Pa r t n e r s h i p s a nd t h e P owe r o f P o s s e s s i o n a nd P r o f i t
“Mu s eum o f t h e C i t i z e n ” P an e l a t t h e B r i t i s h Mu s eum
KYVH7EthnographyARCLG209:Heritage,Globalisation,andDevelopment 22April2016
Figure1:Kopplin,A.2016,BritishMuseumGreatCourtafterMuseumoftheCitizenPanel.(blackandwhite).
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1.Introduction
“Name?”Afterqueuingsilentlyfortenminutes,itwasnowmyturntoproduce
proofofmyticketpurchase.TheBritishMuseum,nowclosedtothegeneral
publicfortheevening,wasquietexceptforthesystematicshufflingofticket-
holdersintotheauditorium.Thequestion:“HowwilltheBritishMuseumpresent
itselftothepublicandbehaveinthefaceofsuggestionsoutsidetheprofession?”
ranthroughmymindasIbegantostudythecontentanddynamicsofthe
“MuseumoftheCitizen”panelevent4March2016.
AsoneofthemostprestigiousWorldHeritagemuseumsintheworld,theBritish
Museumcanbeseenasconstitutingitsownprofessionalcommunitywitha
reputationforpurposefullyclosingitselfofffromvisitorsandevenother
museums.LizForgan,aBritishMuseumpanelmember,openlyacknowledged
theBritishMuseum’sreputationasa“threat”whenintroducingtheevent
(“MuseumoftheCitizen”2016panel).Slowly,sheexplained,thenew
museologicalphilosophiescirculatingandprofessionalappointmentswithinthe
museumhaveresultedinadesiretoextendoutwardsintothepublicand
professionalcommunitiesandcreatea“dialoguebetweentheBritishMuseum
andtheworlditlivesin”(“MuseumoftheCitizen”2016panel).
WhatbecameapparentthroughouttheeventweretheBritishMuseum’s
assumptionaboutheritageownershipasmerelypossessionanditsassertionof
thatpowerwithinthesectorfromthosepossessions.Theseheritageobjects,
oftennotproducedorfoundwithintheUnitedKingdom,areusedaspawnsin
ordertoforgepartnershipswithothermuseumsandfurtheritsownname.In
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thecourseoftheevening,hypocrisiesarosesurroundingthemeaningof
citizenship,ownership,andthenatureofpartnershipsamongheritage
organizationsandtheirpublic.Theelementsofadialogicapproach(Harrison
2013)toheritagepartnershipswerepresentinthepanelmemberswordsand
yetareabsentwhendescribingthenatureofthesepartnerships.
2.Ethnographyat“MuseumoftheCitizen”Panel
2.1Methodology
ThisstudyconstitutesanethnographyexaminingthenetworkstheBritish
Museumhascreatedoutsideitsownwalls.Inwritingthis‘network
ethnography’,IattempttofollowthesuggestionsofBerthod,Grothe-Hammer,
andSydow(2016),andapplyamixofbothqualitativeandquantitativeresearch
methodstothestudy,thoughIrelyheavieruponmyqualitativefindings.These
methodsareappliedwhenexaminingthestructureofaninterorganisational
networkandhowthatplanproducesandaffectsactions(Berthodetal.2016).
2.2QualitativeandQuantitativeResearchMethods
Thedataforthisstudywascollectedthroughobservationsofthepanelmembers
andphysicalaudienceparticipantsaswellastheirreactionstovirtualaudience
questionsviaTwitter#MuseumOfTheCitizen.Additionally,textanalysiswas
conductedonthe‘MuseumoftheCitizen’onlineresourcesandpromotional
material.
Myroleasaresearcherwasthatofbothobserverandparticipant.Theeventwas
broughttomyattentionthroughsocialmedia,inthesamewayasmanyother
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participants.Ipurchasedthesame£5ticketandsatintheauditoriumseatsalong
witheveryotheraudiencememberphysicallypresent.Thoughaudience
membersweregrantedpermissiontoaskquestions,Ichosetonotguidetheflow
ofconversationtowardsmypersonalresearchquestionsandinsteadoptedto
observethepaneldiscussionprogressorganically.
