EDUCACIN A DISTANCIA

Educacin a Distancia
Carrera: Tecnicatura en Intervencin Sociocomunitaria.

Asignatura: Ingls Nivel II

10

20

This paper provides a theoretical perspective on an art museum as an ecosystem,

drawing on the ecological perspective described by Gregory Bateson. This
perspective views individuals, human societies, and nature as interconnected and
interdependent through communicative networks. Museums fit nicely into this
paradigm in that staff members, departments, collections, mission statements,
visitors, and other cultural and educational institutions are linked together,
influencing and being influenced by each other. The operational systems of many
museums, however, are hierarchical and non-communicative. As a result,
knowledge and ideas are not efficiently shared and transformed among museum
professionals and the communities they serve. These museum practices have
excluded diverse perspectives and neglected the interests of underrepresented
people. Through hypothesizing the ecological museum model, I provide an
alternative museum management and educational model that sees museums as
holistic and ecological institutions as part of their larger communities and societies.
Keywords: museum management; cultural diversity; social inclusion; art museum;
ecology of knowledge; inclusive museum; constructivist museum; social
responsibility

Introduction
Art museums have traditionally been considered as depositories of artwork and artifacts that
are deemed historically and aesthetically significant. Many art museums still cater to affluent
members of the dominant culture, and the historical role of museums to collect, preserve, and
research objects is still apparent. This focus on objects over visitors has shown a tendency
30 toward elitism, monoculturalism, Eurocentric, and concentration on academic research on
collections and Western art histories. These qualities have excluded underrepresented groups
of people from fully participating in museum exhibitions and activities, and their stories from
being heard in mainstream museums (Ames 2006; Fleming 2002; Marzio 1991; McClellan
2003; Tucker 1992). Some museums, however, have shifted from this traditional tendency to

EDUCACIN A DISTANCIA

one that values the broader needs and interests of visitors; moreover, this shift has been
recommended by some museum professionals and scholars. For example, a number of
studies demonstrate that many people go to museums to experience, learn, and see what they
are interested in and to build social relationships with others, rather than just to look at
artwork and read labels. Visitors walk away with something they have constructed through
40 museum experiences under the influence of their previous knowledge and memories, the
physical context of the museum, and interactions among family members, friends, or other
museum visitors and staff (Falk and Dierking 2000).
[]
Batesons ecology of mind
I present Batesons concept of ecology of mind as described in his book, Steps to an Ecology of
Mind (2000). This book consists of a series of essays he wrote throughout his life in various
academic fields. Bateson was an anthropologist, social scientist, linguist, and semiotician, and
was involved with other interdisciplinary scholarship. However, his overarching theoretical
argument is that we are all part of each other and the natural world, and the system of our
50 mind resembles that of living systems, human societies, and natural ecosystems. []
Museum as an ecosystem
There are many organisms in a pond, including aquatic plants, fish, frogs, and bacteria. They
all live together in a small body of water that is sustainable and selforganized, and there are
many activities and events going on in the pond. First, chlorophyll in the aquatic plants, called
producers, is converting carbon dioxide in the water into oxygen through the process of
photosynthesis. The oxygen generated by the producers is consumed by animals and
microorganisms. At the same time, those animals are exhaling carbon dioxide, which is
essential for plants. When animals and plants die, they are broken down by bacteria and the
60 decomposed bodies become food for microbes and some invertebrates. Decomposition also
produces carbon dioxide. Every organism in the pond is interconnected and interdependent,
forming a web of life.
Likewise, a museum functions like an ecosystem. Museum staff members produce programs,
exhibitions, and events using museum resources, such as collections and archives. This
process is shaped by the museums mission, goals, and policies; it is collaborative and
reciprocal. The finished products are delivered to audiences through displays, workshops,
lectures, and tours. Museum audiences consume and digest these experiences, and provide
feedback through their participation in programs, docent tours, visitor studies, and
conversations with museum staff. Once museum staff members receive messages from their
70 visitors, they can improve their practices through material resources, creativity, and various
efforts to produce a better and more satisfying set of educational programs and exhibitions.
They may also respond by adjusting the museums policies and strategies. Therefore, all
human and non-human elements of the museum are interconnected and interdependent.

EDUCACIN A DISTANCIA