Communicating heritage in museums: outlook, strategies and challenges through a SWOT analysis

In the frame of education and heritage communication, we present an analysis of the museum from a communication theory standpoint. The main purpose of the study is to examine the museum's communicative function through the people involved in it, the exhibitions, activities undertaken and the us...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inMuseum management and curatorship (1990) Vol. 31; no. 3; pp. 299 - 316
Main Authors Martín-Cáceres, Myriam José, Cuenca-López, José María
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Abingdon Routledge 26.05.2016
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Communication
communication theory
critical standpoint
Cultural heritage
Education
Heritage education
Museums
social studies education
SWOT analysis
symbolic-identity heritage
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Summary:In the frame of education and heritage communication, we present an analysis of the museum from a communication theory standpoint. The main purpose of the study is to examine the museum's communicative function through the people involved in it, the exhibitions, activities undertaken and the users' perceptions of communication processes. The study design is based on a theory of heritage communication and its application in the museum sphere. A case study methodology was applied, focusing on the Museum of Huelva (Spain) as a socio-educational institution. This led to the design of several information-gathering and analysis instruments based on a table of categories, which provided multiple perspectives and visions of what the museum means in all its aspects. The outcomes point to the formulation of proposals for improvement which address heritage divulgation in the museum from a multidirectional, inclusive, interdisciplinary and holistic perspective, providing a SWOT analysis as synthesis.
ISSN:0964-7775
1872-9185
DOI:10.1080/09647775.2016.1173576