Traditional museums, where collecting and collections had first place and visitors were passive observers, have given way to vibrant institutions engaged with society, responsive to various audiences, and focused on new modes of communication. Investigating the idea of the museum as contested ground, where different viewpoints vie to be heard, this course re-evaluates whether national museums provide symbols of nationhood and local museums expressions of community values, and examines the complex and shifting relationships between museums and the diverse communities they serve.
Key course topics:
- The new museology and national museums
- Community collaboration and the representation of diversity
- Collections assessment and significance
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Course aims:
On completing this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the historical, political, institutional and cultural frameworks for contemporary museum practice in Australia and internationally;
2. Synthesise key concepts from the various disciplines that contribute to the field of Museum Studies and apply theoretical ideas to specific situations and case studies;
3. Demonstrate effective communication and independent conceptual thinking relevant to the field of museum-focused research; and
Demonstrate ongoing engagement with the contemporary cultural and collecting sector in Canberra and overseas through critical appraisal of actual and virtual, sites, exhibitions, collecting policies and audience engagement.
Learning Outcomes:
1. To gain skills in written and verbal expression for a variety of relevant professional and academic purposes that include essays, collections assessments, funding applications, proposals for exhibitions and public programs, and interpretive text.
2. To develop skills in interdisciplinary thinking and the ability to apply theoretical ideas to case studies developed from personal observation.
3. To gain skills required for humanities research and museum work. This includes data-collection, analysis, and verbal and written presentation at the standard of a postgraduate degree.
Indicative Assessment
Exhibition review (20% / 800 wds); Comparative essay and in-class presentation (50% / 3000 wds); and Significance Assessment (30% / 1200 wds).
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Requisite and Incompatibility
You will need to contact the School of Archaeology and Anthropology to request a permission code to enrol in this course.
Preliminary Reading
Elaine Heumann Gurian (2006) Civilizing the Museum: the collected writings of Elaine Heumann Gurian. London: Routledge.
Bettina Messias Carbonell (ed) (2004) Museum Studies: An Anthology of Contexts. Malden MA: Blackwell Publishing.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $2604 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $4146 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
