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] > > > > > >