2.3TheResearchField
Thecentralsettingforthisethnographywasthe“MuseumoftheCitizen”panel
thattookplacebetween18:00and20:00intheauditoriumoftheBritish
MuseuminBloomsburyon4March2016.ThoughIestimatedbetweenone
hundredandone-hundred-and-twentyphysicalaudiencemembers,Ifocused
primarilyonthepresentationsandanswersofthefivepanelmembersandthe
twoadditionalspeakersattheevent.Asecondary,onlinesettingwasalsousedin
thisstudyastheeventcreatedavirtualcommunitythroughtheuseofsocial
mediaandawebsite.
2.4ResearchEthics
ForthisstudyIconductedmyresearchcovertly,butwithinanentirelypublic
setting.Theobjectsofmyresearch,thepanelmembers,alreadyhadtheir
identitiespublishedinadvertisementsfortheeventsandwerepreparedto
speakinapubliccapacity.Withtheirwordsandprofessionalidentitiespublicly
knownandadvertised,therewasnotaneedtocontactthespeakersbeforehand
fortheuseoftheirspokencontentorconcealtheirnamesandprofessions.
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Sincetheaudiencememberswereinformedbythemuseumthattheeventwas
beingrecordedinaudioandvisualformat,theywereawaretheirwordscouldbe
usedpublicly.Theiridentitieshowever,wouldstillremainanonymousunless
voluntarilyofferedbytheparticipantsthemselves.Myresearchwasnot
concernedwiththepersonalidentitiesoftheparticipants,merelythepanel
members’reactionstotheirwords(whetherverbalorvirtual).Therefore,the
contenttheaudiencemembersprovidedhasbeenusedinthisstudyto
contextualizepanelmembers’responses,butthepersonalidentitiesofthe
individualsremainanonymouseventothisresearcher.
2.5Reflexivity
IrecognizemypositionasaMuseumStudiesmastersstudentandcurrent
volunteerfortheBritishMuseum’sCommunityEngagementDepartmentcan
complicatemyanalysisofthistopicandpotentiallyleavemeopentobias.These
factorssimultaneouslyprovidemewithadeeperinsightintothemuseological
practicesoftheBritishMuseumandthehistoricalcontextsoftheseheritage
policies;however,muchofmypersonalworkinmuseumshasbeeninthefieldof
audienceresearchandoutreach,makingmesensitivetotheconcernsofthe
publiccommunities.Iseekthentobetransparentinhowtheseexperiences
mightaffectmyanalysis.
2.6TheoreticalFramework
Theacademictheorythatshapesthisethnographyishingedupontheideathat
heritagepoliciesaremoreaccuratelyunderstoodasprocessesratherthan
products(Howard2003;Harrison2013).Themuseumhistoricallyhas
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perpetuatedandheighteneditsownculturalpracticesthroughauthoritativeand
socialandpoliticalplatforms(Bennett1995).Thepracticestheybringintothe
futurearedependedupontheircurrentvalues,butthesevaluesarestrongly
perpetuatedbythemorepowerfulactors(Harrison2013).
Therearemultipleactorsthatcontributetoheritage-productionandby
wideningthenetworkofdialogue,thepreviouslyexcludedactorsaregivena
chancetoactivelyparticipate(Harrison2013).Naturallythen,heritagecanbe
seenasasocialactandbyexaminingtheconversationshadamongpartnersand
thenatureoftheirrelationshiptooneanother,heritagebeginstopresentitselfin
amoreholisticform.Heritagepoliciesarecreatedthroughnetworksof
inseparableactors,bothtangiblepeopleandobjectsaswellasintangible
practices(Harrison2013).Aswithanysocialinteraction,powerdynamicsexist.
Onceweidentifythemorepowerfulactors,wecanbegintoseewhyparticular
setsofvalueshavebeenhighlighted,andmoreimportantly,whatsetsofvalues
havebeensuppressed.
Theaimofadialogicapproachtoheritageistodemocratizetheprocessof
heritage-makingandactivelyseekoutthediversitythatexistsintheworldand
begintoincorporatethemintomainstreamheritagepoliciesasequallyvaluable
producersandconsumersofheritage(Harrison2013:229).“Differenceand
diversitymustbepresentednotasintrinsic,butassomethingtobechosenand
activelypromoted;notassomethingthatissimplyrootedinthepast,butasan
effectivechoicetowardswhichsocietiesmustworkinthefuture”(Harrison
2013:230).Incirculatingthenotionsthatothergroupshaveaboutheritage,
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thoseactorsaswellastheirideasbecomemoreacceptedandlesscontested
throughouttheworldandtheentiresectorbenefits.
