Inclusive?

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To u

nder

stan

d So

cial

Incl

usio

n, o

ne m

ust f

irst a

ckno

wle

dge

the

prob

lem

of S

ocia

l Exc

lusi

on. S

ocia

l Inc

lusi

on is

ofte

n th

e a

ssum

ed c

orol

lary

to

exc

lusi

on, b

eing

con

cept

ualiz

ed

sole

ly in

rela

tion

to e

xclu

sion

. In

this

per

spec

tive,

soc

ial

incl

usio

n an

d ex

clus

ion

are

inse

para

ble

side

s of

the

sam

e co

in.

Soci

al e

xclu

sion

is n

ot ju

st o

ne p

robl

em, b

ut a

mul

ti-fa

cete

d ph

enom

enon

that

neg

ativ

ely

affe

cts

the

soci

al,

econ

omic

, pol

itica

l, an

d cu

ltura

l life

of b

oth

the

indi

vidu

al

and

the

soci

ety.

The

term

soc

ial i

nclu

sion

ha

s be

en a

ttach

ed to

soc

ial a

nd

econ

omic

theo

ries.

It h

as b

ecom

e, s

ince

the

1970

s,

enm

eshe

d in

the

gove

rnm

enta

l pol

icie

s of

Wes

tern

Eur

ope

and

the

Uni

ted

King

dom

(UK)

. Now

, Soc

ial I

nclu

sion

is

emer

ging

in th

e U

nite

d St

ates

, app

earin

g in

Am

eric

an

Allia

nce

of M

useu

ms

(AAM

) Div

ersi

ty &

Incl

usio

n Po

licy

and

Mus

eum

Nex

t 201

5.

Whe

n us

ing

the

term

Soc

ial I

nclu

sion

it is

impo

rtant

to

expl

ain:

W

ho is

bei

ng in

clud

ed/e

xclu

ded?

H

ow a

re th

ey b

eing

incl

uded

/exc

lude

d?

Why

doe

s in

clus

ion/

excl

usio

n ex

ist i

n th

is s

ituat

ion?

The

ambi

guou

s di

scou

rse

on s

ocia

l inc

lusi

on o

ften

cont

ains

de

scrip

tors

suc

h as

com

batin

g a

nd m

itiga

ting

soc

ial

excl

usio

n ye

t it r

arel

y st

ands

alo

ne a

s its

ow

n te

rm; a

nd

ofte

n it

is e

xpla

ined

in te

rms

of b

eing

a re

spon

se to

soc

ial

excl

usio

n. M

useu

m p

rofe

ssio

nals

sho

uld

use

the

term

So

cial

Incl

usio

n w

ith c

are,

and

in d

irect

con

nect

ion

to th

e so

ciet

al p

robl

ems

that

thei

r mus

eum

is c

harg

ed to

sol

ve.

Wha

tisS

ocial

Inclu

sion?

1M

y R

easo

ns:

Mus

eum

s w

ield

trem

endo

us p

ower

to c

hang

e so

ciet

y, to

uph

old

soci

ety,

and

to a

ffirm

soc

iety

. So

cial

incl

usio

n ad

voca

tes

that

eve

ryon

e sh

ould

ha

ve a

cces

s to

and

be

repr

esen

ted

by m

useu

ms,

th

us li

miti

ng th

e m

argi

naliz

atio

n of

par

ticul

ar g

roup

s.

Des

pite

the

effo

rts to

gen

erat

e so

cial

incl

usiv

ity,

mus

eum

s ha

ve y

et to

dev

elop

con

sist

ent m

eans

of

eval

uatin

g th

eir e

fforts

. San

dell

(199

8) a

rticu

late

s th

e ne

ed fo

r con

tinue

d re

sear

ch in

to m

useu

ms

and

soci

al in

clus

ion.

I a

m a

Mus

eum

Info

rmat

icis

t an

swer

ing

this

cal

l for

the

mea

sure

men

t of t

he s

ocia

l ch

ange

s th

at o

ccur

due

to m

useu

m in

fluen

ce.

