scholarly journals Aztecs at Our Place: Meaning-making in an international touring exhibition

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Alice Meads
Keyword(s):  
Meaning Making ◽  
Visitor Experience ◽  
Intercultural Understanding ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Visitor Studies ◽  
Place Meaning ◽  
Australian Museum ◽  
Qualitative Research Methodology ◽  
Visitor Research ◽  
The Impact

<p>While it is claimed that international touring exhibitions are highly valuable in terms of promoting intercultural understanding, there is little empirical evidence to support this claim. In particular, there is a lack of visitor research on the subject. “Aztecs at Our Place” addresses this current lack of knowledge by seeking to provide an insight into the impact of touring exhibitions on their audiences. It examines the ways visitors to the exhibition Aztecs: Conquest and glory built impressions and “made meaning” about an unfamiliar culture. The exhibition was on display at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Te Papa) from 28 September 2013 to 9 February 2014. It was developed by Te Papa in partnership with the Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia in Mexico, and the Australian Museum and Museum Victoria. From Te Papa, the exhibition travelled to Melbourne Museum and then the Australian Museum in Sydney. This dissertation studies the visitor experience at Te Papa only but forms part of a broader study which examines two exhibitions across several international venues.  “Aztecs at Our Place” draws on recent theoretical and methodological developments in the field of visitor studies including visitor meaning-making, narrative-based methods and long-term visitor insights. The study employed a qualitative research methodology, centering on narrative-based interviews with twenty-three visitors to the exhibition. Follow-up interviews were conducted with eleven of the original participants in order to determine visitors’ lasting impressions of the exhibition. The findings reveal how participants’ impressions of Aztec culture were informed by different aspects of the exhibition. Information and objects relating to everyday life were essential for creating a broader, more sympathetic understanding of Aztec culture beyond human sacrifice. The research also demonstrates that cultural comparisons, objects and emotions including empathy helped participants gain an appreciation for the Aztec way of life, in conjunction with aspects of participants’ identity.   The findings shed new light on the way visitors “connect” to another culture through experiencing an international touring exhibition. Considering that cultural diplomacy is reportedly growing in importance, this research has implications for museum professionals seeking to promote intercultural understanding through an exhibition.</p>

scholarly journals Aztecs at Our Place: Meaning-making in an international touring exhibition

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Alice Meads
Keyword(s):  
Meaning Making ◽  
Visitor Experience ◽  
Intercultural Understanding ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Visitor Studies ◽  
Place Meaning ◽  
Australian Museum ◽  
Qualitative Research Methodology ◽  
Visitor Research ◽  
The Impact

<p>While it is claimed that international touring exhibitions are highly valuable in terms of promoting intercultural understanding, there is little empirical evidence to support this claim. In particular, there is a lack of visitor research on the subject. “Aztecs at Our Place” addresses this current lack of knowledge by seeking to provide an insight into the impact of touring exhibitions on their audiences. It examines the ways visitors to the exhibition Aztecs: Conquest and glory built impressions and “made meaning” about an unfamiliar culture. The exhibition was on display at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Te Papa) from 28 September 2013 to 9 February 2014. It was developed by Te Papa in partnership with the Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia in Mexico, and the Australian Museum and Museum Victoria. From Te Papa, the exhibition travelled to Melbourne Museum and then the Australian Museum in Sydney. This dissertation studies the visitor experience at Te Papa only but forms part of a broader study which examines two exhibitions across several international venues.  “Aztecs at Our Place” draws on recent theoretical and methodological developments in the field of visitor studies including visitor meaning-making, narrative-based methods and long-term visitor insights. The study employed a qualitative research methodology, centering on narrative-based interviews with twenty-three visitors to the exhibition. Follow-up interviews were conducted with eleven of the original participants in order to determine visitors’ lasting impressions of the exhibition. The findings reveal how participants’ impressions of Aztec culture were informed by different aspects of the exhibition. Information and objects relating to everyday life were essential for creating a broader, more sympathetic understanding of Aztec culture beyond human sacrifice. The research also demonstrates that cultural comparisons, objects and emotions including empathy helped participants gain an appreciation for the Aztec way of life, in conjunction with aspects of participants’ identity.   The findings shed new light on the way visitors “connect” to another culture through experiencing an international touring exhibition. Considering that cultural diplomacy is reportedly growing in importance, this research has implications for museum professionals seeking to promote intercultural understanding through an exhibition.</p>

