Archives, Museums and Citizenship: Relevance, Transparency, Participation

The course explores the public sphere and democracy, and the role of archival institutions and museums as democratic institutions conducive to citizen engagement. This includes an introduction to various theories of democracy seen from the academic fields of archive and records management and museum studies. The concept of democratic citizenship is illustrated through examples of how archives and museums can prepare for active participation in social life through openness, making information available and various forms of participatory knowledge dissemination, as a counterweight to echo chambers and conspiracy theories. The importance of authenticity, reliability, integrity and usability in all management of social documentation is touched upon in line with this. The course also provides an introduction to perspectives on sustainability in archives and museums.

The digital age, of which archives and museums are a definite part, provide many new possibilities for communication and interaction between individuals, as well as between governments and citizens. With new possibilities, however, come a host of new challenges. In this course we critically examine how the political choice to digitize services in the public sphere has transformed our political and cultural public discourse, and in what ways this affects archives and museums. Some questions posed are: How does the digital information technology transform the political and cultural public sphere? Is digitization necessarily beneficial to individuals and society? How do new digital tools, such as AI, help create opportunities, but also challenges, for archives and museums in their efforts to fulfill their societal role?

Archive-related issues are approached with the aim of providing insights into the political, practical, and theoretical aspects of the relationship between archives, society, and the individual. Political goals and visions for a digitized public sphere; digitization as part of work processes in archival institutions; digital systems as tools, process, and product in records management and archive institutions are matters addressed in the required readings and in lectures. An overarching theme is how the changes wrought by digitization has shaped our use of various types of documentation, and our role as engaged citizens. The course also provides insight into how archives and records management are linked to societal security and emergency preparedness.

Apart from studying political documents that legitimize the role of museums in our society today, the working realities of museums are discussed through various outreach projects that exemplify how museums have tried to put political ideals of relevance, dialogue and participation into action. The traditional role of museums as authoritative knowledge institutions is being questioned today, and there is a movement towards museums as places for dialogue and participation, political activism, and open, democratic debate. Theoretical insights, especially from post-colonial theory and museum ethics, are used to analyze the contingent nature of museums.

Knowledge

The student has knowledge about

• democracy, public sphere and democratic citizenship in a social science perspective
• different theories of democracy
• how the two points above are relevant to the societal role of archives and museums, in past and present
• how archives and museums can contribute to the redistribution of power, empowerment and increased citizenship competence in society
• what relevance, dialogue and participation can mean for archives and museums
• the digital commons and how digital information technology, including AI, can change political and cultural public sphere
• how digital information technology, including AI, can change archives and museums as workplaces and social institutions
• how sustainability can be linked to archives, museums and records management
• how societal security and emergency preparedness can be linked to archives, museums and records management

Skills

The student can

• argue why archives and documentation management are important in a democratic society
• argue why museums are important in a democratic society
• assess the significance of different forms of social documentation
• apply relevant literature to account for own assessments and opinions in the field of archives and museums
• communicate one's professional knowledge in writing, in a clear and reader-friendly manner

General competence

The student

• has awareness of democracy as a form of government
• has awareness of different perspectives on democracy and democracy theories
• has awareness of how digitalization affects society and the public
• has awareness of how work in archives and museums can affect and is affected by society and public discource
• can contribute to professional discussions
• can express himself/herself professionally, both orally and in writing

A combination of lectures, excursions, group assignments and written assignments. If practice institutions wish to use BA students for e.g. preliminary projects, workshops or trials of various kinds, we will facilitate cooperation.

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