3.Defining‘Citizen’oftheMuseum
Theeventwaspublicizedwiththetagline:“Haveyoursayandhelpshapethe
museumofthefutureatthisspecialevent”(Appendix1).Theeventaimedto
demonstratetheBritishMuseum’sdemocraticpracticesinproducing
collaborativeheritagepoliciesbyengagingwiththeir‘citizens’.Citizenryisoften
definedintermsofinclusion,butMillerandYúdice(2002:105)warnagainst
thatfallacy,consideringtheexclusionsaswell,“thenon-citizen,andtheirfate.”
Theterm‘citizen’generallyproducesideasofnationalismandevenpatriotism,
buttheincreasingemphasisondiversityandmulticulturalismsincethelate-
twentiethcenturyintheUnitedKingdomhasgeneratedmorefluidnotionsofthe
term(Feldblum1997:103).TheBritishMuseum,anationalmuseum,hasa
diverselyinternationalvisitorbase.Thiscausesonetoquestion:“whatterms
definethepanel’susetodefinea‘citizen’ofthemuseum?”
LizForgan,theBritishMuseumTrusteepresentatthepanel,stressedthegoalof
theBritishMuseumistomakeitselfavailabletothewidestpossibleaudience.
ShespecifiedwhotheBritishMuseumisaimingtoinitiateadialoguewith;
definingtheterm‘citizen’inthiscontextas“everybody;Britishcitizensand
citizensoftheworld”(“MuseumoftheCitizen”panel).
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Thedifficultyinthisisthat‘citizensoftheworld’arenotaunitedcommunity;
theyhavedifferentideasandneedsthatcanconflictwithoneanother(Boniface
1995:41).Touristsprefertoseeasmuchheritageinonelocationforefficiency;
theycannotbeexpectedtotraveltovariouspartsofthecountrytoseea
distributedcollection.Ontheotherhand,manyBritishcitizensdonotregularly
traveltoBloomsburyandtheywouldbenefitthemostfromUKobjectloans,
whichhaveincreasedfrom151locationsto170locationssince2009("The
BritishMuseumCelebratesSuccessesInLondon,TheUKAndAroundTheWorld:
AnnualReviewLaunch2015").In2015,moreBritishcitizenssawBritish
MuseumobjectsoutsidethemuseumthaninBloomsbury(“Museumofthe
Citizen”panel).ItispotentiallyforthesereasonsthattheBritishMuseumhas
largelydevelopedpartnershipswithandloanedobjectstomuseumsoutsideof
London.Thisissueisaconcerningonethatgeneratesthevalidquestion,“Can
tourismbedemocratic;andcantheculturalheritagebeaccessibletoall?”
(Boniface1995:12).
4.PartnershipsandPossession,Power,andProfit
4.1PartnershipsofPossession
“Certainobjectshavetheability,throughtheirappearance,association,history
andstorytofiretheimaginationofcurators,publicandthemedia.These‘star
objects’cancertainlyraisetheprofileoftheMuseum”(Roberts2006:49).Steven
Miller,oneofthespeakersfromNorfolkMuseumService,explainedthe“power
ofaBritishMuseumobject”indrawinginvisitors(“MuseumoftheCitizen”
panel).In2014,theBritishMuseumsaw6.7millionvisitorsin2014makingit
themostvisitedUKattraction("TheBritishMuseumCelebratesSuccessesIn
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London,TheUKAndAroundTheWorld:AnnualReviewLaunch2015").
Additionally,whereBritishMuseumobjectsgo,visitorsfollowasexemplified
withtheDunwichMuseuminSuffolk.Thismuseumissmall,solelyrunby
volunteers,yetsaw20,000visitorswhentheBritishMuseumloanedthemthe
DunwichSealforanexhibitionin2011(TheBritishMuseum2012).
ThiscollectionandinturntheculturalpowertheentireUKenjoyswasbuiltin
partthroughthecollectingpracticesoftheBritishEmpire.Itisnocoincidence
thatthegreatestarchaeologicalcollectionintheworldissituatedwithinwhat
usedtobethelargestempireoftheworld.Thepoliticalownershipoflandledto
thephysicalpossessionofobjects.O’Neill(2006)connectstheEuropeandesire
toassembleempireswiththeloveofcollectingobjects.
