In This Article Expand or collapse the "in this article" section Object-Based Teaching and Learning in the University with Anthropological Museum Collections

  • Introduction
  • General Overview

Anthropology Object-Based Teaching and Learning in the University with Anthropological Museum Collections
by
Joshua Bell, Candace Greene, Sarah Richardson
  • LAST MODIFIED: 07 January 2025
  • DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199766567-0304

Introduction

Teaching with objects is a recently revived trend in anthropology, seeking to put theory and things together. Anthropology began in museums, and museum collections were once an integral part of education in the field. (See the separate Oxford Bibliographies article “Museum Anthropology.”) But by the mid-twentieth century, they had parted company, and few anthropologists received any training involving objects. In recent decades, anthropology has reconnected with the material world, engaging with both materials cared for in museums and objects circulating more widely. There is now a substantial literature concerned with theory and practice, driven by two related fields of interest: museum anthropology and material culture. This situation can be a challenge for instructors, who may lack models or be uncertain how to access resources. This bibliography is focused on applying method and theory to the use of objects in teaching anthropology. We have organized the bibliography into a section on theories of objects with subsections focused on key aspects which have had wide-ranging implications—specifically that of biographical approaches to objects and two sections each on the dynamics of collecting and materiality. Similarly, under methods we have organized the bibliography to deal with sources specifically focused on using museum collections for teaching, the object-ness of other media, issues in pedagogy, problems and pitfalls, and ethics. In bringing other types of media into this bibliography we are hoping to widen the discussion around teaching and push for the applicability of the core principles advocated in this domain to wider materials. Too often, working with museum collections gets relegated to a sideline within anthropology, when the lessons provided through such engagements have profound implications for understanding objects in general, helping address the ongoing colonial legacies of the discipline, and forging new collaborative relationships with communities whose heritage is in museums. The sources here present object-based learning as a core teaching strategy rather than an occasional enrichment activity. They are intended to serve university faculty who wish to incorporate objects into courses relating to the critical analysis of museums, the history of anthropology, new materialism, the ethnography of world cultures, visual anthropology, and related topics. This bibliography is oriented to the use of culturally produced objects and does not cover the use of human remains or derivative representations. Such materials present unique challenges and require distinct protocols including close consultation with members of descendent communities.

General Overview

The literature and resources described here draw together two complementary strands: pedagogical research in the field of object-based learning (OBL) and the classroom experiences of anthropology faculty using objects to teach museum theory and practice. We provide some broad theoretical orientation but focus primarily on teaching methods and on useful models and resources, including unpublished online sources. There is no general textbook on the topic of working with museum collections, and articles are scattered across several journals. Adams 2015 presents a special issue on teaching with objects published in Museum Anthropology. There are some edited volumes that contain articles related to teaching anthropology, although art museums have received greater attention than anthropological collections (e.g., Boddington, et al. 2013; Chatterjee and Hannan 2015; Jandl and Gold 2012). This skews the literature toward teaching with materials that fit within the historical canon of the Western art museum. The Summer Institute in Museum Anthropology at the Smithsonian (SIMA) is a leader in reviving object-based teaching within anthropology. It offers many program materials online and hosts an open-access Lesson Repository (see SIMA 2021 cited under Summer Institute in Museum Anthropology). The Lesson Repository includes useful examples of syllabi and related materials for teaching within various university settings. Faculty at Oxford University have made significant contributions to the revitalization of museums for the teaching of anthropology. Some of their teaching strategies are presented in German and Harris 2017 and Peers and Vitelli 2020. All of these sources include discussion of teaching methods oriented toward the ongoing project to decolonize the museum. Also of note are the work of faculty and students at University College of London (see Tilley, et al. 2006 under Theories of Objects), University of Cambridge (see Henare, et al. 2007 under Theories of Objects), New York University and the interdisciplinary programs of the Bard Graduate Center (see Glass 2022 under Dynamics of Collecting: Acknowledging the Agency of Sources), and the Sainsbury Research Unit for the Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas (see Coupaye 2013 under Theories of Objects).

  • Adams, Kathleen M. 2015. Back to the future?: Emergent visions for object-based teaching in and beyond the classroom. In Special issue: Emergent visions for object-based teaching in and beyond the classroom. Museum Anthropology 38.2: 88–95.

    DOI: 10.1111/muan.12085

    Introduction to a special issue devoted to object-based teaching with a focus on sensorial engagement. Adams provides a thumbnail history of the rift between museum anthropology and sociocultural anthropology, analyzes the consequences for theory and pedagogy, and outlines some innovative pedagogical approaches discussed in the issue. The article includes a reflection on the author’s experience teaching with mola textiles from her personal collection.

  • Boddington, Anne, Jos Boys, and Catherine Speight, eds. 2013. Museums and higher education working together: Challenges and opportunities. Farnham, UK: Ashgate.

    Edited volume investigating conceptual and practical obstacles to collaborations between higher education institutions and museums. Includes profiles of best-practice models of partnerships. The book focuses on art museums but is of wide interest for its analysis of programming and policy.

  • Chatterjee, Helen J., and Leonie Hannan, eds. 2015. Engaging the senses: Object-based learning in higher education. Farnham, UK: Ashgate.

    Approaches object-based learning as a transformational pedagogical method at the higher education level. The chapters analyze various uses of museum collections to promote multisensorial engagement, experiential learning, and curricular development.

  • German, Senta, and Jim Harris. 2017. Agile objects. Journal of Museum Education 42.3: 248–257.

    DOI: 10.1080/10598650.2017.1336369

    Offers the analytic of agile objects to describe how some collections’ objects spur creative inquiry across numerous disciplines and contexts. The authors argue for an object’s agility—rather than its position in a given canon—as a standard for selecting materials for object-based learning. Based on work in a program training faculty to teach with museum objects, the article outlines a curriculum developed around the concept of agility.

  • Jandl, Stefanie S., and Mark S. Gold, eds. 2012. A handbook for academic museums: Beyond exhibitions and education. Edinburgh: MuseumsEtc.

    Focuses on the distinctive opportunities and challenges of academic museums. The numerous essays analyze developments and innovations, shifting paradigms of practice and governance, and relations between academic museums and their parent institutions. Though art museums anchor much of the analysis, several essays explicitly deal with anthropological and archaeological collections.

  • Peers, Laura, and Giovanna Vitelli. 2020. Teaching anthropology with museum collections. Teaching Anthropology 9.1: 74–81.

    DOI: 10.22582/ta.v8i2.529

    Presents examples, practical advice, and a framework for using museum objects to guide undergraduate and graduate inquiry. The authors describe a step-by-step process for teaching with objects.

  • SIMA (Summer Institute in Museum Anthropology). Summer Institute in Museum Anthropology. National Museum of Natural History.

    Main webpage for the Smithsonian Summer Institute in Museum Anthropology at the National Museum of Natural History.

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