Sociomuseology as a school of thought and Museologia Social as a practice. How can Museums help to transform the reality of groups under the effect of marginalization?

Maria Neu

doi:10.36572/csm.2020.vol.60.07

Abstract

As museums are organizations that is supposed to serve society, they need to adapt to social changes. We live in an era where we understand that representativeness is of paramount importance for groups under effect of marginalization. The voices of these people have been systematically and institutionally silenced for several hundred years. Since traditional museology fails to engage with marginalized groups, and is, until today, a fundamentally elitist institution, Sociomuseology as a school of thought and the practice of Social Museology emerged with the clear mission to rectify this deficit. The school of thought, the practice and their potential for sociopolitical and economic development of a territory deserve to be carefully looked at. This article aims to provide insights about this new museological paradigm. Two case studies of Social Museum institutions in Brazilian favelas will be presented that exemplify the benefits these museums have already produced for the communities they stand in. Examples of actions developed in these museums and how they affect the daily life of the local habitants will be displayed. This paper was written based on material gathered for the author’s bachelor thesis delivered in Germany in 2018 and counts with field studies, original transcripted and translated interviews, observations and an analysis of the social function of these museums. Keywords: Sociomuseology; Social Museology; social responsibility; collective memory vs. official history

Highlights

This article aims to draw attention to a new school of thought inside of museology that has been developing with a strong focus in South America for approximately 30 years, and which is still largely unknown to many international scholars: Sociomuseology
Museology are, and how they can help to improve the lives of the marginalized3
It is important to emphasize that Social Museology (Museologia Social)4 was not created by scholars and is only being appropriated and divulged by universities

Summary

Introduction

This article aims to draw attention to a new school of thought inside of museology that has been developing with a strong focus in South America for approximately 30 years, and which is still largely unknown to many international scholars: Sociomuseology. These events highlighted the idea that museums can achieve more than to offer knowledge through the presentation of objects – they are seen as institutions which can and should develop territories and their inherent societies in social, political and economic perspectives.

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Conclusion