Theextensivenessanduniquenessofthecollectionarethemostimpressive
characteristicsofthecollection;thereareveryfewareasnotrepresentedinit
andonlythosepoorlyrepresentedperiodsareconsideredfornewlarge
archaeologicalacquisitions(Roberts2006:51).Butalternatively,allobjectsfrom
theBritishMuseumenjoyalevelofstatussimplyas‘BritishMuseumobjects’;the
‘valueaddedness’factor,orasStevenMillerdescribed‘power’isprescribedtoall
objectsfromtheBritishMuseumregardlessoftheirownmeritasindividual
objects(Boniface1995:58).
Someofthemuseum’smostprizedobjects,suchastheElginMarblesandthe
RosettaStone,havebecomesynonymouswiththeBritishMuseumitself
regardlessofplaceoforigin.WorldHeritagehasbeenembeddedand
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assimilatedintoBritishnationalheritagethroughthesegeographicallynon-
confinedcollectingpracticesoverthecenturies.Collectingobjectsfromacross
theglobeisBritishheritageinitsownright.Originculture’sclaimstothese
objectsarepushedasideoncetheobjectsarehousedwithintheBritishMuseum.
AsLizForganwasspeakingaboutthepridethatcomeswithasenseof
ownershipoverheritageashisorherown,shestoppedherselfabruptlytoadd
asanaside,“I’mnottalkingabouttheParthenonMarbles!”towhichtheroom
joinedherinlaughteratthethoughtofreturninganobjectofsuchvaluetoits
source.TheBritishMuseuminpracticedefinesownershipofWorldHeritage
merelyaspossessionofthatheritageanddismissesanyothernotions.
4.2PartnershipsofProfit
ThereisamonetaryincentivefortheBritishMuseumtoloanobjectstoexternal
UKmuseumsthatshouldnotbeignoredwhenconsideringmuseum
partnerships.Objectvaluemakescultureaprofitablecommodity(Miller&Yúdice
2002:73)andthatvalueincreaseswithrespecttorarityandpopularity.“If
heritagewasacommodity,‘WorldHeritage’wasthemostmarketableofthis
formofcommodity”(Harrison2013:89).
Asanationalmuseum,visitstotheBritishMuseum’spermanentgalleriesare
freetoallvisitors;chargesareonlyappliedtotemporaryexhibitions.Thisdoes
notleavetheBritishMuseumtoprofitdirectlyfromtheirworld-renown
collection,exceptthroughobjectloanstomuseumsthatgenerallydonothaveas
extensiveorimpressiveofacollection.Inthefaceoffundingcuts,“itemslikea
nationalmuseumrepresentauniquesellingpropositioninthefighttobringin
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visitors”(Boniface1995:58).Unsurprisinglythengiventheircollection,the
BritishMuseumlendsthelargestamountofobjectstothewidestlocationsinthe
world(“MuseumoftheCitizen”website).Throughobjectloans,themuseums
involvedcangeneraterevenuefromobjectsthatotherwisewouldbeinstorage
orviewedforfree.PerhapsthisistheincentivebehindtheBritishMuseum
increasingtheiroverallobjectloansby41%sine2009("TheBritishMuseum
CelebratesSuccessesInLondon,TheUKAndAroundTheWorld:AnnualReview
Launch2015").
TheseexhibitionsessentiallysellworldheritagetoaBritishaudienceandeven
re-sellheritagebacktoitssourcecommunities.StephenWelsh,CuratorofLiving
CulturesfromtheManchesterMuseum,enthusiasticallyspokeoftheirsuccessful
partnershipwiththeBritishMuseumwherethecollaboratedontheChina:
JourneytotheEastexhibition(“MuseumoftheCitizen”panel).Theyattemptedto
engagewiththeManchesterChineseCommunitybyinvitingthemtoseethe
BritishMuseum’scollectionoftheirownheritage.Theinvitationswereevensent
inChineseinordertoestablishcommunicationintheirownlanguage.
ThoughadialoguewasinitiatedinChinese,itwasnotmotivatedbyadesireto
co-producetheirownheritage,butinsteadbyanopportunitytoprofitfromthem
aftertheinterpretationoftheirobjectsalreadyoccurred.Ratherthanincluding
variousculturesasequalcitizensintoheritage-production,theyarecreatinga
systemthatfurtherexploitsthemasconsumersofaheritage-productionthey
wereexcludedfrom.“Thereisacomplicatedrelationshipbetweenthecitizen
anditslogocentricdouble,theconsumer”(Miller&Yúdice2002:73).
