Museums Beyond Neutrality

ASTROPHYSICS: DESIGNING FOR INCLUSION PhD thesis Line Bruun Nicolaisen University of Copenhagen Department of science education 30. September 2020 Supervisor: Marianne Achiam Tis research is part of the Our Museum Research Program In collaboration between And supported by Front page and section page pictures: Details from the Orion Nebula, taken by the Hubble telescope Original photo retrieved from nasa.gov ASTROPHYSICS: DESIGNING FOR INCLUSION by Line Bruun Nicolaisen Doctoral dissertation Submitted September 2020 Department of Science Education University of Copenhagen Tis thesis has been submitted to the PhD School of Te Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen Supervisor: Lektor Marianne Achiam Department of Science Education University of Copenhagen For my micro cosmos Jakob, Ellanor and Asger Abstract When museums design exhibitions, they create room for experiences that allow the public to engage with knowledge about themselves and the world they live in. However, which publics do they serve? Embedded within the design of exhibitions are values and practices, which may hinder the inclusion of some of the users they are set to serve. Tis thesis sets out to understand and address this challenge within a specifc frame: planetaria and the topics of astrophysics, space technology and planetary science. Astrophysics is viewed as a gateway to science, due to its ability to create awe. However, in the culture of astrophysics there is a persistent degree of gender imbalance. Tus, this thesis asks if this gender bias becomes unintentionally reproduced in the exhibitions on astrophysics, space technology and planetary science? If so, how can we design exhibitions and present astrophysics in a way that are more inclusive to a greater diversity of users? Te retrospective part of this thesis focuses in on planetaria and planetaria exhibitions. Paper 1, Planetariums between experience and enlightenment, fnds that Scandinavian planetarium professionals sees enlightenment and experience as being complementary in the planetaria's dome programs. Tis fnding show the potentials planetaria hold to fully embrace the experiential, aesthetic and aﬀective aspects of astrophysics. Paper 2, Te Implied Visitor in a Planetarium Exhibition focus, on the Planetarium in Copenhagen, DK, and dominant discourse within their exhibition Space Mission. It fnds astrophysics presented as technical, fact based, focussed on individual performances, and that the content is organised through game-like and competitive tasks. We argue that this focus and organisation are characteristics associated with masculinity, and therefore prompt a gendered implied visitor. Consequently, the gendered science of astrophysics gave rise to a gendered exhibition. Te objective of prospective part of the thesis is to address this issue. Trough my research, I have explored the potentials in operationalising postmodern feminism in exhibition design by linking theory with practice. In collaboration with the Planetarium in Copenhagen, I took an active part in co-creating the exhibition Made in Space. Trough the iterative process of a design-based research method, I have collaborated with planetarium professionals, designers and users to experiment with how to design more inclusive experiences. Trough this process I formulated design conjectures, or design assumptions, of how to best approach the topic of astrophysics, so that it becomes more inclusive for those who prior to this, have not felt capable of or interested in engaging with the abstract knowledge of astrophysics. Tese design conjectures are based in theory, qualifed and reformulated through users collaboration, and embodied in the fnal design of the exhibition. Te development and implications of the design conjectures and focus on operationalising postmodern feminism are discussed in paper 3, We are part of the Universe, the Universe is part of us’:Transforming the astrophysics in the Planetarium and paper 4, Made in Space: Operationalising postmodern feminism in exhibition design. In chapter 5, the interactions with and dialogues between the actual users of the new exhibitions were analysed, in order to establish whether the embodied design conjectures lead to the intended meaning- making and outcomes. Tis fnal analysis also acts as the backdrop for the fnal theory development and formulations of design framework. Tis framework includes the three general design guidelines for designing more inclusive exhibitions. Tese are: 1. Linking or connecting the concrete (e.g. the users body) and the abstract (e.g. the universe) enables the users to, and makes them want to, engage with abstract knowledge 2. Creating shared experiences prompts debate and discussion on complex subjects, which enables joint meaning making 3. Providing