Museums are faced with ever shifting societal norms, challenging what role it should play in discussing and shaping those norms. These challenges are expressed by protests, imploring and even...Show moreMuseums are faced with ever shifting societal norms, challenging what role it should play in discussing and shaping those norms. These challenges are expressed by protests, imploring and even demanding museums to make structural change. Much work has been done in Museum Studies to understand how museums are capable of weathering these demands, and even suggest that museums can lead the way in reform. This thesis is an attempt to better understand the reality of how museums respond to these shifts in order to construct a solid foundation that will allow for future research. To do so, four variables have been identified that are consistently present in incidents were the museum is put to the test: The Object, The Museum, The Activist, and The Public. In order to better understand these variables on a theoretical, an interdisciplinary literature review has been carried out. To see how theory translates into practice, five case studies have been chosen wherein the variables are isolated and assessed: the first case study concerns the Afrika Museum in the Netherlands; the second case study concerns the British Museum in England; the third case study concerns the National Museum in Warsaw in Poland; the fourth case study concerns the Louvre in France; the fifth and final case study concerns the Hermitage Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Furthermore, an online survey was distributed focusing solely on The Public, as information from this variable’s point of view was not easily found in academic literature. These methods allowed not only for understanding the variables when isolated, but also how they interacted with one another. Findings indicate that the role of each variables can only be defined in broad strokes, and that they are not always consistent. It is suggested that more research be done especially in the role of The Object, as this variable was the most difficult to clearly define. Furthermore, there is a lack of engagement with The Public that needs to be addressed; more comprehensive methods need to be utilised to bridge the chasm between museums and the audience they are trying to reach.Show less
Today, large amounts of Pleistocene fossils and prehistoric artefacts are encountered in the nets of bottom trawling fishing vessels and found on beaches along the Dutch coast. Interestingly, these...Show moreToday, large amounts of Pleistocene fossils and prehistoric artefacts are encountered in the nets of bottom trawling fishing vessels and found on beaches along the Dutch coast. Interestingly, these finds do not derive from the current mainland but originate from a prehistoric land currently submerged beneath the North Sea. This land, known to us as ‘Doggerland’, extended across major parts of the North Sea during times when the sea level was more than 50 meters lower than today. The area consisted of diverse landscapes that ranged from tundra plains, during the glacial periods, to forested areas and coastal swamps, during warmer interglacial periods. These prehistoric landscapes were home to a large number of animal and plant species, and consequentially offered attractive environments for prehistoric hunter-gatherer groups. The fact that remains from Doggerland are encountered today demonstrates that at least parts of these prehistoric landscapes have been preserved beneath the seabed. However, at the same time, the finds indicate that the submerged prehistoric remains are being disturbed and displaced from their original or derived context. The disturbance can be attributed to offshore industrial activities, such as the fishing industry and sand extraction activities. Through their exploitation of the seabed, a large amount of fossil bones and artefacts resurface in the fishing nets and on sand suppleted beaches along the Dutch coast. Besides that, considering that certain offshore industrial activities will expand in response to the renewable energy transition and the ever-rising sea level, major parts of Doggerland are likely to be lost in the future. On the other hand, the nature and extent of the offshore industrial disturbances in relation to the submerged prehistoric remains are far from certain. This applies to today and the future especially. The following thesis, therefore, investigates the impacts of trawling activities, sand extraction and offshore wind generation on the seabed sediments, taking into account the depositional context, taphonomic processes as well as the current hydrodynamic conditions that have altered these deposits already.Show less
Cultural representation through the use of artefacts is a challenging but vital role of any ethnographic collection. It is therefore important for ethnographic collections to consider the kinds of...Show moreCultural representation through the use of artefacts is a challenging but vital role of any ethnographic collection. It is therefore important for ethnographic collections to consider the kinds of narratives and knowledge which is created through the exhibition of artefacts. In order to understand the past and present patterns of a collection’s display, a comprehensive study of its exhibition history must first be mapped out. Such information is useful for curators to understand how their collections have been used in the past, how they are used presently and how they may improve their use for the future. This research paper does such a study, by looking at the exhibition history of the Weltmuseum Wien’s Brazilian collection. By compiling data from past exhibitions, the frequency of display for each accessioned object has been identified. The data was gathered using the museum’s database, archival loan contracts as well as past exhibition catalogues. Analysis of this data set was conducted in order to discuss the implications and findings. Particular interest is paid to the most exhibited objects in the collection and the consequences pertaining to their frequent display. Curatorial practices and the creation of narratives in the museum context are discussed. In order