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Consumerismandtourismhaveincreasinglybeenpromotedwithinthesector
(Harrison2013:106),particularlyasfundingbecomesmoreinsecure.Howard
(2003:203)assertsthatthepromiseofprofitisbehindthetransitionfrom
museumsnolongersimplyallowingaccess,butbeginningtoactivelyseek
visitors.
Thisisfurtherdemonstratedintheticket-purchaserequirementinattendingthe
“MuseumoftheCitizen”eventandhavingaplatformonwhichtospeak.Though
the£5priceoftheticketwasnotsteep,thepurchaseoftheticketreveals
informationaboutthecitizen/consumer:heorshehasatleastaminimal
disposableincomeandacreditcardforthedigitaltransaction,theabilityto
traveltoandfromthemuseum,andiseitherretiredorhasthefreedomtoleave
workearlyonaFriday.Thesequalificationsalonesignificantlyreducetheability
toattendtheeventphysically.Evenbydemocratizingtheprocessbyofferingthe
eventforfreewouldonlygenerate“amasstourismmarketratherthananelite
tourismmarket”(Boniface1995:111)becausethereareotherprofit-generating
elementsatplaywiththeBritishMuseum.
4.3PartnershipsofPower
Usingtheterm‘citizen’mayseemdemocraticatthesurface,butadeeper
analysisraisestheissuethattheworditselfactuallyupholdsthispowerrelation:
peoplehavetobecitizensofsomethinglargerthenthemselves,anetworkthatis
moreimportantthantheindividualsthatcomposeit.BonnieGreer,another
panelmember,urgedtheaudiencewhentalkingofcitizenshiptoconsider,“What
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areweacitizento?”(“MuseumoftheCitizen”panel).Derivingitspowerfromits
extensiveandprestigiouscollection,theBritishMuseumhasamassedanetwork,
acitizenry,oforganizationsandindividuals.
Indescribingwhatconstitutesasuccessfulpartnership,thepaneleffectively
endorsedthedialogicheritagemethod.KennethOlumuyiwaappliedthesame
characteristicsofgoodpartnershipsashedoestohisfriendships;theymuststart
withaconversationtoestablish:empathy,trust,sharedvalues,agreements,and
sharedpurpose(“MuseumoftheCitizen”panel).LizForganagreed,adding
“Mutualpartnershipsworkwhenbothsidesgiveandbothsidesreceive”
(“MuseumoftheCitizen”panel).
Inpracticehowever,museumprofessionalsoftenclashwiththeirvisitorsintheir
attitudesonaccesstotheobjectsandtheirinterpretationprocess(Howard
2003).“Themuseumspherehastheabilitytoactasadiscursive,multi-vocal
space,wherethevoiceofthe‘expert’isnolongertheloudest”(Boehm2015:
153).Sustainablepartnershipswillbeforgedonlyonceaccesstothe
managementofthatheritageitselfiswidened.Simplyallowingaccesstothe
objectsthemselveswillnotproducestrongrelationships;theobjectscannotbe
isolatedfromtheprocessesthatinvolvethem:
“Thechallengeformuseums,andtheprocessofheritagemanagement
moregenerally,thusbecomesoneoffindingwaysofengaging
creativelywiththeseobjectssoastofacilitatetheirongoing
relationshipswithpeopleandtheotherobjectsaroundtheminthe
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future.Thismeansopeningupadialoguewithheritageobjects,places
andpracticesasactorsintheirownright”(Harrison2013:222).
Evenwhenthedivisionbetweenprofessionalandvisitorisremoved,cultural
differencesofheritagevaluesstillpersist.SincetheBritishMuseum’scollection
iscomprisedofobjectsfromallovertheworld,manyoftheseculturesconstitute
whatHoward(2013)calls‘insiders’:individualswhofeelentitledtoobjects
basedontheirpersonalattachmenttothem.Inaglobalworld,thiscouldmean
geographically,ethnically,politically,orculturally;somepeopleacquirea
possessivenaturetocertainobjectsthroughouttheirlives,whileotherslose
themthrougheducationorsituation(Howard2013:117).Dealingwith‘insiders’
hasoftencreatedconflictsoverownershipandaccessfortheBritishMuseum.
