Routledge Companion to Museum Ethics is a theoretically informed reconceptualization of museum ethics discourse as a dynamic social practice central to the project of creating change in the museum. Through twenty-seven chapters by an international and interdisciplinary group of academics and practitioners it explores contemporary museum ethics as an opportunity for growth, rather than a burden of compliance. The volume represents diverse strands in museum activity from exhibitions to marketing, as ethics is embedded in all areas of the museum sector. What the contributions share is an understanding of the contingent nature of museum ethics in the twenty-first century—its relations with complex economic, social, political and technological forces and its fluid ever-shifting sensibility.

The volume examines contemporary museum ethics through the prism of those disciplines and methods that have shaped it most. It argues for a museum ethics discourse defined by social responsibility, radical transparency and shared guardianship of heritage. And it demonstrates the moral agency of museums: the concept that museum ethics is more than the personal and professional ethics of individuals and concerns the capacity of institutions to generate self-reflective and activist practice.

Reviews

'…this volume is courageous and breaks new ground, with the clear purpose of

inspiring scholars and practitioners to consider their work more carefully and deeply.'– Museum Management and Curatorship

'…an excellent record of ethical thinking and theory in the early 21st century.' Vanessa Trevelyan, President of the Museums Association

'This important book brings together leading thinkers who take museum ethics beyond the policing of codes by specialists, to being the source, for the entire institution, of dynamic change, legitimacy and an enriched contribution to society…the authors present a vision of a holistic approach to etch transforms the museum’s capacity to create value for society'. Mark O'Neill, Head of Glasgow Museums 1998-2008

'This book is an indispensible resource for museum scholars and practitioners who want to re-fashion a more moral and humanistic foundation for museum practice. It posits that the truly ethical museum is a place of dialog and democracy that promotes social change.' Marjorie Schwarzer, John F. Kennedy University

'This new Companion is remarkable. It offers museum professionals a chance to rethink the work they do from first principles, and it offers students, who may be its most important audience, a chance to understand the museum in its largest frame…. [It] offers philosophical guidance on making the museum, and society, a better place. Indeed, this volume does more than redefine ethics for the twenty-first century museum. It redefines the museum.' Steven Lubar, Brown University

Contents

Part One: Theorizing Museum Ethics ...