Course Resources Archive

The first six weeks will be spent exploring the history, nature and meanings of the museum. This means that themes such as the roots of modern museums, the 'cabinet of curiosities', the development of the great national museums, museums and modernity, the post-modern museum, and museums and the local community will be the focus of our attention. At the same time, attention will also be given to other institutional forms of communication of the past.

The second half of the module is taken up by work experience. This can take a variety of forms, to be negotiated with your place of work. You will be expected to work on an agreed project that can be undertaken in the time allocated to the module. You will draw up the brief for this project in conjunction with the module tutor and the recipient institution. You will then be expected to undertake this work, treating this as you would any other form of employment. On completion you will present a report including evidence of your

i. Knowledge and understanding
a) On successful completion of the module the student should be able to:
b) Critically engage with the history of the museum and the museum form
c) Analyse critically the relationship of the museum and other forms of the display of the past to wider socio-cultural processes
d) Critically engage with theoretical debates surrounding the nature of the museum
e) Articulate and debate the relationship between the theoretical and practical nature of both the museum and other institutionalised forms of communication of the past

ii. Skills
a) The principles of report writing
b) The development and delivery of a project brief
c) Work-based skillsGroup interaction skills

Staff / student contact: 10% (lectures, seminars, tutorials)
Student directed learning: 90% (private study 30%; work experience 60%)

The Library Catalogue contains full details of the current reading list for this module. Further details may also be found in the Module Guide.