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

<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>

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

<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>

The Participation of Small Museums in Visitor Research

<p>Visitor research appears to be a practice which currently has limited application in New Zealand, especially within small museums. There are challenges in undertaking such research, which have led to an emphasis placed upon collecting visitation numbers. Visitor research is a practice which can be used by museums for a range of purposes, such as improving exhibitions, future planning, or for funding bids. In this way, promoting a range of visitor research methods can enhance the overall value of data gathered. Using Museums Aotearoa’s National Visitor Survey as a starting point, this research explores the needs of small museums with regard to visitor research, and also looks into the ways in which these needs might be met. Seven face-to-face interviews were conducted with key people in small museums and galleries. Diversity within the research sample ensured opportunities for comparison, building a picture of differences and similarities in their perceptions of visitor research. The interview responses generated themes around current and ideal practice, funding and management, and community value and involvement. Many reasons emerged as to why small museums and galleries do not carry out visitor research. Shortages of money and staff were two of the main barriers identified. These and other limitations, such as a lack of experience with implementation and analysis, need to be addressed before an institution can seriously undertake valuable visitor research. The findings suggest that within this group of small museums and galleries there is generally a limited understanding about visitor research and the usefulness of the collected data, often restricting practice. There are a number of benefits which would result from access to experts to educate and support visitor research practice. However, there is also the need for funding, possibly in the form of “start up” grants. If more visitor research was undertaken using such support mechanisms, it could ultimately improve the operation of small museums, by creating benchmarks for reporting and potentially increasing funding.</p>

The Participation of Small Museums in Visitor Research

<p>Visitor research appears to be a practice which currently has limited application in New Zealand, especially within small museums. There are challenges in undertaking such research, which have led to an emphasis placed upon collecting visitation numbers. Visitor research is a practice which can be used by museums for a range of purposes, such as improving exhibitions, future planning, or for funding bids. In this way, promoting a range of visitor research methods can enhance the overall value of data gathered. Using Museums Aotearoa’s National Visitor Survey as a starting point, this research explores the needs of small museums with regard to visitor research, and also looks into the ways in which these needs might be met. Seven face-to-face interviews were conducted with key people in small museums and galleries. Diversity within the research sample ensured opportunities for comparison, building a picture of differences and similarities in their perceptions of visitor research. The interview responses generated themes around current and ideal practice, funding and management, and community value and involvement. Many reasons emerged as to why small museums and galleries do not carry out visitor research. Shortages of money and staff were two of the main barriers identified. These and other limitations, such as a lack of experience with implementation and analysis, need to be addressed before an institution can seriously undertake valuable visitor research. The findings suggest that within this group of small museums and galleries there is generally a limited understanding about visitor research and the usefulness of the collected data, often restricting practice. There are a number of benefits which would result from access to experts to educate and support visitor research practice. However, there is also the need for funding, possibly in the form of “start up” grants. If more visitor research was undertaken using such support mechanisms, it could ultimately improve the operation of small museums, by creating benchmarks for reporting and potentially increasing funding.</p>

Rethinking Official History through Museum and Visitor Research

As public (state-dependent) institutions, history museums in Mexico are viewed as embodiments of official history, unable to present history as contested and constructed. This article offers a detailed explanation of how and to what extent official history operates in the construction of historical narratives and visitors’ experiences of two history museums in Mexico City. Results showed specific omission strategies, divergences, and inconsistencies in the historical discourse, as well as peoples’ autonomous and creative meaning-making of the past, both of which provide strong evidence to advocate for an understanding of official history not as one, but as several competing narratives produced at different times by institutions and professionals affiliated (either directly or indirectly) with the state.

Methodological Bricolage and COVID-19: An Illustration From Innovative, Novel, and Adaptive Environmental Behavior Change Research

This article explores innovative and novel research methods and adaptive approaches during the COVID-19 pandemic to examine visitor learning and proenvironmental behavior. We present a mixed methods study that used a methodological bricolage approach to field-based data collection. The pandemic limited our ability to carry out the original study design. Quickly pivoting, the study was adapted to an explanatory sequential design with a survey, an interpretive video, naturalistic observations, personal meaning maps, interviews and a new method: comprehension assessments. This resulted in data collection that maintained trustworthiness and rigor, while remaining flexible to changing protocols. This article contributes to the field of mixed methods research by demonstrating the application of methodological bricolage in visitor research during catastrophic social change.

Research note: important sub-streams for future visitor (trader) harassment research

Purpose The purpose of this study is to ascertain the types of mitigation strategies used around the world to tackle the harassment of visitors by microtraders, the target population for these strategies, the number and ratio of countries/territories where used and to posit ideas on how the academy may assist in improving their effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach A total of 247 archives from 73 countries/territories were analysed using typological analysis, cross tabulation and frequency analysis. Findings Eight broad strategies were found. The top three most common were: policing, media/communication and legislative strategies. In total, 79 specific strategies were also named. The strategies targeted various groups at the destination. This paper then concluded with eight sub-streams for future trader harassment of visitor research being identified. They are research focussing on criminological, learning, research design and data analysis, environmental planning and design, work analysis and design, communication, technological and social infrastructure solutions. Originality/value This paper was the first to look at trader harassment mitigation strategies globally and the first to propose sub-streams in the area of visitor harassment research.