Museology

According to the Dublin descriptors, students, at the end of the course, will demonstrate:

- knowledge and understanding in a post-secondary level field of study and knowing the fundamental themes in one's field of study;

- ability to apply knowledge and understanding in order to demonstrate a professional approach and possess adequate skills both to conceive and support arguments and to solve problems in one's field of study

-  learning skills necessary to undertake subsequent studies with a high degree of autonomy.

The course seeks to provide useful skills and to develop both valid museum teaching projects (indispensable instrument for conveying knowledge of the museum’s holdings), and an overall picture of the complex historical and legislative link between cultural and museum heritage and civil society.

Lectures, exercises, group work, case analysis.

Attendance is not compulsory.

The following will be taken into consideration: the history of collecting, the communicative circuit, museum teaching aimed at an audiences of children, of people with difficulties (disabled, people on the margins of the economic/socio-cultural fabric). Part of the syllabus will centre on topics of a legal (management, legal status) and organizational nature with regard to museum structures, and on the relationship between museography/museology, illustrated by means of some case studies.

The subjects will be studied using the illustration of several case studies compared in the classroom.

All students (including those who do not attend the course) are expected to visit at least two museums of their choice.

A) Introduction to the subject: definition and evolution of the concept of museums, disciplinary nature and purpose of museology, cultural and methodological implications.

 Collectionism, the private museum and the public museum, legislation (relations, competences, tasks of the museum institution in Italy and abroad), management, standards and assessment, relations with visitors, the exposition (4 CFU).

- M. T. Florio, Il museo nella storia. Dallo studiolo alla raccolta pubblica, Pearson, Milano-Torino 2018, pp. 1-245.

- M. V. Marini  Clarelli, Il museo nel mondo contemporaneo. La teoria e la prassi, Carocci, Roma 2024, pp. 315.

 

B) Narration at museum as cultural heritage education (1 CFU).

-  S. Bodo-S. Mascheroni- M. G. Panigada, Un patrimonio di storie: perché e per chi ?, in S. Bodo-S. Mascheroni- M. G. Panigada (a cura di), Un patrimonio di storie. La narrazione nei musei, una risorsa per la cittadinanza culturale, Mimesis, Milano-Udine 2016, pp. 21-22;

- S. Mascheroni, Il museo narrativo: un laboratorio di vita, in S. Bodo-S. Mascheroni- M. G. Panigada (a cura di), Un patrimonio di storie. La narrazione nei musei, una risorsa per la cittadinanza culturale, Mimesis, Milano-Udine 2016, pp. 25-32; 

- S. Bodo, Il narratore al museo, “persona di consiglio per chi ascolta”, in S. Bodo-S. Mascheroni- M. G. Panigada (a cura di), Un patrimonio di storie. La narrazione nei musei, una risorsa per la cittadinanza culturale, Mimesis, Milano-Udine 2016, pp. 33-49;

- M. G. Panigada, Esperimenti narrativi in un museo, in S. Bodo-S. Mascheroni- M. G. Panigada (a cura di), Un patrimonio di storie. La narrazione nei musei, una risorsa per la cittadinanza culturale, Mimesis, Milano-Udine 2016, pp. 65-69.

S. Mascheroni, Intrecci di senso, in S. Bodo, S. Mascheroni, M. G. Panigada (a cura di), Fare nuove le cose. Patrimonio culturale e narrazione, uno sguardo pluridisciplinare, Mimesis, Milano-Udine 2024, pp. 11-24.

S. Bodo, Reincantare il patrimonio. Pratiche partecipative e narrazione nei musei, in S. Bodo, S. Mascheroni, M. G. Panigada (a cura di), Fare nuove le cose. Patrimonio culturale e narrazione, uno sguardo pluridisciplinare, Mimesis, Milano-Udine 2024, pp. 25-44.

S. Barlacchi, M. Spanò, Raccontare l’arte nei musei. Un dialogo possibile fra emozione estetica e rigore scientifico, in S. Bodo, S. Mascheroni, M. G. Panigada (a cura di), Fare nuove le cose. Patrimonio culturale e narrazione, uno sguardo pluridisciplinare, Mimesis, Milano-Udine 2024, pp. 99-112.

M. Valotti, I. Bertario,  La narrazione autobiografica per la formazione di saperi esperti. Educare al patrimonio culturale, dalle aule alla città, in S. Bodo, S. Mascheroni, M. G. Panigada (a cura di), Fare nuove le cose. Patrimonio culturale e narrazione, uno sguardo pluridisciplinare, Mimesis, Milano-Udine 2024, pp. 113-120.

M. G. Panigada, Narrare e incontrarsi nel patrimonio, in S. Bodo, S. Mascheroni, M. G. Panigada (a cura di), Fare nuove le cose. Patrimonio culturale e narrazione, uno sguardo pluridisciplinare, Mimesis, Milano-Udine 2024, pp. 121-138.

 

C) Museums in a Digital World (1 CFU)

- N. Mandarano, Il digitale per i musei. Comunicazione, fruizione, valorizzazione, Carocci, Roma 2024, pp. 75-174. 

 

Knowledge of the events concerning the setting up, development and staging of the two museums (chosen by students) will be discussed during the exam.

For the students, as well as consultation of the Studium platform (on the University of Catania’s website) and the study of the texts in the course description, it is important to consult the ICOM Italia website (www.icom-italia.org) and to study (in the «documenti» section of the same site) the documents relating the to the national charter of museum professions, to the professional training and refresher courses for museum personnel, and to museum and cultural heritage volunteers.

The students are also required to study with the aid of a historical atlas (to be chosen by the student), especially the parts relating to the legislation and history of collectionism.

 

 

Please remember that in compliance with art 171 L22.04.1941, n. 633 and its amendments, it is illegal to copy entire books or journals, only 15% of their content can be copied.

For further information on sanctions and regulations concerning photocopying please refer to the regulations on copyright (Linee Guida sulla Gestione dei Diritti d’Autore) provided by AIDRO - Associazione Italiana per i Diritti di Riproduzione delle opere dell’ingegno (the Italian Association on Copyright).

All the books listed in the programs can be consulted in the Library.