Admission requirements
See Teaching and Examination Regulations.
Description
Museums are powerful and influential institutions in their ability to shape knowledge through their collections and exhibitions. But besides being educational bodies of authority, they are also becoming sites of infotainment in their quest to attract and please the public.
In this seminar we will study the politics of museum practice in modern times through various themes which are connected to current issues and controversies. Questions, such as how museums contribute to our identity and cultural memory and whose voice is heard in the museum, shall be scrutinized. We will examine the politics and ethics of collecting in a wide variety of museums and analyze the changing position of the museum in a globalized world. Furthermore, the museum as medium will be studied and the narratives of the collections will be analyzed. Special attention will be given to representation and canonization in museums.
Course objectives
Students will:
gain knowledge of museum theory and politics of museum practice in modern times;
gain insight into current issues and controversies concerning museums;
practice their communicative skills in weekly debates and in the presentation of their own reseach topic;
develop their research skills in formulating a relevant research question and writing a paper on this subject of their own choice.
Timetable
Please consult the timetable on the MA Arts and Culture website.
Mode of instruction
- Seminar.
Course Load
Total course load for the course 10 ec x 28 hours = 280 hours:
attending seminar: 14 × 2 hours = 28 hours;
preparation seminar (incl. reading, museum visits, weekly assignments): 8 × 14 hours = 104 hours;
attending and contributing to symposium: 8 hours;
research and writing paper: 140 hours.
Assessment method
Museum Matters I: Politics and Ethics of Museum Collecting
20%: active participation in class and weekly assignments;
20%: oral presentation;
60%: paper (5000 words)
The final grade is the average of the three grades (20%, 20%, 60%). A student passes the class if the average is a 6.0 or higher and obtained at least a 6.0 for the paper.
Re-sit
If the average is below 6.0 the paper can be re-written (60%).
Blackboard
Blackboard will be used for special announcements, assignments and required weekly reading. Students will be expected to post questions (weekly) and assignments in Discussion Board.
Reading list
- Sharon Macdonald (ed.), A Companion to Museum Studies, Blackwell Publishing, 2006.
Further reading list will be posted on Blackboard.
Registration
Students are required to register for this course via uSis, the course registration system of Leiden University. General information about uSis is available in English and Dutch.
Exchange and Study Abroad students: Please see the website Study in Leiden for information on how to apply/register for this course.
Students who are not in the MA Arts and Culture programme, but who would like to take this course as an optional course, please contact Mrs. Martine van Leeuwen MA the co-ordinator of studies.
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
Not applicable.
Remarks
Not applicable.