Museums can be a great option for those of us who are 'financially
challenged' Its a cheap or free alternative to movies, the mall or the
bar. But people are often challenged or intimidated by the idea of learning
something -- rich, poor or middle class. The mission should maybe be:
dedicated to making intelligence non-threatening.

 On Wed, 28 Feb 1996, Neil
Hathaway wrote:

> >
> >On Tue, 27 Feb 1996, Eric Siegel wrote:
> >
> >>    This thread gets weirder and weirder: are museums "agents of social
> >>    reproduction?" And if so, what does that mean?  And does this tie back
> >>    to the thread about sex in the diorama?
> >>
> >>    Eric Siegel
> >>    [log in to unmask]
> >>
> And Mr. Perry replied:
> >"Museums are agents of social reproduction" means that museums aid in the
> >perpetuation of the social hierarchy, that the children of working-class
> >parents end up in working-class jobs while the children of upper-class
> >parents inherit their positions, as well.  Museums are avowed to transmit
> >knowledge that is useful for circulation within the uppermiddle strata,
> >and these places are made friendly to those who already "know" what to do
> >in a museum and are somewhat conversant with the traditions and fetishes
> >of academic (read "high") art.
> {snip}
> >Richard Perry, UC San Diego, [log in to unmask]
>
> So, perhaps the way to put it concisely would be "Museums re-inforce the
> status quo" and cement the position of the elite"?  Still a loaded
> statement, if less kinky?
>
>
> --
> - The free mind must have one policeman: Irony.
>         -- Elbert Hubbard
>                                          [[neil hathaway [log in to unmask]]]
>