room for open-ended questions in an immersive experience allows visitors to approach abstract knowledge in imaginative and emotional ways. Finally, this thesis presents in paper 6, Museums Beyond Neutrality an outlook both for practice and future research, in how museums and out-of-school science institutions can address the challenges facing the museum world and our society at large, by increasing their relevance and inclusiveness to the public. Abstract in Danish Når museer udvikler og designer udstillinger, skaber de plads til oplevelser, hvor museets besøgende - brugerne - kan fordybe sig og opnå viden om sig selv og den verden, vi lever i. Men hvilke brugere er det i virkeligheden museer når? Internationale undersøgelser viser at den viden museerne formidler ikke er lige tilgængelig for alle, og der kan være forhold i udstillingsdesignets værdier og praksisser, som kan medvirke til at nogle af de potentielle brugere ikke føler sig inkluderet. Denne afandling har til formål at forstå og udfordre denne problemstilling inden for en specifk ramme, nemlig: Planetarier, som formidler emnerne astrofysik, rumteknologi og planetarisk videnskab. Astrofysik er blevet anset som en oplagt vej for brugerne ind i naturvidenskaben på grund af astrofysikkens evne til at skabe fascination. Imidlertid er der i kulturen omkring astrofysikken en vedvarende repræsentation af faget som værende associeret med det maskuline. Det giver en ulighed som i faget som blandt andet ses ved at fere mænd end kvinder er professionelt engageret i faget. Derfor spørger denne afandling: Bliver den ulighed vi ser i kulturen omkring astrofysik utilsigtet reproduceret i udstillingerne om astrofysik, rumteknologi og planetarisk videnskab? Hvis den gør, hvordan kan så vi designe udstillinger og formidle astrofysik på en måde, der er mere inkluderende for en større mangfoldighed af brugere? Den retrospektive del af denne afandling fokuserer på planetarier og deres eksisterende formiling. Den første artikel, Planetariums between experience and enlightenment undersøger, hvordan skandinaviske planetariefagfolk ser oplysning og oplevelse i deres planetaries dome-programmer. Analysen viser, at de ser dem som komplementære, og dette taler derfor ind i planetariers potentiale for at udforske of formidle de oplevelsesmæssige, aﬀektive og æstetiske aspekter af astrofysikken. Artikel 2, Te Implied Visitor in a Planetarium Exhibition fokuserer på udstillingen ‘Space Mission’ på Planetarium i Købenavn, og analyserer de dominerende diskurser i valg af indhold og opsætning. Analysen fnder, at astrofysik og rumteknologi bliver præsenteret med et fokus på det tekniske indhold, opstilling af fakta, og som en videnskab båret af individuelle indsatser. Dette indhold er organiseret gennem spillignende og konkurenceskabende opgaver. Vi argumenterer for, at dette focus og organisation af indhold er fundbundet med, hvad der kulturelt set opfattes som maskuline karakteristika, og derfor foreskriver en kulturelt kønnet impliceret besøgende. Den retrospektive del af afandlingen konkluderer derfor, at den kulturelt kønnede astrofysik blev reproduceret i en kulturelt kønnet udstilling, og at dette har indlydelse på hvilke brugere der føler sig in- og ekskluderet. I den prospektive del af afandlingen er formålet at adresserer denne problemstilling. Gennem min forskning har jeg undersøgt potentialerne i operationalisering af postmoderne feminisme inden for udstillingsdesign. I samarbejde med Planetarium i København deltog jeg aktivt i at skabe udstillingen ‘Made in Space’. Operationalisering er sket gennem designbaseret forskningsmetode, som kobler teori med praksis. Den iterative design proces er sket i et samarbejde med planetariumsfagfolk, designere og brugere for at eksperimentere med, hvordan man designer mere inkluderende udstillinger. Gennem denne proces har jeg formuleret designformodninger som er baseret i teori og afprøvet i parksis. Formodningerne beskriver, hvordan man bedst kan tilgå emnet astrofysik, så det bliver mere inkluderende for dem, der ikke har følt sig i stand til, eller interesseret i, at engagere sig i den abstrakte viden, som faget indeholder. Designformodningerne er blevet inkorporeret i det endelige design af udstillingen. Artikel 3, We are part of the Universe, the Universe is part of us’:Transforming the astrophysics in the Planetarium og artikel 4, Made in Space: Operationalising postmodern feminism in exhibition design gennemgår og diskuterer udviklingen og implikationerne af design-formodningerne og operationalisering en af postmoderne feminisme i udstillingsdesign. I kapitel 5 i denne afandling undrsøges samspillet med, og dialogerne mellem, de faktiske brugere af de nye udstillinger for at fastslå, hvorvidt de inkorporerede designformodninger

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