In a message dated 18/8/2000 12:45:35, [log in to unmask] writes:

>Your experience is similar to the response I got from some professors when
>I decided to "throw away" my historical training and become "a doer" or
>museum professional  ("What a waste, she probably had some potential as
>an historian....")  I wanted to do AND think--not just think.  Thinking and
>doing aren't mutually exclusive, which is something I find some professional
>academics don't see because there is such an emphasis on the thinking
>part (they can't help it, it's the way they're trained--I'm married to one).

    Perhaps this is an old debate, but Christine's comment regarding Art
History vs. Fine Arts brings up a topic worth batting around the list.  Have
other people had experiences with this schism between academia and museums?
How can we bridge the gap?

    It seems to me that the two vocations ought to be mutually inclusive, and
yet there seems to be an almost unconquerable rift. I recently received my
Masters degree in history with a concentration in museum studies. My interest
in museums is both professional and intellectual. I want to pursue a
doctorate to relating to the history of museums, even as I want to continue
building a career in museums. While certainly, there were a number of factors
working to keep me out of the Ph.D. program, my advisors consistently have
led me to believe that my topic worked against me. Museums are not a subject
that could be taken seriously in an academic study. While certainly a great
number of academics take museums very seriously, it seems to me that there is
a pervading myth that museums are primarily avocational. This baffles me. I
simply don't understand why there should be such a gap between the
disciplined thinking of academia and the practical application of that
thinking in museums.

    Any thoughts?

Cheers,
Kristen

Kristen Harbeson, Baltimore MD

=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).