Understanding the past in the history museum. Visitor research in two Mexican museums.

摘要

This research analyses peoples’ historical consciousness (how they make sense of the\udpast) in relation to their visit to two history museums in Mexico City. Through the\udcombined use of interpretative qualitative visitor studies and a historical perspective it\udwas possible to identify five different approaches or ways in which people made sense of\udthe past in the museum (remembering, imagining and empathising, explaining and\udinterpreting, believing and belonging, and perceiving and experiencing the material).\udThis finding will help broaden current debates about historical consciousness, which\udhave tended to focus mostly on explanatory patterns developed through school history\udeducation. Furthermore, the research argues that although there is individual variability\uddepending on how people use those five approaches, there is still an intimate connection\udwith the historical culture (broader social patterns of history-making specific to the way\udpeople relate to the past). Through a holistic analysis that placed the museum within a\udsocial environment, coexisting with different agents of history-making (for example the\udState, school, family, the historical discipline and the media), the research shows how\udthose connections impacted on peoples’ interpretation of the past in the museum. It also\udshows the pervasive influence of present conditions on peoples’ historical consciousness\udas they visited the museum. Thus, by bringing together theories and methodologies that\udhad not been used together in this way, the research has contributed to the historical\uddiscipline, and to museum and visitor studies alike. The contribution is enhanced by\udaddressing a particular context – Mexican museums – that is currently underdeveloped\udin both Spanish and English literature. Finally, the thesis allows further reflection on\udissues such as State intervention, family socialisation, nationhood, and knowledge and\udtrust building.