 "I visit local museums to feel a part of my world. On vacations, I visit museums to discover worlds that differ from my own." - This and all quotes from respondents of the 2018 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers
Introduction Sense of place. That fuzzy something that makes each different city or place different. That gives it character, and personality, setting it apart from other cities or communities. The idea that museums contribute to a sense of place in individual cities and communities isn't new; it comes up periodically in our field. It is also an idea that pops up fairly regularly in my work with museum-goers, especially when they share with me that they cannot imagine going on vacation somewhere without visiting the local museums. But while I think that it is lovely when people plan trips around museums, there's a harder question that I think is more important: how do local museums contribute to a sense of place on a community by community basis? That is, not how the Metropolitan Museum of Art helps define New York City for visiting museum-goers, but how someplace like the White County Historical Society contributes to a sense of place in Cleveland, Georgia for its residents. That local question, however, is harder to answer. In the 2018 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers, two different lines of inquiry were followed in the survey: parents of minor children received a set of questions that were explored earlier this year on The Data Museum, and all other respondents received two open-ended sense of place questions. (Note: the fact that parents of minor children were not included in these questions shouldn't affect the results, as the questions are not related to parental status; that being said, you should still take their omission from the sample under consideration as you read this post. Methodology matters.) To put respondents in the mindset to answer that local sense of place question, they were first asked to consider how museums contribute to the sense of place of the destinations they visited when traveling. After that "warm up" question, they were ready to tackle the harder question asking them to reflect on how their local museums may or may not contribute to sense of place in their own community. A Sense of Place When Traveling First up, the numbers. Two-thirds of respondents said yes, museums absolutely contribute to the sense of place in communities they visit. Another third responded in ways that were not clear (I'm a conservative coder, so while most probably agreed, if they were not clear then I didn't code it), and only 2% of respondents disagreed and didn't think museums contributed at all. Given the clear, large majority agreed, it begs the question of why they felt this way. It boiled down to museum-goers wanting more than a superficial experience of a place. Instead, they wanted to dig deeper, and begin to figure out the hows and whys of a place. In part, it was a reaction to what was described as a "mono-culture," as in this comment:
And a desire for context, as in this comment:
No surprise, history came up a lot. Respondents felt that understanding how a place came to be was vital to capturing that sense of place:
But a sense of "culture," loosely defined, was nearly as important.
For a significant number of respondents, however, it went beyond history, culture, and natural landscape/geography (a small number explicitly mentioned that) to gaining an understanding about the values of a community.
Ultimate, however, the underlying theme that came out of analyzing over 1,600 of these comments was that museums are about our shared humanity, wherever they are.
And what makes this theme of shared humanity and the human condition so important is that it is one that shows up consistently, and repeatedly, in my work … regardless of what types of museums are being considered. And I have to say, I think it is a pretty amazing thing for museums to do and to receive credit for doing. Of course, considering how museums contribute to the sense of place to new places one visits is one thing … but what about on a local level? Does the everyday immersion of life skew one's perspective on how museums contribute to a sense of place locally? We'll look at that next. Make the 2019 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers possible! Do you value this research? Does it help you in your work at your museum? Do you want it to continue to help you and our field? If so, consider how useful it would be to know how your museum's stakeholders feel about your museum, lifelong learning in museums, and more. By enrolling your museum in the 2019 Annual Survey of Museum Goers, you can easily benchmark the visitation rates, motivations, attitudes and preferences, and demographics of your stakeholders. Additionally, you can compare your results to your peers, begin to track them over time, and gain far more contextual information through your custom results and report. The fee for 2019 is only $1,000 per museum.
