Museums rely on items to build their collections but not all the items that are housed on their shelves unarguable belong to the museum its self. In the museum culture, there is a conflict between the museum and descendant communities over the rightful owners of cultural collections. Although museums are in possession of items, possession is not equivalent to ownership. In the movie, “Stolen Spirits of Haida Gwaii”, the Haida people discussed how, without their knowledge, the remains of their ancestors were stolen. In Norman Palmer’s article, Museums and Cultural Property, he discusses the legal constraints on museums for acquiring objects. Today there are many rules that prohibit museums from buying items that have do not have documentation of a clear owner. Though these rules do establish a state of sound ownership for future collections it does not apply to the already questionable claims on pre-established collections. Now that the …show more content…
Many museums rely on displaying items of different communities. Some museums would not survive if they returned entire cultural collections. Edison and Dean discuss in their article, Museums, and patrimony, how museums are interconnected with “preservation of cultural heritage”. In order to preserve cultures, museums have to house collections of cultural artifacts. In the movie, the Haida discussed items, like the decorative ladle, no longer exist in the community, because of natural disasters, like fire. Without institutions who collect, and preserve items, many would no longer exist. Though these items are no longer in the descendent communities they can be seen and learned from for generations to come. This is one of the ethical dilemmas the museum world is faced with, whether to return the items to the descendant community or act as a cultural meeting
...ons. New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Louvre in Paris, and all other western museums contain vast collections of work from other parts of the world. These marbles symbolize the cultural property in all of the world’s museums, and this debate affects them all.
Thesis: The Government can give permission to make the museum but it is usually business runned when it comes to maintaining it.
Brodie argues that the antiquities market is flawed because there is no dialogue between the parties involved. Brodie writes, “Several studies of exhibition and auction catalogues have shown that most recently assembled collections are composed largely of antiquities with no verifiable provenance, and that most material appearing for sale on the market likewise has no provenance” (4). Because of this, there is an inherent lack of trust and transparency, as statements made by the trade community are made without any verifiable evidence. He is quick to clarify, however that an artifact having an unknown origin does not necessarily mean that it was stolen. Moreover, he argues that most people seem to not necessarily care about this issue; they simply go to the museums or buy the marble statues. Brodie argues that in order for the antiquities market to fully succeed, there must be open dialogue between all of the parties involved, so that there can be understanding across the
Despite the fact that it has been over two decades since the passage of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the issues of ethical conduct revolving around repatriation are still highly relevant today. The political implications of repatriation show just how delicate the issue can be for both archaeologists and tribal members. The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (Public Law 101-601; 25 U.S.C. 3001-3013) describes the rights of Native American lineal descendants, Indian tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations with regard to the treatment, repatriation, and nature of Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony, referred to communally in the statute as cultural items, with which they can show a relationship of lineal descent or cultural affiliation. Repatriation legislation
Museums are a form of education that is easily accessible to the public and intend to educate through informative exhibits and displays. Through time some museums have drifted from their original purpose and focused more on profit than being informative and teaching the public. These museums are forced to chose exhibits based off of marketability and reproductions instead of how informative it is to the museum-goers. While some museums worry more about profits than quality exhibits others such as the Museum of Modern Art did not change the exhibits drastically after they began to lose money(Source A). Deciding which exhibits should be displayed in a museum is difficult and there are a variety of approaches to choosing exhibits.
The debate over cultural properties is one that has continued since the beginning of archaeological discovery. Who owns the past, or has the right to preserve cultural remains, are questions that drive this debate and cause controversy among societies. (Messenger) The way that cultural artifacts are obtained have the most uproar among the archaeological society. Collectors and looters are the source of this issue and have been discredited by many archaeological societies.
Collections play a crucial role in fulfilling a museum’s mission and purpose. A museum’s collection is defined by its collection policy past and present which in turn helps to shape the museum’s goals and direction. As stewards of collections, museums are expected to maintain the highest professional standards legally and ethically.
In “Whose Culture Is It, Anyway? ”, Kwame Anthony Appiah begins by pointing out that some of the museums of the world, particularly in the West, have large collections of artefacts and objects which were robbed from developing and poor countries. He then raises a question: who owns these cultural patrimony and properties? Our first answer may be that since they make up the cultural heritage of a people, they belong to the people and culture from whom they were taken. Appiah has doubt about this and argues that if some cultural artefacts are potentially valuable to all human beings, they should belong to all of humanity. He thinks that when they make contribution to world culture, they should be protected by being made available to those who would benefit from experiencing them and put into trusteeship of humanity.
"Baraka" exemplifies everything Emile Durkheim referred to as sociological functionalism. This is the perspective that various parts of a society or social system affect other parts within that system, and how they function in the overall continuity of that system. Durkheim showed that all the aspects of human society work together much like the parts of a machine. The concept of social solidarity - ties that bind people to one another and to society as a whole- play a major role in the lives of humans. This film reflects these ideas.
Chapter 1, Museums and Community. In The Handbook for Museums. London and New York: Routledge, pp. 3-12,
The soul of a museum is the essence of identity by which it is defined; it is that which makes a museum a museum. The museum has identifiable requisites without which it would not be a museum. By using creative methods of exhibition, interpretation, and education as well as effective methods of collection and conservation, the museum becomes an integral aspect and a valuable resource in society. There are unique distinctions between the museum and other cultural institutions. Although the basic requirements of the definition of the museum have remained predominantly unaltered in modern history, the role of the museum in society has changed. Museums unite in purpose through their characteristics and features, are different from other cultural institutions, and have changed over time with respect to their role in society.
There are three main museum methods for acquisition of objects. Gifts and bequests are the most common kind of collections, with many smaller museums totally dependent on these. A deed of gift is drawn up and the museum tries to ensure that there are “no restrictions”, so that in the future, there will be no conflicts with the donor’s family. Larger or wealthier museums also acquire objects by purchase from private sources, dealers, or at auction. Items must be determined to be suitable by a number of sources. Exchange or loan is also used to mutually benefit and improve collections. This method allows a museum to save money, free storage space, and increase advertising. Formal exchange is difficult though, because materials to be traded are usually uneven in value, so sale or extended loan is more feasible.
There are several museums that exist for different purposes, whether they are to entertain the public by exhibiting modern art work pieces or to maintain historical events memorable for today’s society. Museums can reflect societal values and background and are also accessible to everyone without the exclusion of any gender, religion or race. I have had the opportunity to visit two museums in particular, one being the Museum of Contemporary Art and the other being the Japanese American National Museum, they are both located in the city of Los Angeles. Although, both museums truly reveal the change of our history through their exhibitions, each has its own concept towards the message it wants
A.I.: Artificial Intelligence is a Steven Spielberg science fiction drama film, which conveys the story of a younger generation robot, David, who yearns for his human mother’s love. David’s character stimulates the mind-body question. What is the connection between our “minds” and our bodies?
The purpose of museums is to collect and archive different artifacts of value ranging from historical, cultural and scientific significance and present these items for the education and enjoyment of the public. By displaying artifacts of historic significance, museums impact visitors from around the world. Through collecting artifacts, a museum can preserve the culture or political landscape of a nation, or region at a particular time in history. Museums also boost the economy of the area where the are located. Patrons of museums bring in revenue to cities around the globe. In the U.S. over 4.8 billion artifacts are held in public trust (Morris). These artifacts are housed and displayed at museums, archives, and libraries, preserving artifacts