20世纪美国科学与自然博物馆的变革之路OA

Life on Display:Revolutionizing U.S.Museums of Science and Natural History in the Twentieth Century provides an in-depth analysis of the fundamental transformations surrounding"exhibitions"in American natural history and science museums from 1890 to 2005.Rader and Cain adopt a social history and"new institutionalist"perspective.Drawing on extensive archival research,they reveal how exhibitions evolved from a peripheral function to a core engine driving institutional change.This evolutionary process was marked by continuous tensions between the multiple missions of research and education,the internal power dynamics of scientists and exhibition producers,and external pressures from shifting societal trends,economic conditions,and national policies.From the proposal of the"new museum idea"and the rise and decline of habitat dioramas,to the emergence of science centers and the convergence towards"edutainment"by the century's end,the book demonstrates how museums continuously reshaped their modes of scientific knowledge dissemination,public education roles,and institutional identities over a century.It offers a highly insightful case study for understanding the interplay between science,culture,and society.