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Etnographic Museums

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Ethnographic museums are institutions that collect, preserve, and exhibit artifacts and cultural materials from diverse societies, primarily focusing on the lives, practices, and beliefs of non-Western cultures. They aim to promote understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity through research, education, and public engagement.
lightbulbAbout this topic
Ethnographic museums are institutions that collect, preserve, and exhibit artifacts and cultural materials from diverse societies, primarily focusing on the lives, practices, and beliefs of non-Western cultures. They aim to promote understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity through research, education, and public engagement.

Key research themes

1. How are ethnographic museums navigating postcolonial challenges and community engagement to redefine their roles and representations?

This research theme investigates the transformation of ethnographic museums from colonial repositories toward institutions that critically engage with their colonial legacies and actively involve source and local communities. It addresses issues of representation, repatriation, decolonization, and the negotiation of identity and authority in museum practices. Understanding these dynamics matters as it influences museum relevance, ethical stewardship, and the inclusivity of cultural narratives in pluralistic societies.

Key finding: Turgeon (Université Laval) highlights the explosive growth of ethnology museums and the tension between their origins as colonial collections treating ‘Distant Others’ and their evolving role addressing contemporary social... Read more
Key finding: Soni (Cultural Studies) conceptualizes museum anthropology as an evolving subfield focused on critically analyzing museums’ historic roles and developing inclusive practices that reconnect ethnographic collections with source... Read more
Key finding: Morphy’s editorial engages with the contested notion of ‘civilization’ in museum practices, illustrating a paradigmatic shift where museums recognize the civilization of represented peoples and accept reflexive, collaborative... Read more
Key finding: This paper studies the role of open-air museums—often ethnographic in nature—in the globalizing world, showing that heritage interpretation tailored to contemporary audiences fosters ‘heritage communities’ that transcend... Read more
Key finding: This volume presents international case studies revealing how national museums, many with ethnographic collections, function as complex arenas for nation-building, identity negotiations, and inclusion/exclusion dynamics.... Read more

2. What is the impact of digital culture and technology on the accessibility, mediation, and audience engagement of ethnographic museums?

This theme explores how digitization and digital culture reshape museum experiences, expanding audience reach beyond physical spaces and transforming exhibition strategies. It is important because digital technologies offer new potentials and challenges for ethnographic museums in presenting collections, fostering participation, and negotiating authenticity and authority in a digitally mediated environment.

Key finding: Giannini and Bowen (2019) provide a framework situating museums within the emergent digital culture, emphasizing that digital experiences offer alternative yet authentic museum engagements. Their research identifies that... Read more
Key finding: Soni recognizes the rise of virtual museums and digital platforms in museum anthropology, highlighting how digital interfaces enable reconnection of ethnographic collections with dispersed source communities and provide means... Read more
Key finding: Although focused on UK museums broadly, this quantitative geography study reveals how digital datasets and online open-access resources can augment museum research and planning, influencing ethnographic museums’ capacity to... Read more

3. How is museology evolving as an interdisciplinary academic discipline to theoretically and practically inform the development of ethnographic museums?

This theme addresses the theoretical foundations, teaching, and professionalization of museology (museum studies) as a meta-discipline that integrates historical, ethical, and practical perspectives to shape the future of ethnographic museums. It is critical for producing museum professionals competent in critical thinking, theory, and practice to navigate complex cultural, social, and political challenges.

Key finding: Simmons and Latham systematically examine the historical development, current status, and future challenges of museum studies (museology), emphasizing the necessity of balancing theoretical scholarship and practical training.... Read more
Key finding: This volume elucidates the evolution of museology alongside shifts in art history and museum practice, highlighting the museum as a public space shaped by national, ideological, and pedagogical forces. The work underscores... Read more
Key finding: Skeates explores contemporary museum archaeology’s shift towards serving diverse publics through sustainable, ethical collections management and interpretive practices. The focus on critical curation principles parallels... Read more
Key finding: This study of natural history museums reveals institutional tensions between curatorial research and public engagement, paralleling ethnographic museum challenges. Addressing issues of representational ethics and integrating... Read more

