ANT 305 - Museums and Social Science

Institution:

Le Moyne College

Subject:

Description:

This course examines the science and art of museums from the perspective of social science. The seminar will have two elements: First, we will explore how social theory has shaped the conception and arrangement of cultural properties from the curio cabinets of Victorian gentlemen to virtual museums accessible on the Internet. Museums are themselves a cultural artifact, produced in specific milieus. We will examine how Europeans’ conceptions of other peoples and their theories concerning the similarities and differences of these peoples have shaped museum collections and displays of artifacts over time. We will also consider issues such as ethics, cultural sensitivity, funding, methods of collecting, and the return of cultural properties to their original owners in light of contemporary political and social movements. Secondly, we will visit physical museums in the Syracuse area as well as virtual museums throughout the world (via computer) as a way of investigating the philosophies and purposes of the museum from their curators. We will be examining the collections first-hand in order to produce a critical analysis of each collection. Please note that this course involves field work at museum sites. This will usually be done on Saturday mornings. Students who take this course will be expected to be available at these times. Initial computer competence is not necessary for this course.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.lemoyne.edu

Phone Number:

(315) 445-4100

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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