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We all know we live in, well, interesting times. Especially when it comes to history, identity, and inclusion. These interesting times are opening up fears and challenges in ways that are sometimes unexpected. Such as in the 2018 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers. This survey didn't focus history specifically. Or inclusionary interpretation and practices. Or social justice. (If you are looking for that audience research, stay tuned … I'm deep in analysis of new research fielded this fall.) But the survey did ask about the impact of museums, and a handful of respondents took the opportunity to share their thoughts about these topics, likely because it was on their mind and this was an opportunity to do so. So I did what every good researcher does: I flagged them. Clearly, this is something important that we need to know about. Let's start, however, by backing up and considering history specifically. No museums = no history For many museum-goers (and the broader population as well), museums are repositories of history. Since museums house the tangible remainders of the past, they embody history. Just look at the sense of loss and national identity in Brazil after the catastrophic fire at their National Museum. Similarly, when I asked museum-goers last winter to consider their community (or the world) without museums, many suggested that, without museums, history and identity would be lost: "Museums are a depository for all sorts of items, art work, literature, etc. that are so important to the history of the world we live in. Who would protect these precious artifacts if it were not for museums. How much of ourselves would be lost without them?" - Respondent, 2018 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers Given that heavy responsibility (and opportunity) for museums, perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise then that presenting more inclusive history stirs a response. Revisionist history fears (the unsolicited comments) Since the survey didn't ask about history methodology, inclusive history practices, or social justice, only a handful of respondents spontaneously brought up these topics. That should be absolutely clear, as these comments are not representative of all museum-goers. But there were enough of them to suggest that the concerns they raise (as well as the appreciation some expressed) are more widespread. The majority of comments I flagged did not care for history being "changed." Examples include: "This past year I was saddened to see the culture from the south wiped away - statues removed - building names changed … removing and hiding them is not the answer." - Respondent, 2018 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers Some seemed both critical and contradictory at the same time: "To learn about the past. Do not try to bring social justice issues into the museums." - Respondent, 2018 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers To be honest, I'm not sure how history can be presented in ways that we both learn from the past and not touch on politics and/or social justice and/or other difficult history. And while no one actually used the term "revisionist history," it was a lurking undercurrent. There was a clear sense that history as they felt it should be presented was the appropriate history, and likely aligned with the type of history many museums presented throughout most of the twentieth century: white history. Similarly, there seemed to be a lack of awareness that other stories, voices, and perspectives of the past are equally valid, illuminate history more clearly, and sometimes give a more accurate and complete account of the past. The cynic in me would also like to point out that most museum-goers, and the broader population, also think museums should present all perspectives of the past. Apparently, for some, what they want in theory (all perspectives) isn't what they want in reality if they are crying foul when those more inclusive perspectives are actually shared. Frustrating, isn't it? How we handle this, however, matters deeply. 81% of Americans trust the information presented by history museums and historic sites. But in this age of alternative facts and divisive opinions, that trust is fragile. And while I don't have specific recommendations right now (… analyzing fresh research on the topic now), failing to present a more complete, inclusive history perpetuates a greater wrong to the real truth of history, and all that that means. I'll leave you, however, with a far more hopeful comment that I also flagged for similar, yet totally different, reasons. I'll let it speak for itself. "As a Native woman, I appreciate museums that are actively aware of the (post)colonialist implications of museums and their representation of cultures and history. Some museums make me feel better about that, because I can see how hard museum staff are working to equalize the representation and improve the ethics of museums … And because museums are a touchpoint between cultural representation and the general public, I appreciate and value museums that do this difficult work." - Respondent, 2018 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers There's still time to join the 2019 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers!! Do you value this research? Does it help you in your work at your museum? Do you want it to continue to help you and our field? If so, consider how useful it would be to know how your museum's stakeholders feel about your museum, lifelong learning in museums, and more. By enrolling your museum in the 2019 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers, you can easily benchmark the visitation rates, motivations, attitudes and preferences, and demographics of your stakeholders. Additionally, you can compare your results to your peers, begin to track them over time, and gain far more contextual information through your custom results and report. The fee for 2019 is only $1,000 per museum.  Click on the image for a downloadable (and printable) PDF. - NEW - 2019 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers Research Themes Announcement Make the 2019 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers possible!
If so, enroll your museum in the 2019 Annual Survey of Museum Goers, and you can easily benchmark the visitation rates, motivations, attitudes and preferences, and demographics of your stakeholders. Additionally, you can compare your results to your peers, begin to track them over time, and gain far more contextual information through your custom results and report. The fee for 2019 is only $1,000 per museum.  Click on the image for a downloadable (and printable) PDF. - NEW - 2019 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers Research Themes Announcement Make the 2019 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers possible!
If so, enroll your museum in the 2019 Annual Survey of Museum Goers, and you can easily benchmark the visitation rates, motivations, attitudes and preferences, and demographics of your stakeholders. Additionally, you can compare your results to your peers, begin to track them over time, and gain far more contextual information through your custom results and report. The fee for 2019 is only $1,000 per museum.  Graphic announcing themes of 2019 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers Quick links for more information:
 Click on the image for a downloadable (and printable) PDF. Make the 2019 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers possible!
If so, enroll your museum in the 2019 Annual Survey of Museum Goers, and you can easily benchmark the visitation rates, motivations, attitudes and preferences, and demographics of your stakeholders. Additionally, you can compare your results to your peers, begin to track them over time, and gain far more contextual information through your custom results and report. The fee for 2019 is only $1,000 per museum.  Click on the image for a downloadable (and printable) PDF. Make the 2019 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers possible!
