Museums can work to reproduce ideologies and confirm the existing order of things, or as instruments of social reform. Yet objects in museums can exceed their designated roles as documents or specimens. In this wideranging and original book, Michelle Henning explores how historical and contemporary [...]
Until recently, museums have been given relatively little consideration within cultural and media studies. Where they have been addressed, it is in their role as disciplinary and hegemonic institutions. This book sets out to demonstrate that museums deserve a more central place in studies of culture[...]