Communicating the Dark Dimensions of the Past a Case Study of Museum Management in Västra Götaland
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Communicating the Dark Dimensions of the Past A Case Study of Museum Management in Västra Götaland Kristina Thorell KRISTINA THORELL Halmstad 2018 Forskning i Halmstad nr 25 Communicating the Dark Dimensions of the Past A Case Study of Museum Management in Västra Götaland Kristina Thorell Detta verk skyddas av upphovsrättslagen. Kopiering, utöver lärares och studen- ters begränsade rätt att kopiera för undervisningsändamål enligt Bonus Copy- right Access kopieringsavtal, är förbjuden. För information om avtalet hänvisas till utbildningsanordnarens huvudman eller Bonus Copyright Access. Vid utgivning av detta verk som e-bok, är e-boken kopieringsskyddad. Den som bryter mot lagen om upphovsrätt kan åtalas av allmän åklagare och dömas till böter eller fängelse i upp till två år, samt bli skyldig att erlägga ersättning till upphovsman eller rättsinnehavare. Forskning i Halmstad Nr. 25 Högskolan i Halmstad ISBN 978-91-88749-12-3 (printed) ISBN 978-91-88749-13-0 (pdf) Upplaga 1:1 © Författaren och Halmstad University Press 2018 Halmstad University Press Box 823, 301 18 Halmstad Telefon: 035-16 71 00 E-post: [email protected] www.hh.se Omslag: Kommunikationsavdelningen Inlaga: Kristina Thorell Abstract Heritage is a result of cultural and social constructions rather than received values from the past (Barrere et al. 2015, p 4 p 4). Dark heritage is a concept which is synonymous to heritage that hurts, difficult heritage, heritage of atrocity and places of pain or shame (Magee & Gilmore 2015, p 900). Dark heritage sites (DHS) are places and institutions “that stand as legacy to painful periods in history; massacre and genocide sites, places related to former penal institutions, prisoners of war, battlefields and many more.” (Magee & Gilmore 2015, p 899). DHS management is a structured activity which supports a meaningful and holistic experience for visitors within the context of diverse and complex servicescapes (Magee & Gilmore 2015, p 899). The overall aim of this study is to increase the understanding of how dark dimensions of the past are expressed within museum management in Västra Götaland. In order to fulfil this purpose, three research questions have been formulated: Which dimensions of dark heritage are highlighted? Which ideological approaches permeate the exhibitions of the dark? How is heritage classified as dark heritage? The study involved documentary work at Västergötland Museum, Lödöse Museum and the Museum of Gothenburg. The researcher accomplished a documentary work, focusing upon artefacts, information text and multimedia. A qualitative analysis of the data with some inspiration from discourse theory was then carried out. Discourse refers to the meanings and understandings of worldviews that are formed within socio- historical processes (Howarth 2007; Jorgensen & Phillips 2002). Discourse theory provides a framework of how history is constructed and maintained (Howarth 2007). Discourses are transformed and maintained within formal practices and everyday lives (Jorgensen & Phillips 2002, p 12). The results show: (1) Dark heritage that is highlighted within the three museums refers to war, conflicts, crimes, sanitary problems, death, epidemics, hard living conditions, and unequal treatment of people. (2) The exhibitions were based on a mixture of different approaches, such as romantic chivalry, local separatist/patriotic, socialistic, and peace/ international understanding approaches (Timothy & Boyd 2003, p 27-28). (3) The discourse within society involves classifications of the dark. It is therefore possible to see a cultural pattern of how war, conflicts, epidemics and sanitary problems become dark dimensions. Table of Contents INODUCION 1.1 Background ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Research problem ........................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Aim and research questions ............................................................................................ 3 1.4 Definitions – the key concepts……………………………………………………………3 SOCIAL CONSUCION O IA 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 5 2.2 Dark tourism and hot interpretation ............................................................................. 6 2.3 Heritage as a cultural process ........................................................................................ 7 2.4 Museum management ................................................................................................... 10 2.4.1 Museum and exhibitions ........................................................................................ 10 2.4.2 Museums practice in the postmodern world……………………………………………………………..12 2.4.3 Writing stories ....................................................................................................... 15 2.5 Building experiences and values ................................................................................... 15 OD 3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 17 3.2 Theory of science .......................................................................................................... 17 3.3 Research design............................................................................................................. 18 3.4 Selection ........................................................................................................................ 19 3.5 The documentary work ................................................................................................ 19 3.6 Data analysis ................................................................................................................. 20 3.6.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 20 3.6.2 Discourse analysis .................................................................................................. 20 3.6.3 Analysis of qualitative data .................................................................................... 21 3.7 Validity and reliability .................................................................................................. 22 3.8 Research ethics .............................................................................................................. 24 IICAL DAA 4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 25 4.2 Västergötland Museum ................................................................................................. 25 4.2.1 About the museum ................................................................................................. 25 4.2.2 Three dimensions of dark heritage ........................................................................ 27 4.3 Museum of Gothenburg................................................................................................ 28 4.3.1 A museum with four exhibitions ............................................................................ 28 4.3.2 Exhibitions.............................................................................................................. 29 4.4 Lödöse Museum ............................................................................................................ 34 4.4.1 An important centre in the Middle Ages ............................................................... 34 4.4.2 The museum ........................................................................................................... 35 4.4.3 Dimensions of dark heritage .................................................................................. 36 ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSIONS 5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 39 5.2 Which dimensions are highlighted? ............................................................................. 39 5.3 How is heritage classified into dark heritage? ............................................................. 43 5.4 Final note and reflection ............................................................................................... 43 Figures Figure 1:1. Key concepts of heritage preservation…………………………………………….4 Figure 4.1: Text which presents overall information of Lödöse Museum……………………18 Figure 4.2: Lödöse Museum; the outdoor architecture……………………………………….36 Tables Table 3:1: Problems and solutions to different kinds of methods…………………………….23 Table 4:1: Dimensions of dark heritage within the exhibition, which focuses on prehistoric times…………………………………………………………………………………………..30 Table 4:2: Dimensions of dark heritage with relevance to the Viking Age within the exhibition……………………………………………………………………………………..31 Table 4:3 Dimensions of dark heritage within Lödöse museum……………………………..36 Chapter One Introduction "I::: the darker side of heritage should not be kept in the dark” (McClelland, p 585). 1.1 Background Museums have to manage complexity, diversity and several different perspectives of the preservation values within the postmodern world 1. This complexity and an increased degree of professionalization are two of the changed mechanisms that are affecting museums practices in current times. Other development trends refer to an increased