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Museums and the Public Sphere

Paperback

Published: 19th April 2012
Ships: 5 to 9 business days
RRP $42.95
$39.50

Museums and the Public Sphere investigates the role of museums around the world as sites of democratic public space.

  • Explores the role of museums around the world as sites of public discourse and democracy
  • Examines the changing idea of the museum in relation to other public sites and spaces, including community cultural centers, public halls and the internet
  • Offers a sophisticated portrait of the public, and how it is realized, invoked, and understood in the museum context
  • Offers relevant case studies and discussions of how museums can engage with their publics' in more complex, productive ways

"[Barrett]constructs a framework within which it is possible to both confront some startling realities about the gap between museums' purported ‘public' role and their efficacy and relevance in the ‘public sphere', and consider initiatives that might rectify this situation." (Visitor Studies Journal, 9 March 2012)

 

List of Images vii

Introduction 1

1 The Public Sphere 15

2 Historical Discourses of the Museum 45

3 The Museum as Public Space 81

4 Audience, Community, and Public 118

5 The Museum as Public Intellectual 143

Conclusion 164

References 175

Acknowledgments 191

Index 193

ISBN: 9781118274835
ISBN-10: 1118274830
Audience: Professional
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Number Of Pages: 206
Published: 19th April 2012
Dimensions (cm): 22.8 x 15.3  x 1.041
Weight (kg): 0.274