The social museum in the Caribbean : grassroots heritage initiatives and community engagement

Author(s):
Ariese, C.E. (0000-0002-6555-6814)
Published
2018
Publication type
Doctoral Thesis

Abstract

A mosaic

is the only image which can do justice to museums in the Caribbean. They are as

diverse and plentiful as the many communities which form the cores of their

organizations and the hearts of their missions. These profoundly social museums adopt participatory practices and embark on community engagement processes in order to embed themselves firmly in contemporary Caribbean societies. This dissertation presents 195 Caribbean museums and the results of a unique research project. It begins with a macro view of 195 Caribbean museums and their participatory practices and continues by zooming in to a micro level to explore the dynamics of community engagement processes in two case studies. The Kalinago Barana Autê in Dominica shows the ongoing process of an indigenous grassroots initiative that became a governmentally owned museum. The Bengal to Barbados exhibition in Barbados reveals the complex dynamics of a co-curation project by a heterogeneous migrant community. By giving voice to grassroots museums, this dissertation shifts the museological discussion away from the usual suspects to consider topics such as the ephemeral museum. Recognizing the different forms the museum can take, it becomes apparent that people everywhere in the world need museums, create museums, and visit museums. The 195 museums studied in the course of this dissertation research are accessible through a separate appendix. This appendix can be read as a catalogue of these museums, whereby each museum is recorded individually. The appendix is accessible online through the Leiden University Respository via: https://hdl.handle.net/1887/76575

MuseologyCommunity engagementGrassrootsCaribbeanParticipatory practicesRegional fieldwork
Defense date
2018-09-27
Language
English
Supervisor(s)
Hofman, C.L.; Willems, W.H.J.
Advisor(s)
Campos Francozo, M. de
Committee member(s)
Kolen, J.C.A.; Jansen, M.E.R.G.N.; Cummins, A.; Halbertsma, R.B.; Keurs, P.J. ter
Qualification
Ph.D.
Degree granting institution
Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, Leiden
hdl
1887/65998
ISBN(s)
9789088905926
Dataset
https://doi.org/10.17026/dans-zfm-yw7s

Funding

Sponsorship
The research leading to this dissertation received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) / ERC-Synergy project NEXUS1492, grant agreement n° 319209. The research visits to Jamaica & Grenada (2014) were sponsored by Leiden University Fund/Van Walsem.