Jennifer Barrett 
Museums and the Public Sphere [PDF 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

Tabela de Conteúdo

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

Sobre o autor

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).