to contextualize this research, the history of loaning and curatorial practices are generally considered as well as in relation to the Weltmuseum in particular. The museum’s origins, the creation of the collection and the key collectors involved are described. This information offers the reader a better understanding of the types of objects in the collection and their background. The findings of this research are positioned in relation to the greater debates surrounding curatorial and exhibition practices in the field. Themes concerning stakeholders, indigenous communities and museum ethics are included throughout the paper. This research also contributes to the academic and curatorial management work currently underway at the museum. By combining the three data sources (database, loan records, exhibition catalogues), the comprehensive list which was created in this study will directly benefit the museum and their records.Show less
Nowadays, tourism has grown into one of the largest industries worldwide being one of the major sources for income and jobs. There is barely a place left untouched by its forces and with the...Show moreNowadays, tourism has grown into one of the largest industries worldwide being one of the major sources for income and jobs. There is barely a place left untouched by its forces and with the prospects of increasing wealth, free time, and accessibility of travelling opportu-nities, predictions for the future tell us that the visitor economy will remain to grow in the coming years as well. Although it brings many opportunities for destinations, it also comes with its fair share of challenges. Discussions regarding tourism are on the rise, as negative effects from tourism are experienced more often. Heritage forms an integral part within this debate since it is a major pull effect for tourists to travel to a destination in the first place. Assuming that heritage does not possess any intrinsic qualities, but is constructed by the use and experience of heritage by people, this means that tourism has the force to transform heritage as well, as tourism is a specific way in which heritage is experienced and interacted with. At the root of these experiences and practices, stands a given heritage discourse and the value system that constructs it. It is, therefore, necessary to examine how the discourse of heritage is constructed, how this causes how people interact with heritage via tourism, and what this tells us how people value heritage in a given context.Because of the discrepancies that tourism creates, I examine possible solutions for these issues by using a sustainability lens, and to evaluate if a sustainable approach can contribute to a healthier tourism management. In addition, I explore how heritage discourse plays into this process, and how it can contribute to sustainable outcomes, both in tourism and heritage management. With this premise in mind, I have taken Amsterdam as case study, as it is one of the major contemporary tourist destinations in the world in which discussions regarding tourism have taken a prominent position in the public discourse. I have looked at a top-down approach, put out by the municipality of Amsterdam named Stad in Balans, in which they have formulated their management strategy for tourism for the coming years. In addition, I have studied a bottom-up initiative called The Untourist Guide to Amsterdam, which is a recently founded movement inspired by practices of crea-tive tourism. By looking at both models, an overview will be given on how sustainability can play a part in tourism and its interaction with heritage, and how the discourse of herit-age can add to the sustainability in how it favors certain values and excludes others.Show less
For the public, underwater heritage parks amalgamate the thrill of sports diving with the educational enjoyment of a museum. Consequently, underwater heritage parks have been a popular medium to...Show moreFor the public, underwater heritage parks amalgamate the thrill of sports diving with the educational enjoyment of a museum. Consequently, underwater heritage parks have been a popular medium to present in-situ underwater cultural heritage (UCH) in countries, such as Australia, the UK, Finland, Sweden, Canada and the US. However, this method to present insitu UCH is not used in the Netherlands. Within the context of the Dutch government’s recent decision to ratify the Faro Convention (Council of Europe 2005) and the growing blue tourism economy and diving community within the country, this thesis assesses the effectiveness of underwater heritage parks and explores the plausibility of utilising this approach within the Netherlands. Through an analysis of literature and case studies pertaining to the global use of underwater heritage parks, this thesis first analyses the challenges and opportunities that underwater heritage parks present for heritage management and determines that the challenges can be mitigated. This makes underwater heritage parks an effective tool for heritage management. However, this also highlights a need to explore the challenges and opportunities that underwater heritage parks potentially bring nearby residents. Through an analysis of the case study of the Museum of Underwater Art, Australia, this thesis found that underwater heritage parks can bring societal, environmental, and economic benefits to the communities that they are located nearby. This can be achieved sustainably when mitigating the harmful impacts of heritage tourism through working with the ongoing consent of nearby residents, providing honest and positive experiences for tourists, and competitiveness cluster strategies. However, all of this can only be accomplished when the sustainability of the UCH resources of an underwater heritage park can be ensured. Through an analysis of case studies in Croatia, Sweden and Finland, this thesis determines that sustainable diver access can be achieved through protective methods of site protection, which use prohibitive equipment or create tour guides through commercial dive operators. However, sustainable access can also be achieved through admissive methods of site protection, which allow unrestricted access but protect UCH through