THE IMPORTANCE OF “AND”.A PRIMER OF USEFUL TAXONOMIESElaine Heumann Gurian2010

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THE THESIS

Writers have always said that satisfying the public mission of museums was complex because every element had so many variables, many of them conflicting with others.

There are variables in each of the following categories : audience, learning, space use, content, collections care and community (to name a few).

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The temptation is to find some median, some mid-ground when faced with variables.

The alternative seems to be chaos.

What if we choose to allow many variables to be satisfied at the same time? What would the public space, exhibitions and program look like?

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To make order out of chaos thinkers have created taxonomies.

I have chose a group of taxonomies just to show how prevalent and perhaps confusing they might be.

I have only a vague idea about how to choose among them and make multiple streams of satisfaction while still making the space and the activity understandable and satisfactory.

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WHAT IS TAXONOMY? Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species

and organizing them into systems of classification. Who is involved? The scientists that do taxonomy are called taxonomists. Their

work is crucial for all our efforts to conserve biodiversity. What's in a name? The names taxonomists give to species don't just tell us what

they are called, but also tell us about how they are related to one another. This can help us to identify patterns in nature, and decide how best to protect the individual species that are part of the world's biodiversity.

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/science-of-natural-history/taxonomy-systematics/what-is-taxonomy/index.html

The Natural History Museum website UK 5

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES: HOWARD GARDNER

The theory of multiple intelligences was developed in 1983 by Dr. Howard Gardner, professor of education at Harvard University. It suggests that the traditional notion of intelligence, based on I.Q. testing, is far too limited. Instead, Dr. Gardner proposes eight different intelligences to account for a broader range of human potential in children and adults.

These intelligences are: Linguistic intelligence ("word smart"): Logical-mathematical intelligence ("number/reasoning smart") Spatial intelligence ("picture smart") Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence ("body smart") Musical intelligence ("music smart") Interpersonal intelligence ("people smart") Intrapersonal intelligence ("self smart") Naturalist intelligence ("nature smart")

http://www.thomasarmstrong.com/multiple_intelligences.htmGardner, Howard. Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. New

York: Basic,19836

LIFE-STAGE VIRTUES: ERIK ERIKSON The Erikson life-stage virtues, in the order of the stages in which they may be acquired, are: hope - Basic Trust vs. Mistrust - Infant stage. Does the child believe its caregivers to be reliable? will - Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt - Toddler stage. Child needs to learn to explore the world. Bad if the parent is too

smothering or completely neglectful. purpose - Initiative vs. Guilt - Kindergarten - Can the child plan or do things on his own, such as dress him or herself. If

"guilty" about making his or her own choices, the child will not function well. Erikson has a positive outlook on this stage, saying that most guilt is quickly compensated by a sense of accomplishment.

competence - Industry vs. Inferiority - Around age 6 to puberty. Child comparing self worth to others (such as in a classroom environment). Child can recognize major disparities in personal abilities relative to other children. Erikson places some emphasis on the teacher, who should ensure that children do not feel inferior.

fidelity - Identity vs. Role Confusion - Teenager. Questioning of self. Who am I, how do I fit in? Where am I going in life? Erikson believes that if the parents allow the child to explore, they will conclude their own identity. However, if the parents continually push him/her to conform to their views, the teen will face identity confusion.

love (in intimate relationships, work and family) - Intimacy vs. Isolation - Young adult. Who do I want to be with or date, what am I going to do with my life? Will I settle down? This stage has begun to last longer as young adults choose to stay in school and not settle.

caring - Generativity vs. Stagnation - the Mid-life crisis. Measure accomplishments/failures. Am I satisfied or not? The need to assist the younger generation. Stagnation is the feeling of not having done anything to help the next generation.

wisdom - Ego Integrity vs. Despair - old age. Some handle death well. Some can be bitter, unhappy, and/or dissatisfied with what they have accomplished or failed to accomplish within their life time. They reflect on the past, and either conclude at satisfaction or despair.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Erikson Childhood and Society (1950)

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HIERARCHY OF NEEDS: ABE MASLOW Self Actualization -Fulfillment Needs This is the rare level where people have

need of purpose, personal growth and realization of their potentials. This is the point where people start to become fully functional, acting purely on their own volition and having a healthy personality.

Ego -Self Esteem Needs  We need to believe in ourselves and have healthy pride.  At this level we need self-respect, and respect from others.