WhenaskedbyanaudiencememberifandhowtheBritishMuseumwouldfoster
partnershipswithreligiousminorities,StevenMillerdefendedthemuseum’s
currentpolicythatallowsallvisitorstousetheBritishMuseumtotheirown
purposeandbecausethesecanincludereligiouslymotivatedones,heseesno
reasontoexpandoramendit(“MuseumoftheCitizen”panel).Thevaguenessof
thispolicydidnotsatisfytheaudiencememberandshecontinuedtopresshim
furthertoclarifythatthemuseumcurrentlydoesnotinvite,highlight,oreven
acknowledgethespecificreligiousvisitoruses.
Itwasclearthathefelttheobjects’diversesourcelocationsandoriginal
purposesshouldbesatisfactoryregardlessofthewaysvisitorsarecurrently
engagingwiththem.Healsodisplayedtheignoranceexpertsoftenhavetothe
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powersocialnormshaveovervisitorsinmuseums;withoutbeingexplicitly
invitedtodoso,visitorsdonotfeelcomfortableactingoutsidetheirperception
ofappropriatemuseumconduct(Boniface1995:24).
Perhapsthisiswhyanattemptismadetodownplaytheseculturaldifferencesby
emphasizingthegreatnessoftheobjects.Valuingobjectsoverindividualsleads
tothe‘custodybattles’KennethOlumuyiwawarnedruinspartnerships.Bonnie
GreerdescribesherwalksthroughtheSyrian,Egyptian,andGreekgalleriesat
theBritishMuseumasanexhibitionon“humanity”(“MuseumoftheCitizen”
panel).Sheemphasizedtheimportanceofconsideringallobjectsasproductsof
onespecies:Homosapiensapien(“MuseumoftheCitizen”panel).Itistheobjects
created,nottheculturesthatcreatedthemthatarevaluedandrespected.Thisis
furthersupportedasthepanellatercondemnedthecurrentdestructionof
archaeologicalobjectsinSyria(“MuseumoftheCitizen”panel).
Mainstreamheritageexpertsproduceheritagebasedontheirownknowledge
andthevaluesoftheirownculture,largelyexcludingentirelytheknowledgeand
valuesoflaypersonsandminorities.Culturalheritageisaproductionofthe
entireworld,“itsappropriateconductmustbeconsideredglobally”(Boniface
1995:111).Londonisavastlydiversecity,withinhabitantsandtouristsfrom
everycorneroftheworld.Heritagevaluesareexposedthroughtheways
minoritiesareaddressedorignoredinsuchevents(Harrison2013:224).
Increasingfinancialpressuresofthemuseumsectoraredisproportionately
affectinglocalauthorityandsmallermuseumsintheUnitedKingdom,while
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nationalmuseumshavefacedlittlefundingcuts.NotonlydoestheBritish
Museumpossessobjectofgreatworldheritagevalue,itcanusetheseobjectsas
profitablebargainingchipswhenformingpartnershipsandloaningtopaid,
temporaryexhibitions.Thiscreatesahierarchyofheritagewithnational
museumssuchastheBritishMuseumatthetop.KennethOlumuyiwawaswise
toquestionifsuccessfulpartnershipscanevenexistwithinahierarchy
(“MuseumoftheCitizen”panel).
Thishierarchyisevenself-proclaimedbyBritishMuseumrepresentative
JonathanWilliamswhenheexplicitlystatedthemuseum’sauthorityisderived
from“thenamethatwehave”(“MuseumoftheCitizen”panel).Astheholderof
the‘powerful’WorldHeritageobjects,itistheBritishMuseumthatmaintains
culturalpowerovercitizens,consumers,andpartnermuseums.Contrarytothe
dialogicapproachtoheritage,andthepanel’sowndefinitionofagood
partnership/friendship,theBritishMuseumisactivelyperpetuatingtheir
powerfulimageatthetopofahierarchy;onlytheBritishMuseumcandecideif
andhowitwishestoshareitsculturalpowerdownthelinetoits‘partners’.
5.ConclusionandRecommendations
5.1SummaryofEthnographicStudy
Theoriginalpromisetoallowparticipantsanopportunitytoco-createthe
museum’spolicieswasnotkept;anhourandahalfeventwascomprisedofover
fifty-fiveminutesofpresentationsfrompanelmembers,beforeinvitingthe
audienceintothefinalthirty-fiveminutes.Ultimately,oncethatvoicewasfinally
heard,itwasnotlistenedto.Theaudiencewasallowedtoaskquestions,not
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offeruptheirsuggestionsorcriticismsontheBritishMuseum’spractices.What
wasadvertisedasanopportunitytoconverseasequals,resultedinre-affirming
notionsknowledgeaspower.ThisformatlefttherepresentativesoftheBritish
Museumwiththefinalword,asignofauthorityovertheaudience,nottheother
wayaround.
