Thanks, Ross -- this isn't something I'd have been likely to see if you had
not provided it.
No question I'd love to believe that all this is so (although there is no
question that I think the American population in general distrusts the
media...). What is this "broadest range of Americans?" What was the
research methodology? How big was the sample? What are the results by
demographic breakdown? How did they find the respondents? Random calls?
Mailing lists? US census? This kind of discussion and analysis seems to me
to be SO much more useful, and potentially fruitful, than expressions of
frustration and blame (although I concede they have their place and I've
done my share of venting in the past.)
In general, as a part of these discussions, I'd also like to get a grip on
what constitutes a "historical" picture when we talk about "historical"
considerations and values. Post WWII? 20th century? Since the museum boom
of the Gilded Age?
Ellen Cutler
----- Original Message -----
From: Ross Weeks <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2001 9:06 AM
Subject: "Americans view museums as important resources" fomrerly "Value to
the Community"
> I wonder why the AAM doesn't have on its website its report on "Trust and
> Education," recently shipped to member institutions along with a press
> packet for local use. To quote from a summary page:
>
> "In a time of enormous cynicism about public institutions, the broadest
> range of Americans view museums as one of the most important resources for
> educating our children and as one of the most trustworthy sources of
> objective information." This is followed by subheads saying:
>
> "Americans trust museums and trust them the most...
> "Everybody trusts museums...
> "Museums are primary contributors to the education of children..
> "Museums are trusted more than books...
> "News media are not trusted...
> "Most Americans visited a museum in the past year...
>
>
> Ellen Cutler writes:
> snip>>I would disagree that "if museums suffer in the eyes of their
> communities,
> it is because they have done sensational things in the name of marketing.
> To that extent, they have stretched their mission and serious philanthropy
> obviously doesn't stretch with them." I am not sure that museums ever
> represented secure and meaningful value to the largest part of the
> population. The recent silliness providing fodder for the journalists is
> not, in my opinion, eroding values. Museums have traditionally been the
> refuge of the educated and wealthy away from the teeming masses, and the
> social, spiritual, and ideological values that the elite perceived in
> museums were aggressively instilled in successive generations as part of
the
> preparation for managing the material inheritance.
> <<snip
>
>
> >Ellen B. Cutler
> LNB Associates: Writing, Editing, Resesarch Services
> Aberdeen, MD
>
> Ross Weeks Jr.
> Historic Crab Orchard Museum & Pioneer Park
> Tazewell, Va.
> http://histcrab.netscope.net
>
> =========================================================
> 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).
=========================================================
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).
|
