More thoughts...

>Date:    Fri, 2 Apr 1999 23:26:14 -0800
>From:    Lucy Skjelstad <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: the Gen-X thread
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>I suspect that every generation of youth (or Gen-Xers or whatever) is
>essentially the same.  Few find museums an attraction.
>
>My theory is that children are abundantly curious, are fascinated by
>things they have never seen before, or have never seen in person.

Kids are soaking
>up the wonder of the world. They tend to like museums a lot if they have
>the ability to sort of explore and observe, and not get 'talked at' too
>much.

>Teens, however, reach a stage of life when they have seen and learned a
>lot (and may think they have seen and learned every thing worth seeing
>or learning).  Psychologically they are in a place of intensely looking
>forward in their lives.

>I think museums need to recognize these life-stages, and not beat
>themselves over the head for not attracting teens.  Though wouldn't it
>be fun to work on some exhibits that have the kind of stuff that youth
>would enjoy and find relevant. ("A Century of Dating"?)  How about a
>teen panel to generate ideas for exhibit and program topics?
>
>Lucy Skjelstad
>Corvallis, Oregon


I heartily agree with all this... AND regarding this next message:

        Yes, museums are great!  I know that, and you know that, but do we
really represent a large proportion of people in our age group? (I am in
the upper threshold of the 18-25 group presently myself) No.  You have to
be very careful, as I stated before, to step outside of being a 'museum
person' when you try to design programs and outreach for a public whose
interests you may not represent directly.  To many teens and college-aged
people, the reasons that museums are great are not so obvious, and a way
needs to be found to reach them.  It's a simple fact of life that the
largest proportion of visitors fall in a slightly more middle-aged bracket.
That does not take away from the intense interest some younger people have
in museums, but let's not be myopic.  I guess the problem is how to recruit
a focus group panel as Lucy Skjelstad suggested above, without encountering
selection bias in finding your sample...



>--JESOZRcIXJSHKCGbPZNEOKeAKaWYUQ
>Date:    Sat, 3 Apr 1999 13:31:03 -0600
>From:    "C. Laibly" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: the Gen-X thread
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>        I take myself to museums. I go with friends and/or my significant
>other. I will take my kids there.
> They are such excellent places to get a visual and a real idea of
>the many things you have read about in the dry classroom environment of
>middle school, high school, and college.  I just can't understand how
>ANYONE would not want to spend a weekend here and there in a museum,
>learning from a firsthand knowledge base. Getting the whole picture of a
>subject, so to speak.
>
>WhaHoO! Luv those museums...Baby!
>
>
>Chad Laibly
>University of Iowa
>B.S. Geology
>Museum Studies
>Undergrad (two months left!!!)