Social - Love and Belongingness Needs  At this level the needs of love from family and friends are important.

Security - Safety Needs Here we might include living in a safe area away from threats. This level is more likely to be found in children as they have a greater need to feel safe.

Body -Physiological Needs On this level are the very basic needs for air, warmth, food, sleep, stimulation and activity. People can die due to lack of biological needs and equilibrium (homeostasis). 

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs http://wwwdeepermind.com/20maslow.htm Abraham Maslow.  Ref:  A Theory of Human Motivation (1943). 8

CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT IN CALIFORNIAIRVINE FOUNDATION 2008

Modes of Engagement2 -- Arts activities are grouped by level of creative control exercised by the participant.

1. Inventive Participation engages the mind, body and spirit in an act of artistic creation that is unique and idiosyncratic, regardless of skill level (e.g., composing music, writing original poetry, painting).

2. Interpretive Participation is a creative act of self-expression that brings alive and adds value to pre-existing works of art, either individually or collaboratively, or engages one in arts learning (e.g., playing in a band, learning to dance).

3. Curatorial Participation is the creative act of purposefully selecting, organizing and collecting

art to the satisfaction of one’s own artistic sensibility (e.g., collecting art, downloading music and burning CDs). 4. Observational Participation encompasses arts experiences that the participant selects or consents to have, which involve viewing or watching art created or performed by others (e.g., attending live performances, visiting art museums). 5. Ambient Participation (not investigated in this study) includes encounters with art that the participant does not select (e.g., seeing architecture, hearing music in an elevator).

Vectors of Engagement : -- Cross-cutting the modes of engagement are vectors of engagement defined in terms of setting and social or cultural context.

1. Family-Based Engagement provides a measure of arts activity occurring in a family social context. 2. Faith-Based Engagement provides a measure of arts activity that occurs on the context of faith or in a place of worship. 3. Heritage-Based Engagement provides a measure of arts activity that serves to celebrate or sustain a cultural heritage or ethnic identity. 4. Engagement in Arts Learning captures the level at which a respondent is actively acquiring skills, either formally or informally. 5. Engagement at Arts Venues serves as an aggregate measure of use of purpose-built arts venues for activities in all disciplines. 6. Engagement at Community Venues serves as an aggregate measure of use of parks and outdoor settings, restaurants, bars and coffee shops, and community centers as venues for activities in each discipline. Vectors 5 and 6 permit comparison of users of conventional versus unconventional venues for arts activities.

The study identifies specific types of activities which, if supported at higher levels, http://www.irvine.org/assets/pdf/pubs/arts/CulturalEngagement_ExecutiveBriefing.pdf

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MUSEUM INTENTION: ELAINE HEUMANN GURIAN

I propose five different categories of museums— the object-centered museum, the narrative museum, the client-centered museum, the community-focused museum, and the national museum. I suggest that—while some museums really do wish and

succeed in being all five types at the same time—most do not.

CHOOSING AMONG THE OPTIONS: AN OPINION ABOUT MUSEUM DEFINITONS (Gurian, 2002) 10

DAVID MORLEY’S STUDY OFTHE NATIONWIDE AUDIENCE (1980) Professor David Morley is a sociologist who specializes in the sociology of the television audience. Nationwide

was a popular news/current affairs magazine programme which had a regular early evening slot on weekdays from 6.00 to 7.00 pm on BBC1. It followed the main national news from London and included human interest stories from 'the regions' as well as a 'down-to-earth' look at the major events of the day. It was broadcast throughout the UK (including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland),

In the NWA study his major concern was 'with the extent to which individual interpretation of programmes could be shown to vary systematically in relation to... socio-cultural background' (1981b, p 56). He was investigating 'the degree of complementarity between the codes of the programme and the interpretive codes of various sociocultural groups... [and] the extent to which decodings take place within the limits of the preferred (or dominant) manner in which the message has been initially encoded' (1983, p. 106).

Morley outlined three hypothetical positions (adapted from Frank Parkin) which the reader of a programme might occupy (1983, pp. 109-10; see also 1981b, p. 51 and 1992, p. 89):

Dominant (or 'hegemonic') reading: The reader shares the programme's 'code' (its meaning system of values, attitudes, beliefs and assumptions) and fully accepts the programme's 'preferred reading' (a reading which may not have been the result of any conscious intention on the part of the programme makers).

