New Theories and Old Things (CFP)

Call for Posters: AAA Annual Meeting 2010

APPLYING NEW THEORIES TO OLD THINGS: MUSEUM RESEARCH TODAY
Organizer and Chair: Daniel C. Swan, University of Oklahoma
dcswan@ou.edu

The resurgence of material culture research in recent decades as well as a robust literature on the ethnography of museums have had a profound impact on approaches to museum research. This poster session will provide an opportunity for anthropologists engaged with museums, particularly the new generation of young scholars, to present examples of the ways in which theoretical advances have been applied in museum settings. Contributions include an emphasis on reflexive discourse and multi-vocality, examinations of the issues of authority and representation, and a re-focusing of the anthropological lens on contemporary western societies. Topics addressed include reorientations in academic and professional training, collaborative research initiatives with source communities and innovations in exhibition and interpretive programs.