The social work of museums

What issues in the community might the Global Museum address? This was the question in one discussion inspired by readings about the increasingly social work of museums around the world.

Students discussed the critical path issue of getting people into the museum, but then explored how the museum might showcase how it obtained artifacts (why do we have it? issues of academic privilege). How might the museum provide a space for dialogue about tolerance and provide students with an important voice? And how might the museum address campus and regional issues related to sexual violence and gentrification. Transparency was emphasized, as a way for the museum to showcase its value to the campus community.