This semester, I’m teaching a new course on Museum Ethics and Values. Early in the development of this course, I reached out via Twitter for thoughts about the kind of topics the course should address. These discussions have informed the final approach, so I wanted to share and revisit them. (I didn’t include every response, but here is a sense of the range and scope…)
I’m in the early stages of developing a course on museum ethics and values. I’m going to co-teach it with colleagues and guests, but I’d love to know what ethical questions/concerns have you been thinking about museums lately? Great examples, case studies welcome, too.
— suse anderson (@shineslike) April 1, 2019
Museum Neutrality & Systems of Oppression
Should museums be neutral? If they’re not (e.g. being a force for social change), then what processes do they need to deal with the resistance to this (e.g. transparency on why they’re taking a specific approach, encouraging discourse).
— Paul Rowe (@armchair_caver) April 1, 2019
Who is being displayed? What percent of artists and subjects in a museum are men? What percent are White? Borrowing the “windows and mirrors” idea from Kidlit, what relationship does the collection have to the community where it’s housed?
— plainy (@plainy) April 3, 2019
What systems (economic, cultural, technological) do we participate in and/or contribute to, & how does that effect the communities we serve? How does it align with our missions? Does recognition of systemic forces necessitate activism, or at least abstention from some practices?
— Matt Popke 🎲 (@Polackio) April 1, 2019
Add to that: What if the companies themselves are bad faith actors, as facebook and twitter now appear to be?
— Matt Popke 🎲 (@Polackio) April 2, 2019
Not to plug myself but what is our role in assisting with dismantling of oppressive structures, especially when those structures affect your family and community https://t.co/ZhuT1QdGBO
— Nathan mudyi Sentance (@SaywhatNathan) April 2, 2019
The First Nations cultural heritage in museum collections and the telling (controlling) of First Nations narratives. Also, with public institutions, being an agent of the state, the same state that oppresses marginalized people and supports oppressive structures
— Nathan mudyi Sentance (@SaywhatNathan) April 2, 2019
Overcoming historical bias in the language used to describe objects, from catalog entry to label. “Masculine” objects have received more research, given more words, etc.; Anglo-American is assumed in US history colletions; problem of “firsts” in history.
— Dr. Shirley T. Wajda (@stwajda) April 3, 2019
All about that money (and governance)
Shifting non-profit fundraising and marketing to be more ethical/sustainable/mission driven
— Julia Kennedy (@JuliaKennedy_) April 1, 2019
Please include reflections on governance …. the risk of an air-gap, a lack of mutual understanding …. and the impacts on ethics, values and priorities. And – given the navel-gazing our sector indulges – please emphasise customer essentials; and focus ‘beyond the walls’ .. 🤙
— Roy Clare (@Swatchway) April 2, 2019
Externally: should museums be promoting forprofit companies because of engagement; what if those platforms are abused by bad faith actors; should all soc media messages be responded to, who decides which ones?; Etc….
— brianwolly (@brianwolly) April 1, 2019
My experience of 20years of working in the #heritage sector is that if diversity is not present in the boardroom, its also absent in governance and in content. Its something I have observed in 🇬🇧🇨🇦🇺🇸🇲🇾🇭🇰🇰🇪🇨🇳🇶🇦🇧🇳….etc
— Clifford Pereira (@cliffjpereira) April 2, 2019
Employment & Wage Equity
Wages (not only for diversity), tech choices
— Dr Mia Ridge (@mia_out) April 2, 2019
Unionization for employees, especially at orgs with a social justice mission; need for more representation and stories of women and people of color on staff, collections, and interpretation
— Megan Byrnes (@MeganByrnes2) April 1, 2019
Along with unions, PAY! Equal and Fair pay, paid internships, being open about salaries, posting salaries for job descriptions, raises, etc.
— Bethany Noel Nagle (@wagleface) April 2, 2019
How to act work with and through ethical dilemmas (institutionally or personally)
great idea. i think we lack the skills to work through ethical dilemmas. how to hear perspectives, rank priorities (law? ethics? precedent?) and work though in a transparent way. What when two ethical positions are in conflict? I once had collection care vs international law.
— Paul Bowers (@Paulrbowers) April 2, 2019
How, as an emerging professional, to instill your values and ethics in your work when you have no power, i.e. how to lead from beneath.
— Ellie Downing (@jesiathe) April 2, 2019
Other interesting questions
Suse – love your question & the responses. I have been struggling with the consequence of conflict minerals in our growing digital systems. Every museum claims some curatorial agency over the history of human ideas. But there were always exploited victims. Who are our victims?
— Dale Kronkright (@GOKConservator) April 2, 2019
How to have an ethical approach to borrowing privately owned works from collectors
— Bernadine Bröcker Wieder (@bjkbrocker) April 2, 2019
How do museums with long histories balance relevance in the modern world with their original mission (and/or founder)? And on a related note, what level of risk is appropriate for a cultural institution? Is the standard different than a for-profit business?
— Ellice Engdahl (@ErisuEEE) April 2, 2019
The modelling and surveilling audiences in order to become more ‘market driven’ and the uncritical embrace of silicon valley narratives and software in the race to become more ‘innovative’
— katrina sluis (@k_treen) April 2, 2019
A move to a more deliberative approach for museums. Where are work is perhaps slower and more considered. How can we work at a genuinely ‘populous ’ level. Most of our audiences are not on Twitter!
— Tony Butler (@tonybutler1) April 2, 2019
I’d hope that more deliberation leads to museums being cast in the role as convener or host, teasing out issues which could range from global to local. Finding out what works for communities. One iteration of this is @theRSAorg deliberative democray https://t.co/Ii4kPsiEQl
— Tony Butler (@tonybutler1) April 3, 2019
The final course focuses primarily on contemporary cases and discussions to consider the institutional context of ethics, with the intent of helping my students understand the state of the field today. The top-line subjects we’re discussing include:
- What is Ethics?
- Codes of Ethics and Professional Standards
- Museums, Money and Power
- Ethical Curatorial Practices
- Deaccessioning
- Repatriation, Restitution and Human Remains
- Issues in Ethical Conservation
- Decolonization, Indigenization and Legacies of Colonialism
- Working with Communities
- Museum Neutrality + Social Justice
- Environmental Sustainability
- (Some) Issues Related to Digital Practice
- Labor Issues
- How to negotiate ethical issues as an emerging professional
Discussions about diversity are incorporated throughout, as are conversations about power (and who has it, who doesn’t). Being the first iteration of the course, I’m sure there are gaps and areas of practice that are missing or could be more effectively discussed, but after week three of class, this feels like a good starting place. It’s worth noting that this is now a core course for all students studying Museum Studies at GW, which they will take in their first year, so that considerations about ethics and ethical practice underpin the program.
Thank you my colleagues at GW, Gregory Stevens at the Institute of Museum Ethics, Ellie Miles, Jennifer Kingsley and everyone who weighed in on the initial Tweet for your thoughts. In anyone is interested in reading the syllabus in more detail, get in contact with me and I’ll send it your way.
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