I am frequently asked, mostly at family gatherings, what it is that I exactly “do” as a professor. This question prompts answers that have been redefined and refined over time but continues to evolve over time.
My main area of research is situated in public museums. Specifically, I am interested in how museums negotiate their authority to define particular disciplinary knowledge distinctions (such as “history” and “culture”), and how the public accepts (or not) such representations. Much of my research program stems from this interest.
My interest in museums has recently prompted an examination of how they remain educational institutions, broadly defined. Given the authority museums possess, mostly because of their collections of objects considered evidence of a past or of a culture, much of what is presented is often left unquestioned. Yet, museums do, in their attempt to inform the general public, present concepts and themes that are often difficult. I am thinking particularly of exhibitions focused on war and trauma. I am interested in how such topics are used to define a broader collective identity while ignoring examining what knowledge is not gained or is ignored through the exhibit. Displays of war and trauma do not necessarily realize the cognitive and affective responses to such issues. If such consideration is missing, what can we claim about the museum’s educational imperative?
I examine the public educational role of museums and how museums utilize various technologies to provide opportunity to develop knowledge. While there is much confusion about digital humanities and how technologies advance a particular understanding of history, how is it that museums are using such technologies that go beyond entertainment?
I have included links to many of the papers that I have written on the topic of museums, history education, and historical consciousness. Below are the links to my most recent papers. As well, I have provided links to two articles written about my research program when I was on faculty at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. Of course, I would invite any comments.
“More than a Single Best Narrative: Collective History and the Transformation of Historical Consciousness” – Curriculum Inquiry (Vol.38, Issue 5) PDF
“Dare We Know the Nation? Considering the Nexus of Discursive Leveraging and Identity” – Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education (Vol.29, Issue 2) 2008 PDF
“Displayed Objects, Indigenous Identities, and Public Pedagogy” - Anthropology & Education Quarterly (Vol.37, Issue 4) 2006 PDF
“Interrupting the Gaze: On Reconsidering Authority in the Museum” – Journal of Curriculum Studies (Vol.38, Issue 1) 2006 PDF
“On Defense of the Nation” – Social Studies (Vol.96, Issue 5) 2005 PDF
Inside Illinois Article, September 2009
Inside Illinois Article, February 2009