Negotiated reading: The reader partly shares the programme's code and broadly accepts the preferred reading, but modifies it in a way which reflects their position and interests.

Oppositional ('counter-hegemonic') reading: The reader does not share the programme's code and rejects the preferred reading, bringing to bear an alternative frame of interpretation.

Morley argues that 'members of a given sub-culture will tend to share a cultural orientation towards decoding messages in particular ways. Their individual "readings" of messages will be framed by shared cultural formations and practices' (1981b, p. 51).

Morley, David (1992): Television, Audiences and Cultural Studies. London: Routledge (Chapters 3 & 4).

http://www.aber.ac.uk/favicon.ico 11

FAMILY LEARNING IN MUSEUMS: D. D. HILKE

"Scholars agree that a major function of the family is to support learning among its members. Whether called childrearing, socialization, acculturation, or education, the process of raising and nurturing children involves the transfer of information between all family members" (1989, p.103).

http://www.archimuse.com/mw99/papers/chadwick/chadwick.html

Hilke, D.D. (1989). The Family as a Learning System: An Observational Study of Families in Museums. Marriage and Family Review, 13, 101-129.

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FRAMEWORK FOR ENGAGING THROUGH ARTBONNIE PITMAN, DALLAS MUSEUM OF ARTHTTP://WWW.DM-ART.ORG/PRESSROOM/DMA_307841

Observers Of the four clusters, these visitors are only somewhat comfortable looking at art, as they have the most limited

backgrounds in art and art history, and are least comfortable talking about art. They tend to prefer a guided experience at the museum—seeking straightforward explanations to help them understand what the work of art means—rather than viewing works independently. They may be new to art viewing and just beginning to experience it.

Participants Individuals in this cluster have stronger knowledge of and interest in art. They enjoy learning and the social

aspects of their experiences. Participants have the strongest interest in connecting with works of art in a variety of ways, including through music, dance, dramatic performances, and readings. Participants enjoy the social experience of being in the galleries. 

Independents Individuals in this group like to view a work of art independently, without explanations or interpretation. These

visitors are confident about their knowledge and seek intense interactions with art. Independents are often practicing artists. The group is comfortable with art terminology and with both looking at and talking about art, and is less likely to use interpretative resources during their visit.

Enthusiasts This cluster is comprised of individuals who are confident, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and comfortable

looking at all types of art. These visitors actively participate in a wide variety of museum programming, including discussions about art, and enjoy interpretive resources in the galleries. Of the four visitor clusters, members of this group are most emotionally affected by art, and are most interested in the artist materials and techniques, and in explaining the meaning of a work to a friend. Enthusiasts frequently use the museum and are the most likely to be members.

ACCESSIBILITY: THE SMITHSONIAN GUIDELINES Exhibitions must make exhibit content accessible at multiple intellectual levels and

present it through more than one sensory channel. Offer a programmatic path for traveling through the exhibition. People with cognitive disabilities (e.g.

learning disabilities, mental retardation), like most individuals, learn best from an orderly presentation. An exhibition that reveals its topic through an obvious story line, theme, or repeated element offers landmarks, repetition, and a connecting thread to follow a complex presentation.

An instructional path can be imposed on a more free-flowing exhibition by the use of in-gallery printed handouts or an audiovisual kiosk. The route can also be presented in introductory labels or captioned photographs.

Example: An introductory label or brochure can explain simply one or two themes that are carried through an exhibition. The label could be accompanied by a photograph-coded printed floor plan showing places where those themes are best illustrated. Photo-coded labels within the spaces can pose questions about the themes to further understanding.

Present information to all the senses. Deaf and hard-of-hearing people need audio information translated into print. People with visual impairments need printed information in audio and tactile formats. People with cognitive disabilities may need a combination of formats. Multisensory presentations provide choices for the sensory channel used and interesting repetitions of key points. Some people, however, have difficulty sorting overlapping sights and sounds. Balance noisy and quiet areas within the exhibition and isolate sound through receivers or acoustic treatments.

Example: A history exhibition can present a captioned video with a descriptive narration on how and where a period garment was worn. Visitors can try on the garment in a nearby hands-on room with a time-appropriate mural as backdrop.

http://www.si.edu/opa/accessibility/exdesign/sectionb.htm14

NINA SIMON: ME TO WE HTTP://IMG.SKITCH.COM/20100125-MDH2E9HU36FM1MEPDSEJKYF2EU.PNG WWW.MUSEUMTWO.COM