the modern museum and its operation, as well as interrogate the different types of museums. We will look at the impact British history, society and politics have had on London museums, their creation and their day to day operations and audiences. Taking advantage of our location, we will do field work in eight different museums, from the famous and vast "global" British Museum to the small and privately-owned Saatchi Gallery. Students will analyze the ways in which imperialism and its legacy, as well as Britain's global relationships have influenced museum development and how this gives rise to the politics of patrimony. We will look at questions of cultural appropriation and the political debate on repatriation versus protection. This debate has recently been energized by the depredations of IS on what many would call the global heritage of Iraq and Syria. We will also be looking at material culture and what it says about individuals and society. Students will examine the choices, ethics and political and social meanings of both creating material culture and collecting it, and the ethics of preservation and restoration. While the creation of material culture has specific psychological, social and often political meanings; collecting, preserving and displaying one particular object involves a very complex decision-making process which is influenced by the cultural values of the decision maker. We will examine, for example, the impact of the Classical period on British society in the past and present, its importance to class and education in Britain, and how this is reflected in museum collections. Students will also look at the complex decision making of conservators and restorers. These decisions have social and political impact, choosing to emphasize one period and use over another. The course will also look closely at decision makers and their role in the museum industry, the origins of museums from individuals to trade exhibitions and current museum professionals, as well as the impact museum audiences have on the work of museums. Students will also examine the impact of communities on museum development, on exhibition creation, how engaged museums are with their communities, and how the unique diversity of London is reflected (or not) in its museums.

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