I think the "emotional experience" notion (R. Wells, 2-21) and the
"suspension of disbelief" notion (G.Scheib, 2-21) are probably right --
better than thinking of exhibits as entertainment.

So could we say that empathy is a goal of historical exhibits, leading to
the sort of cognitive dissonance that results in learning?

........................
Doug Lantry
University of Delaware
[log in to unmask]

On Wed, 21 Feb 1996, REBECCA ANN WELLS wrote:

> I think what we are talking about is an emotional experience.You can have
> an emotional experience at a movie, Disneyland, a museum, a memorial
> museum at the site of a former concentration camp.
>
>
> On Wed, 21 Feb 1996, Gregory Scheib wrote:
>
> > I appreciate you point of view on this subject, and perhaps "charmed" is the
> > wrong term for the experience of walking through a concentration camp.  I
> > would still maintain, however, that when you experience a place like that,
> > or walk through the Holocaust Museum (and I have), there is a point where
> > you are able to suspend your disbelief,  and you are transported
> > (perhaps only for a moment) into the world created by the exhibit.  It
> > may cause one to become sombered and horrified -- But that's part of the
> > "captivated" I'm talking about. Your "riveted," I believe?
> >
> > Different exhibits captivate (engage) in various ways, some which would NOT
> > be called entertaining in the "Boy, that was fun" sense.
> >
> > Gregory Scheib                            ~     ~
> > The George Washington University        (<O>   <O>)
> > [log in to unmask]             (     ^     )
> >                                            / | \
> >                                           (_____)
> >                                             ___
> >
> > On Tue, 20 Feb 1996, Doug Lantry wrote:
> >
> > > Just a thought on entertainment: I was not entertained by the walking
> > > tour of the death camp at Dachau, but I was riveted and sobered.  And I
> > > doubt that the people who run places like that, and, say, the Holocaust
> > > Museum, seek to "charm" or "enchant" their audiences.
> > >
> > > Wouldn't it be nice if edification was as sought after as
> > > entertainment?  It is, but only at participating outlets.
> > >
> > > ........................
> > > Doug Lantry
> > > University of Delaware
> > > [log in to unmask]
> > >
> >
>