Museum Ethics: Framework and Practice

Now more than ever, museums are in the spotlight and not always for their thought-provoking exhibitions and absorbing educational programs. Scandals involving governance, controversial acquisitions, calls for decolonization, and diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) initiatives gone wrong have put museum ethics under the microscope. Amidst public calls for transparency and accountability, museum ethics are increasingly questioned and debated, leaving many to wonder: what does an ethical museum practice mean in the twenty-first century? This course examines the theory and practice of museum ethics as a framework for understanding the critical role museums play in society today. Modules explore the ethics of governance, fundraising, acquisitions and provenance, deaccessioning, cultural heritage, decolonization, exhibitions, diversity and inclusion, and social justice. Students analyze and evaluate the outcomes of real-world case studies and examine the expanding role of museums as magnets for controversy and catalysts for change.