Growing Understanding
Youth, Empathy, and Holocaust Education
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Mark Brennan
Empathy and compassion are radical ideas today. While some might see weakness, we see opportunity, moral positives, and a novel inroad to transformative educational interventions. Such interventions are particularly impactful for youth. Among the many settings where empathy education can be impactful is in the areas of holocaust and genocide education through museums and tolerance venues. Research shows that empathy education can increase cultural understanding; improve academic performance and school engagement; reduce hate crimes/antisocial behaviour; and increase positive civic engagement. Activated empathy is also seen as promoting engaged actions to counter hate speech, intolerance, and violent extremism. Nonetheless, educational programs focusing on empathy are often lacking in museum and commemorative settings. This paper examines various models of empathy education available worldwide to determine the policy and practice lever(s) for holocaust/genocide education through this lens. Included are best practices for program content, delivery methods, and evaluation/assessment. From these, implications for research, programs, and policy are presented.
Visualizing the “Absent Presence”: Representing Japanese American Internment at a Site-specific Museum
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Melissa Bender
Once a strategically “forgotten” episode in U.S. history, the forced internment of Japanese Americans during World War II is now the subject of numerous books, films, and monuments. Caroline Chung Simpson has referred to the internment as an “absent presence”; it is the most-discussed episode of Asian American history, yet it is frequently footnoted in broader scholarship and representations of World War II. Museum exhibits have a role to play in making that absence visible. This paper focuses on the museum located at the site of one former internment camp: the Manzanar Relocation Center in California’s Owens Valley. I examine the delivery media through which visitors are guided through the museum as elements of visual rhetoric that work against the popular American understanding of the World War II era as a time of national unity, voluntary sacrifice, and victory. Overall, I argue that, while humanizing the interned individuals, the museum also makes the “absent presence” tangible to visitors.
Making Children and Childhood Visible: Collections and Representations in Four Chilean Museums
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Daniela Marsal
In general terms, children and childhood’s representations in museum have been scarce, both in exhibitions and its collections. This study presents ways in which children and childhood have been represented in museums, through a review of their objects on display and in the deposit. With this we hope to account for the different images and constructions that are made of childhood and children, in relation to the material and how these objects speak today about them. It examines, as well, two theories about the absence of children and childhood’s cultural material in museums. First, there are not that many objects, as a result of the collections they preserve. The second, the permanence of an imaginary where childhood is undermined and undervalued as social protagonists. This investigation based on four museum collections in Chile, will tension these theories by examining approaches to objects revealing other possible representations of children and childhood in museums.
Exploring Afro-Colombian Heritage: Cali's Future Afro Museum in Historical Context
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Bianca Cortes Lehner
The objective of my research is to examine the founding process of the Museo Afro de Colombia in Cali, with a particular focus on its dual role as a form of reparation and the recognition of Afro-Colombian identity. The study investigates the potential of the establishment of this museum to serve both as reparation for historical injustices and as a significant contribution to the recognition of Afro-Colombian identity amidst ongoing struggles. The research contextualizes these injustices, particularly those related to the transatlantic slave trade, and their impact on Afro-Colombian communities. Utilizing a qualitative approach, the study draws from existing literature and incorporates the perspectives of museum staff, key milestones in the museum's development, and input from the Afro-Colombian community. The research employs a variety of methods, including expert interviews, group discussions, and insights from the Citizen Science group, to explore the motivations behind the museum's creation, community involvement, and its potential impact on reparative initiatives and identity recognition. The importance of an inclusive approach to museum creation is emphasized. This research explores the potential of the Museo Afro de Colombia as a platform for collective memory, healing, and empowerment within Afro-Colombian communities. By challenging stereotypes, promoting inclusivity, and contributing to broader social justice efforts, the museum can emerge as a key agent of change. Through the empowerment of Afro-Colombian voices, the challenge of historical narratives, and fostering community engagement, the museum holds the potential to advance the overarching goals of justice, equity, and cultural preservation.