If so, enroll your museum in the 2019 Annual Survey of Museum Goers, and you can easily benchmark the visitation rates, motivations, attitudes and preferences, and demographics of your stakeholders. Additionally, you can compare your results to your peers, begin to track them over time, and gain far more contextual information through your custom results and report. The fee for 2019 is only $1,000 per museum.  "Museums represent humanity in all of its breadth, wonder, rawness and beauty. A world without museums would be less human. Simple as that." - Respondent, 2018 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers It's the question we all ask ourselves, all the time: What is the impact of museums? Yet within this question lie many deeper questions. What is the impact we have on children? On adults? Our communities? Is there a ripple effect, with those who don't visit museums still benefiting in some way? The initial answer is yes, of course. No question we have impact. But defining that impact, isolating it to museums, measuring it, assessing our effectiveness, well, we all know that is far trickier. Yet nothing is more important to measure. After all, this is the articulation of why we matter, not only to those who visit us, but to everyone. Unsurprisingly, then, impact was a big theme in the 2018 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers and Broader Population Sampling. And the good news is that both museum-goers and non-visitors happen to think we do some pretty great things. Overall Findings - Museum-Goers So what are the top five impacts of museums, according to museum-goers? In descending order, that museums make us:
Pretty fantastic, right? And what is fascinating for me to see is that when I look at all of the cross tabs and filters that help me segment museum-goers, I see that these impacts are fairly consistent, regardless of life stage, demographics, and geography (I'm thinking red state/blue state). Sure, there's some movement and nuance (we'll get to that), but overall, the values that underlie these impacts are universal. (Respondents could also write in other impacts, and some great things were shared, but nothing really jumped out as significant.) Broader Population My broader population sampling returned a similar, but not exactly the same, ranking. In this case, however, the majority of respondents are non-visitors projecting impact on those who do visit museums.
But while the overall percentages were lower for the broader population (not a surprise), it is interesting to note that the percentage responding "more creative" is actually pretty consistent across both samples. What's Next to Share These top impacts do, of course, merit more scrutiny around who, how, and why. I'll be looking at four of these impacts more closely, and sharing more nuance, over the coming weeks. Supplementing this quantitative work was an open-ended question museum-goers were asked to consider: imagine a community or world with no museums. Turns out, the loss-aversion tactic works really well in helping people articulate the role museums have played in their lives. These responses will flesh out the how and why of what I share. The responses were also overwhelmingly heartfelt and stridently in support of the significant role museums play in people's lives. So much so that every day I post a new, randomly chosen, response and share it on my Facebook page and Twitter feed (@susiewilkening). Follow me in either place for a daily dose of "hey, you matter!" But I want to push back a bit on the one impact I won't be focusing on: well-rounded/broadened horizons. To be fair, I think this is a fantastic impact, and is one I would certainly choose for myself and for what I hope museums are doing for my own children. That being said … the values it embraces are inherent in the other four impacts. Indeed, I would say being well-rounded, with broader horizons, comes as a result of the knowledge, curiosity, empathy, and creativity that museums cultivate. I'll wrap up this series with a release on revisionist history. Because even though that wasn't my question (at least, not in this survey), some comments on Confederate monuments, and a perception of the past being "changed" came through. They may have only been a handful of comments, but the themes they reflect, in today's polarized society, matter deeply to our work. Methodology Notes In my 2017 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers, I asked respondents to share with me what they felt the impact of museums in their life had been. Their open-ended responses were amazing, and I shared many of them last year in a series of posts. For 2018, I took the most common themes from those answers and created a close-ended question so that we could assess what percentage of museum-goers had experienced each outcome. I then developed a similar question for the broader population, asking them to identify the impact of museums on those that visit. But asking about impact directly doesn't always give museum-goers room to articulate the role museums actually place in their lives. In the 2017 survey, one respondent mused, “Can you imagine a world without museums?” Great question, so I included it. Make the 2019 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers possible! Do you value this research? Does it help you in your work at your museum? Do you want it to continue to help you and our field? If so, consider how useful it would be to know how your museum's stakeholders feel about your museum, lifelong learning in museums, and more. By enrolling your museum in the 2019 Annual Survey of Museum Goers, you can easily benchmark the visitation rates, motivations, attitudes and preferences, and demographics of your stakeholders. Additionally, you can compare your results to your peers, begin to track them over time, and gain far more contextual information through your custom results and report. The fee for 2019 is only $1,000 per museum.
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