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Sharing the Museum: Rethinking Cultural Mediation and Museum Education

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In tune with society, museums are seen as agents of change and social dialogue and value practices promoting respect for diversity, equality, accessibility and the idea of social inclusion (Bada, 2022; Maczek & Meunier, 2020). Indeed, the multiple right to speak is increasingly present and recognized within museums and cultural institutions. However, it has not always been so. Pierre Bourdieu, one of the most influential researchers in the field of sociology of culture, pointed out that visitors of a lower socio-economic status feel they lack the knowledge required to appreciate museum exhibits. Although his work has been the subject of debate (Coulangeon & Duval, 2013), Bourdieu nevertheless seems to be the researcher who has most influenced the study of cultural inequalities. In retrospect, it can be said that in L'amour de l'art, which he co-authored with Darbel 55 years ago, Bourdieu does more than simply acknowledge the inefficiency of cultural distribution policies, according to Jacobi and Luckerhoff (2012), he was advocating for a nonexistence process in 1969: cultural mediation. Bourdieu with Darbel (1969) believe that love of art or, by extension, a taste for culture, is acquired, not innate. Education can therefore enable an individual to develop cultural competencies.

Museums’ missions have changed and currently, North American establishments are adapting their educational efforts and offering distinct programs for unique audiences. This article is based on a survey of mediation professionals involved in the program entitled Sharing the Museum run by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. It uses an inductive approach that features a qualitative data analysis. The museum stakeholders interviewed describe the mediator as someone who facilitates and guides encounters between visitors and artworks via various tools intended to offer these visitors greater autonomy. According to our study participants, it is possible to use cultural mediation to make legitimized forms of culture more accessible.

Keywords: art ; art museum ; Art Museums in North America ; bourdieu ; communication ; cultural democracy ; cultural mediation ; cultural policies ; culture ; democratization of culture ; diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) ; education ; educational activities ; jacobi ; mediation professionals ; Montreal Museum of Fine Arts ; museum ; museum education ; museums’ missions ; non-public ; public ; Sharing the museum ; social dialogue ; society ; sociology ; visitor

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References

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References

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     [Google Scholar]
  2. Bada, K. (2022). Society and museums today. Museums “from Below”? Greek Crisis and Inequalities: Anthropological Views, 12(5), 29–42.
     [Google Scholar]
  3. Bellavance, G. , Santerre, L. , & Boivin, M. (Eds.). (2000). Démocratisation de la culture ou démocratie culturelle? Deux logiques d'action publique. Éditions de l'IQRC.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Bourdieu, P. , & Darbel A. (1969). L'amour de l'art. Les musées d'art européens et leur public (2nd ed.). Minuit.
     [Google Scholar]
  5. Champagne, M.-È. (2009). Dix ans sur les programmes “Franchir le seuil du Musée” & “Musée en partage.” [Unpublished manuscript]. Service de l’éducation et l'action culturelle du Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal.
  6. Coulangeon, P. , & Duval, J. (2013). Trente ans après La Distinction de Pierre Bourdieu. La Découverte.
  7. Conforti, M. (2000). La tradition éducative et le concept des musées des beaux-arts aux États-Unis. In J. Galard (Ed.), Le regard instruit Action éducative et action culturelle dans les musées. Actes du colloque organisé au musée du Louvre par le Service culturel (pp. 53–69). Musée du Louvre.
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  8. Gaither, E. B. (1992). “Hey! That's mine”: Thoughts on pluralism and American museums. In I. Karp , C. Kreamer , & S. Levine (Eds.), Museums and communities: The politics of public culture (pp. 56–64). Smithsonian Institution Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Jacobi, D. (2015). Les médiations patrimoniales: Notes sur les dimensions culturelles et communicationnelles. In M.-E. Ricker (Ed.), Médiation muséale et patrimoniale. Enjeux et perspectives (pp. 27–45). Fédération Wallonie Bruxelles.
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  10. Jacobi, D. , & Luckerhoff, J. (2010). Public et non-public du patrimoine culturel: Deux enquêtes sur les manifestations différenciées de l'intérêt et du désintérêt. Loisir et Société, 32(1), 99–121.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Jacobi, D. , & Luckerhoff, J. (Eds.). (2012). Looking for nonpublics. Presses de l'Université du Québec.179
     [Google Scholar]
  12. Jacobi, D. , Meunier, A. , & Romano, S. (2000). La médiation culturelle dans les musées: Une forme de régulation sociale. Recherche en communication, 13(1), 69–85.
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  13. Jeanson, F. (1973). L'action culturelle dans la cité. Éditions du Seuil.
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  15. Legari, S. (2020). Muséothérapie et culture du soin dans les musées: L'engagement du Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal. In E. Maczek & A. Meunier (Eds.), Des musées inclusifs. Engagements, démarches, réflexions (pp. 277–288). Presses universitaires de Dijon.
     [Google Scholar]
  16. Luckerhoff, J. , Meunier, A. , Schiele, B. , & Champagne-Poirier, O. (2019). La notion de non-public en débat. In J. Le Marec , B. Schiele , & J. Luckerhoff (Eds.), Musées, Mutations… (pp. 227–246). Éditions universitaires de Dijon.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. Maczek, E. , & Meunier, A. (2020). Des musées inclusifs. Engagements, démarches, réflexions. Presses universitaires de Dijon.
     [Google Scholar]
  18. Nadeau, H. (1999). L’éducation au Musée: Pour qui et pourquoi? Collage, Winter 1998–1999, 16.
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Paulus, O. (2010). How do boards of directors contribute to firm performance? Enrichment of framework with artists’ residencies [Conference session]. EIASM—7th Workshop on Corporate Governance, Brussels.
  20. Pitman, B. , & Hirzy, E. (2004). Art museums and communities. University of Chicago Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  21. Sandell, R. (2002). Museums, society, inequality. Routledge.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Sandell, R. (2003). Social inclusion, the museums and the dynamics of sectoral change. Museum and Society, 1(1), 45–62.
     [Google Scholar]

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