This course provides students an in-depth introduction to the history, theory and practice of museums. It approaches the museum as a site of critical inquiry for some of the most pressing social, cultural and political concerns of the late 19th, 20th and early 21st century. The course also introduces students to the interdisciplinary theoretical discourse and debates that ground museum studies as a discipline. Using the museums of Philadelphia as a laboratory, we will spend time examining museums in practice and meeting with a range of museum professionals in art, anthropology, and science museums. Through forays into museum practice and museum scholarship, students will come to understand the significance of the modern museum historically, at present, and into a future filled with new opportunities.
- Instructor of record: Monique Scott