scholarly journals Giving and Receiving: A Case Study of the Stowaways Exhibit in Blood, Earth Fire - Whāngai, Whenua Ahi Kā at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Lynne Carmichael Allan
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Museum Studies ◽  
Visitor Experience ◽  
Visitor Studies ◽  
Museum Exhibit ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Individual

<p>The role that the physical environment of an exhibition plays in the visitor's experience of a museum is a topic that, though increasingly acknowledged in museum studies, has not yet received detailed attention from researchers. The interaction of exhibitor and visitor, in and through exhibitions, can be situated in the wider context of the recent paradigm shirt within museum practice, towards communication with the public and developments in museum theory, which consider the qualitative aspects of the visitor experience as an active dialogue, conversation or a process of meaning-making. This dissertation examines the interactive exhibit Stowaways in the permanent exhibition, Blood, Earth, Fire - Whāngai, Whenua, Ahi Kā, at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. It considers the question 'How does the physical environment affect the meanings that the visitor makes in and after visiting the exhibition?' The study builds on existing New Zealand research, which questioned the gap between exhibition creation and visitor reception. A theoretical framework was constructed from relevant strands of the literature of museum studies, visitor studies and exhibition design. A qualitative approach was employed, in order to examine in detail both the exhibition development process and then how the visitor responded to the exhibition. Several methods were used to conduct the research, such as archival research and interviews with both the museum staff and seven visitors, who came with their families to the exhibit. The findings provide interesting evidence of the complex and deep affect that the built exhibition space can have on the visitor, not just at the time of the visit but long afterwards. This was an affect that rippled out from the individual to their family group and everyday life. This dissertation makes a small but significant contribution to museum studies in New Zealand, through an integrated examination of the production and reception of a museum exhibit, from the perspective of both the visitor and the museum. One of the main conclusions was to re-iterate the important role of exhibition evaluation in facilitating a more complete communication between museum and visitor, by allowing museum professionals to build on the experience of the development process in a way that can inform future practice.</p>

scholarly journals Animal-Visitor Interactions: Effects, Experiences, and Welfare

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 462-467
Author(s):  
Eduardo J. Fernandez ◽  
Samantha J. Chiew
Keyword(s):  
Primary Concern ◽  
Visitor Experience ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Visitor Studies ◽  
Visitor Experiences ◽  
Zoo Animals ◽  
Human Animal ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Welfare Indices

Animal-Visitor Interactions (AVI) within zoos and aquariums have become an increasingly studied topic. Influenced by both the broader field of Human-Animal Interactions (HAI), as well as visitor studies conducted in museums, AVI studies can be separated into two areas of focus: (1) Visitor effects, or the impact visitors have on the animals housed within a zoo, and (2) visitor experiences, or the impact zoo animals and visiting a zoo have on the visitors. Historically, visitor effects have been of primary concern to the study of AVIs, as have the potential negative impacts on the welfare of animals, particularly those of zoo primates. This special issue examines the impact of AVIs in greater detail through twelve recent papers on the topic, equally addressing visitor effects and experiences. Many of the papers focus on positive welfare indices, as well as less traditional measures to examine both visitor effects and experiences, such as visitor proximity and visitor interviews. In addition, we discuss the relevance of future AVI work, with particular attention to (a) increased interest in visitor experience research, (b) examinations of signage effects, and (c) continued focus on positive welfare indices and direct interactions, such as public feedings.

