Museological Theory and Practice

Recommended Prerequisites

n/a

Teaching Methods

This course unit will be taught as a seminar: presentation of contents, clearing of doubts, and supervision of tasks by the teachers; preparation, presentation, and discussion of tasks by the students. Experts will be invited to deliver lectures and students will have the opportunity to visit museums.

Learning Outcomes

Further develop knowledge on identity/memory and cultural heritage policies, the history and theory of museology, museological programmes and the management/programming of museum institutions, scientific research and museography, collections or reserves and expository discourse, communication with and reception of audiences, types of museum institutions, and features of museums/interpretative centres.

Acquisition of skills in researching the humanities and social sciences, in the drafting and completion of museological projects, and in the assessment of museological policies and projects.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. Museums, identities, and memory policies.

2. Traditional museology, new museology, and postmodern museology.

3. Museum programmes, museum management/programming.

4. Scientific research and museography, collections or reserves.

5. Expository discourse, communication, representation, participation, and involvement of audiences.

6. Types of museum institutions and features of museums/interpretation centres.

7. Museums and communities.

8. Museums, economy, and territorial differentiation.

9. Case studies

Assessment Methods

Assessment
In addition to the mandatory evaluation elements — bibliographic and documentary research work (15 pages of text including footnotes), critical review (7 pages), presentation and discussion of a topic —, students are encouraged to participate in classes, write observation reports, and organize and participate in dialogue conferences and field trips, etc.: 100.0%

Bibliography

Alonso Fernandez, L. (1995), Museología. Introducción a la teoría y práctica del museo. Ediciones Istmo, 2ª edição.

Casaleiro P. (2010) “Museologia da ciência: perspectivas cruzadas numa década de excelência e inovação”, In Museologia.pt, 4 (126-143).

Gob, A. & Drouguet, N. (2003), La muséologie. Histoire, développements, enjeux actuels. Armand Colin Éditeur.

Hernández, F. H. (1994) Manual de Museología. Editorial Síntesis.

Janes, R. & Sandell, R. (Coord.) (2019), Museum activism. Routledge.

Lord, G. D. & Lord, B. (2001) Manual of Museum Planning. Altamira Press.

Macdonald, Sh. (2015), A Companion to Museum Studies. Wiley-Blackwell.

Nunes, J. P. A. (2016), “Património cultural, museus e desenvolvimento: conceitos teóricos, políticas públicas e “sociedade civil”, In S.S. Teixeira (Org.)(2016), Patrimônio e museus na contemporaneidade (pp. 27-52). EDUFBA.

Vergo, P. (Dir.)(1989), The new museology.Reaktion Books.