The voice of the other: breaking with museum tradition

Abstract

There is an attitude prevalent in the museum world that diverse cultures are adequately presented and respected and that there is an effective dialogue between museums and the cultural communities they serve. This paper, however, does not concur with this, explores the reason why, and suggests a course whereby museums can successfully come closer to such goals. What is involved here is the historical and contemporary ethos of museums and their concept of self, which interferes with their ability to be inclusive of “the other” except on their own terms. The museum’s purpose in this regard is to maintain its authoritative voice and intellectual prerogative in its communications with the publics it serves. The thought that there are multiple voices that need to be heard is not an easy concept for museums to contemplate and a positive move in that direction would represent a major shift with far-reaching consequences.