Jennifer Barrett 
Museums and the Public Sphere [EPUB ebook] 

Museums and the Public Sphere investigates the role of museums around the world as sites of democratic public space.

* Explores the role of museums around the world as sites of public discourse and democracy

* Examines the changing idea of the museum in relation to other public sites and spaces, including community cultural centers, public halls and the internet

* Offers a sophisticated portrait of the public, and how it is realized, invoked, and understood in the museum context

* Offers relevant case studies and discussions of how museums can engage with their publics’ in more complex, productive ways

Table of Content

List of Images vii

Introduction 1

1 The Public Sphere 15

2 Historical Discourses of the Museum 45

3 The Museum as Public Space 81

4 Audience, Community, and Public 118

5 The Museum as Public Intellectual 143

Conclusion 164

References 175

Acknowledgments 191

Index 193

About the author

Jennifer Barrett is the Director of Museum Studies at the University of Sydney, Australia, and currently collaborates with the University of Hong Kong on a museum studies program to support developments in their museum sector. She is the editor, with Caroline Butler-Bowdon, of Debating the City: An Anthology (2001).