Abstract:One of the rewards of editing JME is working with authors and guest editors who are willing to address current issues in the field. They ask questions, they propose solutions, and most importantly, th...One of the rewards of editing JME is working with authors and guest editors who are willing to address current issues in the field. They ask questions, they propose solutions, and most importantly, they provoke us all to work together to find answers. In this issue our guest editors, Melissa Williams and John Anderson — both educational leaders in the field of zoos and aquaria — looked to the wider field of social science to understand how museum educators might be better equipped to answer a new call: preparing visitors to leave their institutions as empowered actors in creating a positive future. Everywhere we look it seems that people across the globe are wrestling with how to affect positive and sustainable change. From political unrest in Egypt and Turkey to economic strife in Brazil and Greece; from environmental catastrophes like Superstorm Sandy in the United States and rising floodwaters in Alberta, Canada, to massive protests on issues such as school closings in Chicago and immigration reform in Washington, there is a call emanating from the masses that systemic change is needed. Now. The guest editors’ theme of engaging visitors to create positive futures builds on earlier articles published in JME. Back in the spring of 2010 we released an issue entitled, “Museums, The Public and Public Value,” 1 in which Dr. Carol Ann Scott introduced readers to a framework for understanding the role of the public in creating public value. Scott expands on the concept of the public as co-producers in a new book, Museums and Public Value: Creating Sustainable Futures. 2 (Look for a full review of this piece in a future issue of the JME.) In it she wrote: Audiences are demanding a new relationship with museums. Increasingly, people expect to author their own experiences and to engage in agenda setting. This implies a role as co-producers with significantRead More
Publication Year: 2012
Publication Date: 2012-03-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 1
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