The Political Institute of Action Research

December 2023
Authors: Grace Risucci, Elizabeth Lele, Victoria Hrvoic, Renato Trotta
Edited by Nina Harbison

ABSTRACT:
This research undertakes a thorough examination of peripheral museums, which are often overshadowed by their more prominent counterparts, to uncover their unique roles, challenges, and contributions to cultural heritage, especially concerning accessibility. Peripheral museums – a notion adapted from the field of anthropology in contrast to more centrally located, better funded, and touristic “central” museums – have distinct characteristics that set them apart from mainstream cultural institutions. This study seeks to shed light on the diverse narratives, community engagement strategies, and socio-cultural impacts associated with these museums.

The investigation employs a mixed-methods research approach, incorporating local surveys to capture the multifaceted nature of peripheral museums. The research explores how these institutions navigate locational access and disabilities, and how they leverage these challenges as opportunities for creative and innovative programming.

Museums have not only proved to be part of local culture and identity, but are part of our sensory system and stimuli, shaping our psychosomatic interactions with the world. This research on the accessibility of peripheral museums will prove beneficial to how we perceive access to people of all walks of life. Furthermore, this study not only contributes to the academic understanding of peripheral museums, but also aims to provide practical insights for museum practitioners, policymakers, and local communities. It advocates for the recognition of peripheral museums as vital components of the broader cultural landscape, deserving of support and integration into discussions surrounding cultural heritage preservation and dissemination.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This research has highlighted some points that deserve to be discussed. It is necessary to state that the study did not aim to acquire statistical significance, but rather to identify the features of peripheral museums and identify critical areas that must be taken into consideration in further research.

Firstly, the term peripheral is closely linked to the field of social anthropology; this raises a diverse array of questions by differentiating peripheral museums from the more commonly discussed rural museums. Peripheral museums are not only defined by their location and connection with the local community, but also by the availability of funds and a potentially divergent narrative that defines them as a separate entity from the core.

Following this, our analysis has attempted to investigate an issue crucial in the current discussion on museums: accessibility. The features to consider are many, and we tried to include most of them in the brief survey. We also took notes of issues that can be included in a future examination. Although we cannot be sure that the responses acquired from the survey refer to peripheral museums, the findings are nonetheless interesting and informative, and it is possible to focus the analysis in future research.

The findings of the study demonstrate that the public is aware of the need to consider accessibility as a key point in museums discourse. The insights gained from the public show that a general dissatisfaction is felt concerning navigation to/from the museum, with a call to improve public transportation.
This study, being a preliminary analysis, does not expect to issue definitive recommendations, but some insights can still be inferred. Firstly, it’s important to define the local context of peripheral museums and their identity; increased attention must be directed to the availability of funds and resources, and to reachability. Furthermore, the community is a powerful asset in evaluating the accessibility and services offered by museums. It is important to keep an open mind to the community’s opinion and gauge this opinion with accurately designed enquiries. Finally, although augmented by recently increasing attention, accessibility and peripheries are fields of study that are still largely untapped. A call to action for future research will hopefully bring insights into these topics.