For Me or Not for Me? Exploring Young Adults’ Museum Representations

Abstract

While museums are widely recognized for their important roles in society, there are concerns about their relevance to young adults, who are claimed to rarely cross museums’ thresholds. This study explores social representations of museums held by 259 young Australian and Chinese adults. The analysis revealed a shared social representation of museums as places for school groups, families, or cultural elites who sought to learn from exhibits of authentic objects. While there were some differences between the perceptions of Chinese and Australian respondents, it was clear that neither group regards museums as places for young adults. Both groups suggested museums would be more appealing if they were more engaging, relevant, welcoming, and offered opportunities for social interaction with peers. Implications for the future design of museums are discussed.