scholarly journals Giving and Receiving: A Case Study of the Stowaways Exhibit in Blood, Earth Fire - Whāngai, Whenua Ahi Kā at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Lynne Carmichael Allan
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Museum Studies ◽  
Visitor Experience ◽  
Visitor Studies ◽  
Museum Exhibit ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Individual

<p>The role that the physical environment of an exhibition plays in the visitor's experience of a museum is a topic that, though increasingly acknowledged in museum studies, has not yet received detailed attention from researchers. The interaction of exhibitor and visitor, in and through exhibitions, can be situated in the wider context of the recent paradigm shirt within museum practice, towards communication with the public and developments in museum theory, which consider the qualitative aspects of the visitor experience as an active dialogue, conversation or a process of meaning-making. This dissertation examines the interactive exhibit Stowaways in the permanent exhibition, Blood, Earth, Fire - Whāngai, Whenua, Ahi Kā, at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. It considers the question 'How does the physical environment affect the meanings that the visitor makes in and after visiting the exhibition?' The study builds on existing New Zealand research, which questioned the gap between exhibition creation and visitor reception. A theoretical framework was constructed from relevant strands of the literature of museum studies, visitor studies and exhibition design. A qualitative approach was employed, in order to examine in detail both the exhibition development process and then how the visitor responded to the exhibition. Several methods were used to conduct the research, such as archival research and interviews with both the museum staff and seven visitors, who came with their families to the exhibit. The findings provide interesting evidence of the complex and deep affect that the built exhibition space can have on the visitor, not just at the time of the visit but long afterwards. This was an affect that rippled out from the individual to their family group and everyday life. This dissertation makes a small but significant contribution to museum studies in New Zealand, through an integrated examination of the production and reception of a museum exhibit, from the perspective of both the visitor and the museum. One of the main conclusions was to re-iterate the important role of exhibition evaluation in facilitating a more complete communication between museum and visitor, by allowing museum professionals to build on the experience of the development process in a way that can inform future practice.</p>

scholarly journals The 5E Model of Environmental Engagement: Bringing Sustainability Change to Higher Education through Positive Psychology

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cathy Macharis ◽  
Dorit Kerret
Keyword(s):  
Physical Environment ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Place Meaning ◽  
Environmental Engagement ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Sustainability Framework ◽  
Unique Program

What is the role of universities in advancing sustainability? This paper delineates a unique program for promoting sustainability that was applied in Vrije Universiteit Brussels (VUB). The unique characteristics of the program are described in light of the positive sustainability framework. The five components of the program are designed to promote sustainable behavior of participants, through promoting goal-oriented hope: setting a goal; believing that one can successfully achieve the chosen goal (agency thinking); viewing the potential paths for achieving the goal (pathway thinking); and trusting other members of society to follow the same desired goal (social trust). The five components of the program are designed to jointly raise all the elements of hope. It starts with goal setting (estimate), which is aimed at evaluating the impact of the university on the physical environment. Secondly, the entire community of the university should be engaged in achieving the desired goal. The third component of the method is education about the potential options and actions for achieving the designed goal. Then, enabling the achievement of the goal takes place (meaning making it easy). Lastly, participants should be encouraged to pursue the goal by positive rewarding.

Invention of Judaism

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
John J. Collins
Keyword(s):  
Way Of Life ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Way

Judaism is often understood as the way of life defined by the Torah of Moses, but it was not always so. This book identifies key moments in the rise of the Torah, beginning with the formation of Deuteronomy, advancing through the reform of Ezra, the impact of the suppression of the Torah by Antiochus Epiphanes and the consequent Maccabean revolt, and the rise of Jewish sectarianism. It also discusses variant forms of Judaism, some of which are not Torah-centered and others which construe the Torah through the lenses of Hellenistic culture or through higher, apocalyptic, revelation. It concludes with the critique of the Torah in the writings of Paul.

