Jill,

Now, I did not belittle an academic background nor did I in any way
use those adjectives or attempt to demean academics. And I have a
personal fondness for an "egghead" as that is the specific form of my
own pate :-)

I was simply attempting to state that one set of skills that are
required in some museum positions, namely public commuinication, is
not necessarily inherent in the aquisition of an academic credential,
and I did also state that the reverse is true too.

There are a multitude of skills that are necessary to museum and
professional work that are simply not a part of a formal academic
education. And I think that is true of any field. I think that it is a
great deficit that formal education does not to require courses and
skill building in the areas of management and interpersonal skills.
Every professional I have ever known - from scientists to architects
to historians and theoretical physicists - all could have benefited
from acquiring these skills earlier rather than later in life.

And for this thread it is important to emphasize that what may be most
important for those entering the field to realize is that there are
many skills that they will need to develop and to demonstrate, outside
of their academic background, in order to advance and gain fullfilling
careers in the field.

Cheers!
Dave

David Harvey
Conservator
Los Angeles, California

On 2/6/07, Jill Chancey <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> You're so right.  People with advanced degrees, every single one, are
> tedious fuddy-duddys, incapable of communicating to the masses. They're
> so very boring.  I don't know why anyone would bother getting one, or
> why anyone would want to hire an egghead.
>
> David, seriously, do you need to trot out that old stereotype?  Did you
> really think I was suggesting that an advanced degree should trump every
> other consideration, including the ability to communicate?  Hardly.
>
> Look, ultimately, I think we're on the same page: the ideal curator or
> educator or collections specialist has training in the academic
> discipline related to the museum where s/he works AND has training or
> experience in museum work.  It gets tiresome when people dismiss
> academic training as irrelevant to work in a museum.  Without
> scholarship and research, you just have a pile of nice things collecting
> dust.  And I think you'll find that the people who do get satisfying
> work, do have multiple skill sets.  That, perhaps, is an answer to the
> original question of this thread: how does one get a job in a museum?
> Pick a field of study (science, anthropology, art, elementary education,
> history, etc.) AND ALSO acquire museum training and knowledge.  One of
> these is simply not enough.
>
>
>
> David Harvey wrote:
> > Jill,
> >
> > I have to ever so politely disagree.
> >
> > Having been on both sides of this issue in my long career I have to
> > say that just because you are an expert in any field of knowledge does
> > not make you a natural or a good communicator or interpreter. There is
> > a special skill set and innate talent for communicating with the
> > public - whether it be as an interpreter, guide, or lecturer that many
> > people do not possess. Sure, some of those skills can be taught but
> > the natural ability and ease with people cannot.
> >
> > How many professional conferences have you been too where you have
> > really, really been enthralled by an "expert" giving a paper or a
> > lecture? I can count them on one hand - but those were among the most
> > inspiring and motivating moments I have had the pleasure to
> > experience.
>
>
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