Structuring the Museum Audience on the Example of Izhevsk and Votkinsk

Abstract

Modern sociological research demonstrates the need to comprehend the transformation of the organizational principles of museum work, which implies the intensification of interactivity in various forms and the provision of opportunities for individual involvement and for the activities of public associations. The development of museums presupposes a combination of two factors: firstly, the articulated symbolic value of objects, and secondly, different types of capital of actors who make up a one-time or permanent audience. Museums in provincial cities have difficulties with these factors, as their inhabitants, due to their habitus, are limited in resources and the cultural value of the practice of visiting museums is not obvious to them. In addition, provincial museums as a rule do not have information about the composition of their visitors and their cultural needs. The aim of the article is to determine the structure of the museum audience on the example of two cities of the Udmurt Republic — Izhevsk and Votkinsk. The empirical basis of the research is based on the data of a qualitative study with the staff of museums in Izhevsk and Votkinsk(n = 25), supplemented by surveys in Izhevsk (n = 600) and Votkinsk (n = 330). In accordance with L. Lotina’s typology, five forms of cultural engagement were identified: public, audience, visitors, users (regular visitors), and participants. The analysis of such categories as public and audience allows us to define the place of going to museums as a form of leisure. Differences in leisure preferences of residents of Izhevsk and Votkinsk are related to commercial forms of leisure. Regular visitors of museums and other cultural institutions, among whom middle-aged women, pensioners and families with children predominate, demonstrate a high degree of satisfaction with the content and level of work of these institutions. At the same time, there are difficulties associated with the transition of regular visitors to the category of active participants, which are caused by staffing, resource and organizational limitations of museums, as well as the existing level of differentiation of the museum audience.