The European Union and Global Governance

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Christiansen
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Global Governance ◽  
Final Section ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Test Bed ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Global Powers

This chapter discusses whether the European Union has a distinctive take on, and may make a particular contribution to, global governance, as well as the reverse image of the impact that global governance has in the development of integration in Europe. This includes a focus on collective norms and interests as expressed through common institutions, policies, and activities. In doing so, the chapter compares and contrasts the evolution of a supranational order in Europe with the growth of global regimes and the emergence of a multipolar world, and explores the nature of the EU’s relationships with other global powers and regions. In a final section, the chapter asks whether the EU’s relationship with global developments is best seen as a test-bed for new ideas, procedures, and concepts; a construction for the defence of a privileged way of life; or an archaic remnant of a different era.

Motivation for the Pastoral Profession in the Netherlands

2000 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hessel J. Zondag
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Pastoral Ministry ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Organizational Psychology ◽  
Expectancy Theory ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Item Questionnaire ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Protestant Denominations

Expectancy theory has been utilized by organizational psychology to explore the expectations and valuations of individuals in various professions. This study employs expectancy theory to clergy, investigating pastors' personal motivations, or values, for assuming pastoral ministry and the subsequent expectation that these values will be honored by their activities within the pastorate. The responses of 235 pastors from Catholic and Protestant denominations on a 24-item questionnaire devised to gauge pastoral motivation and adapted to assess pastoral expectations were factor analyzed and correlated in this exploratory study. The analysis yielded four robust factors. The first two motives found to be dominant were the pursuit of a Christian Way of Life and Anthropocentric Altruism. Anthropocentric Egoism and Theocentric Egoism, although secondary motivations, were theoretically meaningful in the understanding of pastoral motivations and expectations. The impact of expectations upon pastoral well-being and resilience against burnout is discussed.

Searching and Making Meaning of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives of African Immigrants in the United States

2021 ◽  
pp. 002216782110224
Author(s):  
Angela U. Ekwonye ◽  
Nina Truong
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Central Africa ◽  
African Immigrants ◽  
The United States ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Making Meaning ◽  
The Impact

African immigrants continue to be disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is unclear how they are searching for and finding meaning in the face of this adversity. This study sought to understand how African immigrants in the United States are searching for and making meaning of the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted in-depth interviews remotely with 20 immigrants from West Africa (Nigeria and Ghana), East Africa (Somali and Rwanda), and Central Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo). The meaning-making model was used as a framework to understand the processes of coping during a significant, adverse life event. The study found that some participants attempted to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their global meaning by seeking answers as to why the pandemic occurred and creating positive illusions. Some redefined their priorities and reframed the pandemic in a positive light. Participants found meaning in the form of accepting the pandemic as a reality of life, appreciating events previously taken for granted, and making positive changes in their lives. This study’s findings can inform health care providers of the meaning-making processes of African immigrants’ and the need to assist them in their search for meaning.

COVID-19 AND SOUNDSCAPE CHANGES DUE TO THE LOCKDOWN. THE CASE OF LIMA, PERU

Akustika ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
walter Montano ◽  
Elena Gushiken
Keyword(s):  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Environmental Sound ◽  
Educational Activities ◽  
Industrial Activities ◽  
Sound Levels ◽  
Temporary Closure ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Way

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way of life of the world’s population, and initially all non-essential commercial and industrial activities in all countries were suspended, as well as the temporary closure of major airports and educational activities. As never before, environmental sound levels were reduced as a result of the quarantine, as the authorities ordered people to remain confined in their homes in order to reduce and prevent the SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Cities became silent and in some cases birds and wildlife “took over” this situation. This change in the soundscape led to sounds that were previously masked, now being heard, i.e. HVAC and other noises. This article presents the case of Lima, Peru, in which the impact and annoyance produced by aircrafts overflights are analyzed (during 2020); as well as the healthy soundscape levels achieved ‘thanks’ to the commercial lockdown and leisure activities.

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