Perspective. Museums beyond neutrality

Abstract

Nordic museology 2020 • 2, s. 19-25 being engaged, or decided, on either side of an issue.As we shall argue in this position paper, a neutral position is neither possible nor, indeed, desirable for museums.We develop our argument by drawing on examples from research as well as from recent conversations in the museum community, and conclude by considering the implications of our proposal for museum practice.We focus on science museums (natural history museums, science and technology museums and science centres) because this is our collective area of expertise, and because realisations of the non-neutrality of the scientific endeavour have been much longer in the making in the natural sciences than in other disciplines.Even so, the arguments we make could be considered in other contexts and across museum genres. Museums are not neutralFirst of all, we contend that the institution of the museum is not, nor has it ever been, neutral.Evidence of the value-ladenness of museums comes from many quarters.Kathleen McLean says about museum practice:Even in the earliest temples of the muses, someone set forth some object for others to experience, and Museums beyond neutrality

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