Learning to Remember Slavery at the Museum: School Field-Trips, Difficult Histories and Shifting Historical Consciousness
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
LEARNING TO REMEMBER SLAVERY AT THE MUSEUM: SCHOOL FIELD-TRIPS, DIFFICULT HISTORIES AND SHIFTING HISTORICAL CONSCIOUSNESS Nikki Spalding A thesis submitted for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Arts and Cultures Newcastle University June 2012 ABSTRACT Taking as its point of departure Understanding Slavery, a national, multi-museum education project that includes learning resources, lesson-plans and a web-site, this thesis investigates the performance of recent shifts in historical consciousness in the context of museum field- trip sessions developed in England in tandem with the 2007 bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade. It argues that, as important cultural memory products, government- sponsored education initiatives require the same academic attention that history textbooks receive. This research combines macro- and micro-analyses in order to examine the role of education during politically charged periods of heightened commemorative activity, demonstrating how the production and consumption of educational media in museums influence – and are influenced by – political, historical and cultural discourses, changes in the curriculum, and shifts within historical consciousness. Using analysis of qualitative data generated through observations of nine school field-trips, discussions with museum education staff and pre- and post-visit surveys with pupils and teachers (where possible), this thesis examines the experiences of school pupils (aged eleven to fourteen) learning about the history of slavery in the years immediately following the bicentenary. In addition to fieldwork undertaken at museums in Hull, Liverpool and London, this thesis also includes fieldwork carried out at a museum in Ontario, where school groups learn about the Underground Railroad and early Black settlement in Canada. This comparative case study offers an opportunity to critically consider the dominant trends in pedagogy and practice that have evolved in England in recent years as a result of multi- site initiatives, collaborative resource development, professional workshops and teacher training programmes. This reflective assessment is achieved through an examination of key themes emerging from the data, including issues surrounding the ‘universal’ lessons of slavery history for citizenship education, the pedagogy and ethics of object handling and the use of drama, role-play and empathy. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all I wish to thank Rhiannon Mason, for her unwavering support and encouragement over the last five years; she has been a constant source of inspiration, and her passion, understanding and guidance have played an invaluable role in shaping the time I have spent in ICCHS, both as an MA student and then as a research postgraduate. Secondly, I would like to thank Areti Galani for her tremendous contribution as my second supervisor, in particular for always bringing her enthusiasm, expertise and patience to supervisor meetings. I also want to thank both Rhiannon and Areti for their tireless work as the directors of research postgraduate studies at ICCHS. All of the staff at the International Centre for Cultural and Heritage Studies have been welcoming and supportive throughout my time in the department. In particular, I would like to thank Aron Mazel for sharing both his compassion and his stories. I would also like to thank Peter Davis, Gerard Corsane, Myra Giesen, Andrew Newman and Chris Whitehead for their kind encouragement and advice, and Niesha Doyle, Sylvia Brown and Marianne Archbold for all their help over the years. Many thanks must go to my partners in crime, whose friendships have enriched my life; Stephanie Hawke, Tori Park, Suzie Thomas, Ino Maragoudaki, Bryony Onciul, Justin Sikora and last but by no means least Michelle Stefano. Steph and Tori – 1.12 massive! I wouldn’t have made it through those first few years without them. Suzie for being my academic Yoda and showing me how it’s done. Ino held my hand through some difficult times and always made me smile. My many conversations with Bryony reassured me that I was not alone and helped me figure out solutions to any problems I was facing. Justin has been a constant source of distraction and procrastination since his arrival, for which I am eternally grateful! Michelle (and Whiskey), I will never be able to repay you for the emotional and intellectual support you have given me; you have been an absolute rock. I must also acknowledge the numerous staff at my four case study museums for the wonderfully generous attitude they all showed in sharing their time, knowledge, experiences, resources and, in the case of Buxton Museum, their hospitality, during my fieldwork. On a similar note, I am grateful to the teachers (and pupils) from all of the schools I observed for accommodating my research needs and enthusiastically sharing their expertise and reflections. I would also like to thank the participants of the Their Past, Your iii Future InSite programme for the many thought-provoking conversations that shaped the early stages of this research. I also owe a huge thank you to Andrew Pitts for designing and developing the website used in this research and for his wonderfully persistent, perfectionist approach. To Sue Waite and Ben Simmons, I am grateful firstly for their professional advice and support, but mostly for their friendship, and for making my seven months in Plymouth both enjoyable and memorable. I must also acknowledge the financial support of the Arts and Humanities Research Council, who not only funded my studies for three years, but also paid for my study visit to Canada. Thank you to Emily Beeston and Steve Emeneau for giving me a place to stay whilst in Ontario and for helping me fall in love with their beautiful country. For their personal and, all too often, financial support, I would like to thank my loving parents, who self-admittedly have no idea what I have been up to over the last four years, but are very proud of me all the same. My family and friends have all been a wonderful source of fun and relaxation during these years, and I would particularly like to thank David, Jayne, Andrew and Claire Spalding, Jill Hunter (the best housemate ever), Evan Mulligan, Sarah Lundy, Lucy Pickering, Becky Mayhew, Kate Smith, Vicki Wolverson, Alice New, Alex Hutchinson, Megan Dunmall, Simon Watt and Olcay Sert for always being there for non-museum or research related activities. Lastly, I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my A-level English teacher, Chas Ponsford, and my undergraduate English Literature tutor, Kate Davies. I hope that in some small way this acknowledges how important the kind and timely expressions of their belief in me have been; without them, I doubt that completing a PhD would ever have seemed possible. Nikki Spalding South Yorkshire, September 2011 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................... III LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... VIII LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................ VIII LIST OF VIGNETTES ...................................................................................................................... IX CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 1 1.1 RESEARCH INSPIRATION: MAKING LEARNING MEMORABLE ................................................................. 2 1.2 RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE AND THEORETICAL STANDPOINT .................................................................. 4 1.3 CASE STUDY MUSEUMS AND THE INSITE PROGRAMME .................................................................... 21 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION AND AIMS ................................................................................................ 26 1.5 CHAPTER OUTLINE .................................................................................................................. 28 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ......................................................... 30 2.1 CHALLENGING ‘COLLECTIVE REMEMBERING’ .................................................................................. 31 2.2 HISTORICAL CONSCIOUSNESS AND THE CIRCUIT OF CULTURE ............................................................. 40 2.3 REPRESENTING DIFFICULT HISTORIES IN THE MUSEUM ..................................................................... 51 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS .......................................................................... 61 3.1 SUMMARY OF METHODS USED AND FIELDWORK UNDERTAKEN .......................................................... 61 3.2 METHODOLOGICAL JUSTIFICATION AND RESEARCH DESIGN ............................................................... 68 3.3 SELECTION OF THE CASE STUDY SITES AND SCHOOLS ........................................................................ 73 3.4 THE POTENTIAL AND PITFALLS OF ONLINE QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS ........................................ 80 CHAPTER 4: COMMEMORATION, EDUCATION AND SHIFTING HISTORICAL CONSCIOUSNESS ........ 85 4.1 THE PATHWAY FROM SLAVERY TO FREEDOM ................................................................................