community stewardship, legislation, or initiatives that have successfully changed attitudes towards UCH. However, changing attitudes towards UCH also necessitates reaching the non-diving community. This thesis explores how underwater heritage parks have accomplished this and through the case study of Fathom Five Marine Parks, Canada, states that a multi-faceted approach that provides a broad range of ways to interact with UCH is most effective. Having established the effectiveness of underwater heritage parks and the best methods to provide access to UCH and ensure the sustainability of the resource, this thesis then assesses where this approach could be utilised within the Netherlands. Through building on O’Brien and colleagues (2011, 87) matrices of activities that contradict cultural heritage conservation, based from Ehler and Douvere (2009, 58-59), this thesis found that underwater heritage parks could present in-situ UCH at Cuijk, Europoort, Grevelingen, Hellevoetsluis, IJsselmeer, Maasdriel, Oostvoornse Meer, and the Wadden Sea.Show less
The starting point of this thesis is the Jacobsen collection of the Völkerkundesammlung der Hansestadt Lübeck (Ethnographic Collection of the Hanseatic City of Lübeck, Germany) – around 220 objects...Show moreThe starting point of this thesis is the Jacobsen collection of the Völkerkundesammlung der Hansestadt Lübeck (Ethnographic Collection of the Hanseatic City of Lübeck, Germany) – around 220 objects stemming from a larger collection, which was assembled by the Norwegian brothers Bernard Fillip (1864 – 1935) and Johan Adrian Jacobsen (1853 – 1947) along the Northwest Coast of America, especially among the First Nations of present-day coastal British Columbia in 1884 and 1885. This collecting trip was commissioned by Carl Hagenbeck (1844 – 1913), who hired the brothers to recruit a Northwest Coast group for his next Völkerschau (ethnic or people’s show) through the German Empire. At the same time, the brothers were asked to compile a collection that was presented as an ethnographic side-show during the Bella-Coola-Völkerschau resulting from this journey. As a contribution to the current academic discourse on museum practices in relation to colonial collections, this thesis entails the reconstruction of the provenances of these objects, from their production contexts up to the acquisition of the Jacobsen collection by Lübeck’s former Ethnological Museum from the Hamburg J. F. G. Umlauff firm in 1904. Accordingly, this research considers Indigenous agency within the production and circulation networks that have enabled the formation of Lübeck’s Jacobsen collection. The application of various theoretical approaches dealing with materiality and hybridity, alongside examinations of historical records, especially contemporary newspaper articles and documents pertaining to Adrian Jacobsen, frame this analysis of Indigenous participation opportunities within the collection’s history. The various dimensions of this collection history are demonstrated with the help of object-centered case studies. The question after the Indigenous scope of action hereby illustrates that the creator communities of the Jacobsen collected employed various strategies to negotiate the dimensions of the flow of artefacts to Western institutions and that their position within these processes cannot be reduced to passively meeting the demands of European and American collectors. At the same time, the area of conflict, resulting from settler colonialism in the area and bearing vast negative consequences for Canada’s Indigenous population, is equally relevant. This thesis therefore strives towards critically engaging with colonial provenance research and bringing forward the underrepresented Indigenous perspectives and experiences manifested in the materiality of Lübeck’s Jacobsen collection.Show less
This thesis sought to answer the question: to what extent are documentary viewers consuming an androcentric image of the Palaeolithic? In order to reach a conclusion, it first examined several...Show moreThis thesis sought to answer the question: to what extent are documentary viewers consuming an androcentric image of the Palaeolithic? In order to reach a conclusion, it first examined several prominent models of human evolution and early subsistence, noting the roles of males and females in each, and any bias or stereotyping that arose. Secondly, ethnographic evidence was cautiously evaluated to determine the extent to which anthropological models of early hunter-gatherers accurately reflect modern hunter-gatherer lifestyles. In addition, representations and depictions of Palaeolithic life, and in particular Palaeolithic women and their work, from various popular media sources were examined. Evolutionary theory, ethnographic and archaeological evidence, and common themes in the representation of Palaeolithic women were examined together to devise a definition of ‘androcentrism’ in this context. This definition was then compared to the treatment of women in five documentaries depicting Palaeolithic life, chosen for their perceived scientific authority and influence over the public’s understanding of the Palaeolithic. The results of the analysis of these documentaries showed they firmly adhered to the definition of androcentrism previously devised. Across all documentaries, women were vastly underrepresented compared to men. Where women were represented, they were shown engaging in a much more limited range of activities than men, and these activities perpetuated a modern, Western notion of women’s ‘place’. Women were tied to activities associated with nature such as gathering and childcare, and were excluded from activities related to culture including stone tool use, ritual and art. Activities that were most commonly carried out by females, such as gathering, were also significantly underrepresented in comparison to perceived male activities such as large game hunting. Having established the significant overrepresentation of males and a privileging of their activities across all documentaries examined, this thesis concluded by offering advice for future documentaries to avoid presenting such an overtly androcentric view of the Palaeolithic.Show less