Withtheopportunityforthepublictointeractopenlyandincloseproximitywith
policy-makers,Iwashopingtowitnessdialogicalheritageproduction,but
insteadwasleftwondering,“Whytheterms‘citizen’and‘consumer’ofWorld
Heritageseemtobeinterchangeableandhowanopportunityforco-heritage-
productionmanifesteditselfintoaplatformtoupholdexclusion?”Ultimately,
typeofpartnershipdescribedatthiseventactuallygoesagainstthedialogic
modeloftheyaimedforandinsteadreaffirmstheexistingbarrierbetween
citizensandthemuseum(Harrison2013).
5.2SuggestionsforFurtherEthnographicResearch
Amorein-depthnetworkethnographyapplyingthesamesuggestionsfrom
(Berthodetal.2016)couldincluderesearchreviewingeachoftheprofessional
partnershipswithothermuseums,bothpresentandpast.LizForganofthe
BritishMuseumalludedto“failed”partnershipswhenspeakingandtheactions
tocontinuallyforgenewpartnerships(“MuseumoftheCitizen”panel).The
numbersanddurationsofthesepartnershipscouldbeexploredqualitatively
whilequalitativeinterviewsorquestionnairescouldprovidereasonsforwhy
thesepartnershipswereeithersuccessfulorunsuccessful.
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Thisresearchshouldnotonlyfurtheranacademicdiscussiononheritage-
production,butberepresentativetothetheoryitself.’Scholarship’shouldnot
takeprecedenceovertheotheractorsinvolved(Boardman2006:35).An
explorationintothecommunitiesexcludedfromheritage-productioncould
balancethenarrativebywidelydistributingthescrutinyofthetopicandmaking
democraticco-productionmoredifficultforthecurrentlypowerfulactorsto
ignore.
Acknowledgingthepower‘citizens’orconsumersofthemuseumhaveover
heritagepolicywillincreasetransparencyandopennessbetweenpolicy-makers
andthosewhomthepoliciesaffect.Oncetheissueisacknowledged,thevoicesof
previouslyexcludedcommunitiescanbelistenedtoasco-producersinthe
heritage-productionprocessandmanagementofmuseumcollections(Boehm
2015).
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Appendix1
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Appendix
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Human Participant Research Application Form
for Student Coursework
This form is intended for UCL Institute of Archaeology students and those doing the joint Archaeology/Anthropology degree. It should be submitted for approval by your course coordinator or
tutor, as specified in class or in your course handbook. This form is designed to be filled in using Microsoft Word.
You will normally be notified of the outcome within 2 weeks of submitting your application.
Section A. Personal Details Name Allison Kopplin
Email address [email protected]
Course ARCLG209: Heritage, Globalisation and Development
Course coordinator
Rodney Harrison
Application date 13 April 2016
Essay or project Submission date
22 April 2016
Section B. Description of Proposed Research B1. Essay or project title. Ethnography: Partnerships of Power (working title) B2. Give a brief overall description of your research. I observed the Museum of the Citizen panel event at the British Museum. The panel was composed of members of organizations and museums the British Museum partners with. The event was presenting the ways in which the British Museum is managing the heritage and partnering with external museums and other cultural organizations to share that heritage with a wider audience. Its goal was publisisd as a way to increase transparency and agency with the audience. After each panel member presented, they answered audience questions (those in person as well as asked via the internet). B3. Outline your main research questions and aims. 1. How does the British Museum perceive ownership and access of the World
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Heritage they posess? 2. What does the British Museum see is the role of the public in heritage policy development? Section C. Participant Details C1. What age groups will you be recruiting? Tick all that apply.
Children (under 15 years)
Young adults (15-17 years)
Adults (18 and over)
C2. Will you be recruiting any of the following? Tick all that apply.
Vulnerable adults (those without capacity to give informed consent, including those with learning disabilities, mental health issues or dementia)
Prisoners or young offenders
Asylum seekers or refugees
Public figures, such as politicians, judges, journalists or artists
NHS patients
Friends or family
Other UCL students
I will not be recruiting from any of these groups
C3. Explain how you will be identifying and recruiting participants. The data will come from individuals participating and presenting at the Museum of the Citizen panel event at the British Museum.