All papers in Etnographic Museums

Museum anthropology is a subfield of anthropology that focuses on the study of museums, their collections, exhibitions, and practices, as well as the cultural, social, and political contexts in which they operate. It includes the research... more
Throughout history, many archaeological remains were taken out of the countries of their origin and are found in both private and public collections around the world. Fortunately, new heritage management paradigms encourage the return of... more
Throughout history, many archaeological remains were taken out of the countries of their origin and are found in both private and public collections around the world. Fortunately, new heritage management paradigms encourage the return of... more
Revista PH Instituto Andaluz del Patrimonio Histórico n.º 111, febrero 2024, pp. 95-97. Debate "Descolonizar el museo y resignificar los monumentos: la escena del crimen".
París veía desfilar en sus calles una movilización marcada por la diversidad y el multiculturalismo: se trataba de una manifestación contra la llamada "ley Sarkozy", la nueva ley de inmigración designada así por su autor, el ministro del... more
A raíz de la fuerte presión urbanística que ha supuesto el boom inmobiliario español acaecido durante las últimas décadas, la actividad arqueológica urbana (y rural) se ha incrementado cuantiosamente, lo cual ha permitido sacar a la luz... more
Traduzione italiana del testo "The Chinese Ethnographic Museum of Parma and the Xaverian missionary collections", esposto in occasione del seminario del 15 aprile 2021
This article centres on Lars Hætta’s miniature duodji, made while Hætta was imprisoned at Akershus Fortress (1856–1867) and collected by the Ethnographic Museum in Christiania (Oslo). The collection demonstrates problematic issues... more
En este documento se establece la política institucional referida a las solicitudes de restitución de colecciones bioantropológicas y objetos de carácter sagrado provenientes de comunidades o representantes legítimos, dirigidas a este... more
La Gran Via de Colon de Granada es reconocida como la arteria principal del centro historico de la ciudad y en si misma constituye un catalogo excepcional de la arquitectura eclectica del primer tercio del siglo XX en el panorama espanol... more
Las cuestiones relativas al patrimonio cultural indígena, y en especial el tratamiento ético de los restos humanos, han motivado importantes cambios que tendrán un impacto creciente en las prácticas de campo y de laboratorio. Sin embargo,... more
París veía desfilar en sus calles una movilización marcada por la diversidad y el multiculturalismo: se trataba de una manifestación contra la llamada "ley Sarkozy", la nueva ley de inmigración designada así por su autor, el ministro del... more
How does the role of open-air museums look like in view of globalization processes? The social attitude to the heritage and the effectiveness of its protection will depend on the communication with recipients. The interpretation as a... more
Izložba Etnografski muzej-palača s potpisom organizira se povodom završetka obnove Etnografskog muzeja kojom je rekonstruirana dekoracija pročelja ove građevine. Jedina u secesijskom stilu namjenski podignuta muzejska zgrada u Hrvatskoj... more
Una prospettiva per il Sistema museale nazionale 1. False partenze e traguardi illusori.
En este documento se establece la política institucional referida a las solicitudes de restitu-ción de colecciones bioantropológicas y objetos de carácter sagrado provenientes de comunida-des o representantes legítimos, dirigidas a este... more
En los últimos años, el Museo Arqueológico Adán Quiroga (a continuación M.A.A.Q.) ha sido escenario de continuas transformaciones implementadas desde una nueva gestión, con una fuerte mirada social, la cual se ve reflejada en los cambios... more
(2007) López Caballero, Paula y Torres Mazuera, Gabriela “La ‘alteridad escogida’ del Museo del Quai Branly”, Revista Ciencias (UNAM), Nº 86, pp. 62-65, Abril – Junio.
Las controversias de los "materiales culturales delicados", un debate aplazado pero necesario María Adoración Martínez Aranda 01| Jesús Bustamante García 02| Jesús López Díaz 03| Manuel Burón Díaz 02| El siguiente texto presenta el estado... more
|LO SAGRADO EN UN MUNDO INTERCONNECTADO 4 | EDITORIAL 8 | LO SAGRADO Y LA INTERCONEXIÓN El paisaje cultural basado en el Ganges sagrado P. S. Ramakrishnan | 8 Lo sagrado: del ámbito local a la dimensión mundial Jesús Torre Peralta | 22... more
En una Europa diversa que tiene que lidiar con cuestiones complejas como la inmigración, la alteridad y el legado colonial, la representación de la otredad cultural en los museos etnológicos a través de sus colecciones es importante pues... more
Своеобразие исторического развития ханьского этноса. Был ли Конфуций "ханьцзу"?
Un artículo cuestionando la realidad del patrimonio inmaterial y su dudoso aporte al respeto de la diversidad cultural.  Propuesta: patrimonio cultural sin subdivisiones.
Las cuestiones relativas al patrimonio cultural indígena, y en especial el tratamiento ético de los restos humanos, han motivado importantes cambios que tendrán un impacto creciente en las prácticas de campo y de laboratorio. Sin embargo,... more
El texto presenta el estado de la cuestión sobre la compleja temática de los “materiales culturales delicados”, restos humanos, conservados en muchos museos de carácter antropológico y etnográfico. Se muestra un acercamiento histórico y... more
Las cuestiones relativas al patrimonio cultural indígena, y en especial el tratamiento ético de los restos humanos, han motivado importantes cambios que tendrán un impacto creciente en las prácticas de campo y de laboratorio. Sin embargo,... more
Mapa Institucional: Ministerio de Desarrollo Social de la Nación Áreas temáticas: Pueblos Originarios Áreas temáticas específicas: Educación intercultural bilingüe, Desarrollo local y comunitario, Tenencia de la tierra, Ordenamiento... more
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