October 4th, 2010
Is it just me, or has anyone else been thinking that museums and galleries could help rescue our democracy? There are almost no public spaces left that are non-partisan enough to allow proper debate without trying to sell you something.
Think of lots of other organisations – their focus on advertising revenue or viewing figures or selling copies, or marketing something pollutes their motives for debate. Museums and galleries are still pure in that sense….nothing to sell you except understanding (unless you count trinkets in the shop on your way out). That means they could (should) do democracy very,very well because democracy needs three things: understanding of an issue (tick: museums are mainly about de-coding and explaining things to people); debate, discussion and collective deliberation (tick: museums have the space to discuss, and the skills to facilitate – or know where to find someone that does); and collective decision-making (half a tick: museums could underwrite, referee, and record people’s collective decisions and combine them with others around the country to get some critical mass). It’s their level-headedness and equitable public spaces, both de-contaminated from toxic hidden agenda that make museums special.
Discuss.
Agreed,
The problem with the way museums approach the issue at the moment is they get all introspective and start down the track of trying to make themselves internally democratic. That’s fine of course, but completely distracting from the potential they do have to improve democracy across society more generally, which is what I think you’re talking about.
In a financially chewed-up sector, it’s hardly a great use of museums’ energy to be inwardly-looking at their own democratic purity. It IS something they should do, but not INSTEAD of democacy in the wider community/society.
Posted by Culture Monkey on November 1st, 2010.
It’s hardly surprising, then, that museums’ veracity (the proportion of people who trust them) is so high. Most surveys in the UK and the US rate it at somewhere between 85% and 90%.
That’s right at the top of the charts with Doctors and co. and miles away from politicians, languishing at somewhere near 20%. The expenses scandal and other political self-destructions put politians at the bottom; below estate agents and journalists.
Trust is something that’s not easy to come by in public life, but museums have it by the ton. That’s a massive opportunity that seems to be undiscovered right now.
Posted by Mr Malcontent on November 2nd, 2010.