Contentiousness and shifting knowledge paradigms : the roles of history and science museums in contemporary societies

Museums globally exist in an academic, cultural and social context of contest and controversy. A long-established practice of exhibiting ‘the facts’, ‘truth’, ‘national history’ or unproblematic conceptions of ‘other’ places and peoples is no longer wholly sustainable in an environment where the self-evidence of all these things is under question. Topics of global importance that challenge, upset, intrigue and attract are now legitimate areas for museological investigation. Ongoing cultural, social and political tensions in Australia and in other countries also heighten the need for civic spaces where diverse communities might learn about and debate issues of contemporary relevance and importance. Therefore, what civic and social roles can history and science museums in the 21st century play in this climate of contestation, and as knowledge sources? This question will be explored drawing on findings from the international research project Exhibitions as Contested Sites-the roles of museums in contemporary society (funded by the Australian Research Council with partners the University of Sydney, the Australian Museum and the Australian War Memorial).