Our

Rea

sons

:Th

e AA

M re

cent

ly g

ener

ated

a D

iver

sity

and

In

clus

ion

Polic

y, b

ut w

hat d

oes

this

pol

icy

real

ly

mea

n? H

ow w

ill th

is p

olic

y ch

ange

mus

eum

s?

Cha

nge

mus

eum

pro

fess

iona

ls?

Cha

nge

soci

ety?

Why

Stu

dyS

ocial

Inclu

sion

inM

useu

ms?

2

"The

act

of i

nclu

ding

; a s

trat

egy

tole

vera

ge d

iver

sity

. Div

ersi

tyal

way

s ex

ists

in s

ocia

l sys

tem

s.In

clus

ion,

on

the

othe

r han

d, m

ust

be c

reat

ed. I

n or

der t

o le

vera

gedi

vers

ity,

an

envi

ronm

ent m

ust b

ecr

eate

d w

here

peo

ple

feel

supp

orte

d, li

sten

ed to

, and

abl

e to

do th

eir p

erso

nal b

est."

AA

M D

iver

sity

& In

clus

ion

Polic

y20

14

"To

Ach

ieve

Cul

tura

l Inc

lusi

on"

Rel

ies

on th

e in

form

atio

n tr

ansf

er o

f in

divi

dual

s to

the

outs

ide

wor

ld p

ost-

mus

eum

vis

it.

The I

nclus

ive M

useu

mT

o Im

prov

e In

divi

dual

s Q

ualit

y of

Life

Gat

ekee

pers

can

rest

rict o

r fac

ilita

te

info

rmat

ion.

In

form

atio

n tr

ansf

er is

not

relia

nt o

n th

e ro

le o

f ind

ivid

uals

to th

e ou

tsid

e w

orld

po

st-m

useu

m v

isit.

The M

useu

m as

Agen

tof

Socia

l Reg

enera

tion

"To

Influ

ence

Soc

iety

, Ins

tigat

e Po

sitiv

e So

cial

C

hang

e"G

atek

eepe

rs a

t mul

tiple

leve

ls o

f aut

horit

y,

mov

ing

in a

con

stan

tly c

hang

ing

chor

us o

f di

verg

ent v

oice

s.

The M

useu

m as

Vehic

lefor

Bro

ad So

cial C

hang

e

Wha

t doe

s th

e So

cial

ly In

clus

ive

Mus

eum

Loo

k Li

ke?

How

do

we

get h

ere?

The

Incl

usiv

e M

useu

m

the

Cultu

ral D

imen

sion

Re

cogn

ition

of

cura

toria

l voi

ce, t

he s

harin

g of

cur

ator

ial v

oice

, and

sh

arin

g of

cul

tura

l aut

horit

y

Excl

usio

n is

tack

led

with

in...

Achi

eved

thro

ugh.

..R

epre

sent

atio

n of

and

pa

rtici

patio

n an

d ac

cess

for

thos

e ex

clud

ed.

Repr

esen

tatio

n of

thos

e ex

clud

ed is

evi

denc

ed in

the

cura

toria

l voi

ce o

f an

exhi

bit.

Soci

al p

robl

ems

asso

ciat

ed

with

exc

lusi

on

mig

ht b

e ad

dres

sed

indi

rect

ly.

Exhi

bits

pre

sent

con

test

edhi

stor

ies

or is

sues

, but

the

indi

vidu

al is

left

with

the

task

of a

ddre

ssin

g th

ese

issue

s in

tern

ally

.

Soci

al In

clus

ion

can

be

Mea

sure

d Q

uant

itativ

ely

Stud

ies

of o

bjec

ts in

the

colle

ctio

n, a

nd a

lso

iden

tifie

d as

ass

ocia

ted

with

th

ose

excl

uded

. Exa

mpl

e:

Ratio

of o

bjec

ts id

entif

ied

with

thos

e ex

clud

ed o

n di

spla

y to

obj

ects

iden

tifie

d w

ithin

the

entir

e co

llect

ion.