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Section D. Proposed methods and data D1. Which of the following methods will you be using? Tick all that apply.
Interviews: in person via skype via email
Questionnaires: in paper form online
Focus groups
Observations of human behaviour
Secondary datasets (data collected previously by others)
Other (please describe).
Other: Text analysis of published British Museum printed and online material D2. Describe how these methods will applied to your research subjects. I will observe the presenations of panel members and responses to audience questions as well as analyze the publisised materials relating to the event to explore the ways the British Museum presents their partnerships and responds to external questions. D3. Where will you be collecting your data? e.g.: schools, museums, public spaces, within particular communities. Please give the names of any organisations involved, if known. The British Museum Museum of the Citizen panel event D4. What data will your research generate? Tick all that apply.
Notes
Interview or focus group transcripts
Photographs
Film or video recordings
Audio recordings
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Other (give details).
D5. What position will you take regarding anonymisation of participants during data collection and/or reporting? Note that you do not need to name a person for their opinion to have weight. This may be achieved by using a role-specific pseudonym, such as ‘a curator’, ‘a professional illustrator’, ‘an academic’ etc.
Some or all participants will be anonymised
Some or all participants may be identifiable
D6. Which of the following will apply to your participants? Tick all that apply.
Participants will be fully anonymised. No individuals will be linked to
the data they provide, at any stage of my research.
Participants will be partially anonymised. Names will be withheld, but it may be possible to identify individuals from the data they provide.
Participants will be named in my research notes, and their identity linked to the data they provide, but names will not appear in the final report.
Participants will be clearly identified in the final report. D7. If you ticked more than one box in the previous section, please explain in more detail which recruits the different degrees of anonumisation/identification refer to.
D8. If any participants will be identified, or potentially identifiable during data collection and/or reporting, please explain why this is considered necessary. The professional position of some individuals was publicly stated at the panel. Their positions within their museums are relevant to the research question and the entire panel was recorded by the British Museum, so the information they provide can be linked to the individual. D9. Will you be filming or photographing people, in such a way that they could be identifiable from the images.
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Yes No
If ‘yes’, please explain further.
Section E. Risks and benefits E1. List all the countries where you will be working. UK E2. Will data collection pose any risks to yourself? Risks might include lone working in potentially unsafe environments, physical risks associated with experimental research, or visiting countries where the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has advised against all travel (see https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice).
Yes No E3. Will you be dealing with sensitive or potentially distressing subject matter? This might include experiences of violence, abuse or exploitation or illegal behaviour.
Yes No E4. Is there likely to be significant risk of harm to the rights and wellbeing of participants (physical, emotional, psychological, reputational, legal or financial) as a result of taking part in your research?
Yes No If ‘yes’ please explain further.
E5. Will any of your research be conducted covertly (carried out without the knowledge or active consent of the participants, or by misleading participants about the purpose of the research)?
Yes No
If ‘yes’ please explain why this might be necessary. It is not necessary to identify the participants and obtain explicit consent because all
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the information is open to the public. All participants are aware there is a public audience and are speaking at a public forum, crucial to examining the persona the British Museum is presenting to the public. E6. How might your research benefit participants? Participants might become aware of the ways their partnerships are perceived by the public and where they fall short.
Section F. Dissemination of results F1. Will the results of your research be reported to participants?
Yes No If ‘yes’, please explain how you plan to do this.
Section G. Further comments and statement of understanding G1. Do you have any further comments or questions?
G2. Please check the following boxes to complete your application.
I agree that I have read the ethical guidelines for student dissertations provided online at: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/research/ethics
I undertake to conduct this research in the manner advised.
I agree that, if any of the answers given above change due to modification of my research design, I will inform tmy course coordinator immediately, and seek additional approval for my research.
I understand that I must wait for ethics approval before collecting any research data from human participants.
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FOR OFFICE USE ONLY UCL Research Ethics Committee approval required? Yes No
REC reference
Date obtained:
DBS checks required? Yes No
External ethics approval required? Yes No
UCL Data protection to be informed? Yes No
Risk Assessment required? Yes No
Special Instructions for student:
Date IoA Approval Granted: 15/04/2016
Authorized by: Rodney Harrison Other (please specify)
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