Museums As Laboratories Of Social Harmony, Tolerance And Cohesion

Abstract

It is well understood that museums have been transformed from organizations that represent material culture and its conservation, that delivereducational messages with a touch of entertainment, to become keepers of narratives that store memories of relationships between people, and, between people and their material culture and the environment, in ways that influence social life. Narratives in modern museums encourage visitors to think about human interrelationships in society and to expand their understanding to connections and communication made within and across cultures. However, not all museums are so committed. Seeking to create an “aura” of unquieness, National museums often develop “instant messages” about cultural identity as a way to create national identity to promote the nation’s status in the world.
The objective of this article is to provide answers to the following questions:
1) Whether maximizing profits from economic progress through competitive strategies will
create optimal benefits for the whole of society in a way that is better than collaborative
participation among stakeholders who seek to find a balance between consumption and wisdom?
2) What priorities do museums need to focus on in order to encourage values related to
social harmony, tolerance and cohesion?
3) How can museums evolve to become laboratories of social harmony, tolerance and
cohesion?
The study will therefore be divided into three parts: 1) culture as one of the bases of
society 2) museums as cultural institutions espousing values of social harmony, tolerance and cohesion and 3) museums as laboratories of social harmony, tolerance and cohesion.