Soci

al In

clus

ion

can

beM

easu

red

Qua

litat

ivel

y

Stud

ies

of m

useu

m v

isito

r an

d st

aff p

erce

ptio

ns o

f ex

hibi

ts a

nd c

olle

ctio

ns.

Exam

ple:

Eth

nogr

aphi

c w

ork

in w

hich

visi

tors

and

sta

ff ta

lk a

loud

thro

ugh

the

proc

ess

of in

tern

alizi

ng a

n ex

hibi

t.

Ho

w is

my

Mus

eum

Soci

ally

Incl

usiv

e?

"To Ac

hieve C

ultural

Inclu

sion"

The

Mus

eum

As

Agen

t o

f So

cial

Reg

ener

atio

n

Soci

al In

clus

ion

can

be

Mea

sure

d Q

uant

itativ

ely

Stud

ies

of in

divi

dual

s w

ithin

th

e co

mm

unity

who

do

or d

o no

t exp

erie

nce

the

mus

eum

di

rect

ly.

Soci

al In

clus

ion

can

be

Mea

sure

d Q

ualit

ativ

ely

Stud

ies

of in

divi

dual

s pe

rcep

tions

of m

useu

m

valu

e in

thei

r liv

es. .

Wh

at is

kee

ping

my

Mus

eum

fro

m b

eing

Soci

ally

Incl

usiv

e?

To I

mprov

e In

dividu

als Q

uality

of L

ife

Soci

al p

robl

ems

asso

ciat

ed

with

exc

lusi

on

mig

ht b

e ex

pres

sed

with

in th

e m

useu

ms

goa

ls.

H

istor

ic s

ocia

l iss

ues

beco

me

cont

empo

rary

pr

oble

ms

thro

ugh

auth

orize

d ch

anne

ls s

uch

as m

useu

m

miss

ion

& vi

sion

stat

emen

ts.

Rec

ogni

tion

of c

urat

oria

l vo

ice,

the

shar

ing

of

cura

toria

l voi

ce, a

nd th

e sh

arin

g of

cul

tura

l aut

horit

y.

The

dire

ct in

tent

ion

of

shar

ing

cura

toria

l voi

ce is

th

e be

tterm

ent o

f ind

ivid

ual

lives

.

the

Econ

omic

, Soc

ial,

Polit

ical

, and

Cul

tura

l D

imen

sions

Excl

usio

n is

tack

led

with

in...

Achi

eved

thro

ugh.

..

Initi

ativ

es w

hich

see

k to

al

levi

ate

disa

dvan

tage

and

en

cour

age

pers

onal

de

velo

pmen

t.

The

Mus

eum

as

Veh

icle

fo

r Br

oad

So

cial

Ch

ange

The

cura

toria

l voi

ce o

f a

mus

eum

has

an

unas

ham

ed

soci

al s

tanc

e: to

pro

vide

a

foru

m to

cre

ate

a be

tter

soci

ety

thro

ugh

dial

ogue

.

the

Econ

omic

, Soc

ial,

Polit

ical

, and

Cul

tura

l D

imen

sions

Excl

usio

n is

tack

led

with

in...

Achi

eved

thro

ugh.

..

Pro

vidi

ng a

foru

m fo

r pub

lic

deba

te, e

duca

tion

and

pers

uasio

n.

Soci

al p

robl

ems

asso

ciat

ed

with

exc

lusi

on

mig

ht b

e ex

pres

sed

with

in th

e m

useu

ms

goa

ls.

Gat

ekee

pers

on

mul

tiple

leve

ls

cons

ciou

sly

addr

ess

the

soci

al

prob

lem

s as

soci

ated

with

ex

clus

ion.

Soci

al In

clus

ion

can

be

Mea

sure

d Q

uant

itativ

ely

Long

itudi

nal s

tudi

es w

hich

m

easu

re m

ultip

le fa

cets

of

indi

vidu

al, h

ouse

hold

, co

mm

unity

, and

nat

iona

l he

alth

.

