A&S 325 Museums Studies: History, Theory, and Debates

This course offers an introduction to the social and cultural history and theory of museums. Thinking about the idea of the “modern” museum as an instrument of power, we will first consider how the practices and ideologies of colonialism, looting and exploitation have shaped the construction of museums and their collections since the cabinets of curiosities of the Enlightenment. Second, we will explore specific collections and exhibits of natural history, anthropology, art, as well as memorials to question whether museums can be transformed into spaces for restitution, repatriation, community building, and the unlearning of the imperial foundations of the knowledge. [GM1, GM2, SS]

Prerequisite

A&S 102 or 103

Instructor

Salas Landa