Soci

al In

clus

ion

can

be

Mea

sure

d Q

ualit

ativ

ely

Long

itudi

nal s

tudi

es w

hich

co

nsist

of i

nter

view

s or

di

alog

ues

with

the

sam

e in

divi

dual

s ov

er ti

me.

Ho

w W

ill

I kno

w

wh

en M

y M

useu

m Is

soci

ally

Incl

usiv

e?

To In

fluen

ce S

ociet

y, I

nstig

ate

Positive

Social C

hang

e

HELL

OM

Y N

AME

IS

Laur

a-Ed

yth

e Co

lem

an

Mus

eum

Info

rmat

icist

Who

is S

erio

us A

bout

Soc

ial

Incl

usio

n?

Are

You

Ser

ious

?

Ho

w C

an E

valu

atio

no

f so

cial

incl

usio

n be

nefi

t m

y m

useu

m?

Savi

ng th

e W

orld

One

Com

mun

ity, O

ne N

atio

n A

t A T

ime.

One

Obj

ect,

One

Exh

ibit,

One

Mus

eum

Curr

ent W

ork

Laur

a-Ed

ythe

Col

eman

is a

Mus

eum

Info

rmat

icis

t and

a D

octo

ral C

andi

date

inIn

form

atio

n Sc

ienc

e at

Flo

rida

Sta

teU

nive

rsit

y. M

s. C

olem

ans

rese

arch

and

teac

hing

inte

rest

s in

clud

e m

useu

m in

form

atic

s,m

useu

m e

valu

atio

n, k

now

ledg

e m

anag

emen

t,an

d th

e co

-cre

atio

n of

iden

tity

. Her

par

ticu

lar

area

of r

esea

rch

exam

ines

cul

tura

l her

itag

ein

stit

utio

ns in

com

mun

itie

s re

conc

iling

civ

ilco

nflic

t.

ww

w.la

urae

dyth

e.co

m

lcol

eman

@fs

u.ed

u

Cura

tors

of C

onfli

ct:

TheG

atek

eepi

ng M

echa

nism

sof

Cur

ator

ial V

oice

.Th

roug

h a

seri

es o

f int

ervi

ews,

the

rese

arch

er a

nd c

urat

oria

lst

aff o

f mus

eum

s ha

ndlin

gco

ntes

ted

subj

ect m

atte

r will

expl

ore

the

role

of c

urat

oria

lvo

ice

and

the

gate

keep

ing

mec

hani

sms

utili

zed

to e

xpre

ssth

at v

oice

.

Mus

eum

Pro

fess

iona

ls P

erce

ptio

ns o

f Soc

ial

Incl

usio

n: A

AM

201

5 St

udy

A Q

ualit

ativ

e st

udy

of A

AM

Mus

eum

Prof

essi

onal

s pe

rcep

tion

s of

Soc

ial I

nclu

sion

and

the

AA

M D

iver

sity

& In

clus

ion

polic

yst

atem

ents

. Thi

s st

udy

will

hel

p to

bri

dge

the

gap

betw

een

theo

ry a

nd p

ract

ice

and

wou

ld il

lum

inat

e ho

w in

clus

ion

wor

k co

uld

bett

er b

e su

ppor

ted

thro

ugh,

for e

xam

ple,

stra

tegi

c de

ploy

men

t of m

useu

m re

sour

ces.

Res

earc

h te

am: R

ose

Paqu

et K

insl

ey (U

W),

Laur

a-Ed

ythe

Col

eman

(FSU

), Po

rchi

aM

oore

(USC

)

i Rawal, Social Inclusion and Exclusion, 172.ii Ibid.iii Sandell, Museums as Agents of Social Inclusion.iv Bernhard, Beyond Constructivism: The Political Sociology of an EU Policy Field; Dodd and Sandell, Including Museums: Perspectives on Museums, Galleriesand Social Inclusion; Newman and McLean, The Impact of Museums upon Identity.