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Seminar BA3: Politics and Ethics in the Contemporary Museum

Vak
2025-2026

Admission requirements

The following courses need to be passed:

  • All first year courses of the BA Art History/Arts, Media and Society

  • Both BA2 Seminars

Description

This module is designed to equip you with a range of theoretical and practical approaches to the study of museums and their collections.

We will study the museum in modern times through various themes which are connected to current issues and controversies. We will examine the politics and ethics of collecting in a wide variety of museums and analyze the changing position of the museum in a globalized world. Furthermore, the museum as medium will be studied and the narratives of the collections will be analyzed. What are the strategies by which museums interpret, organise and display their collections? Special attention will be given to representation and canonization in museums.

Course objectives

Students will:

  • gain knowledge of museum theory and practice in modern times;

  • gain insight into current issues and controversies concerning museums;

  • practice their communicative skills in debates and the presentation of their own research topic;

  • develop their research skills in formulating a relevant research question and writing a paper on this subject of their own choice.

Timetable

The timetables are available through My Timetable.

Mode of instruction

  • Seminar

  • Research

  • Excursion

Important: attendance in seminar sessions and excursions is mandatory! In case of no-show, the tutor should be informed by e-mail about your absence and the reason prior to the actual seminar session. Two ore more absences will be followed up on by the tutors. Only in exceptional cases, the Examination Committee may consider the possibility of an additional or substitute assignment. See the Course and Examination Regulations for further information.

Assessment method

Assessment

  • Active participation and assignments (pass/fail);

  • Presentation (20%);

  • Portfolio (80%).

Weighing

The final grade is the average of the two marks (20% and 80%).
The final grade for the course is established by determining the weighted average. To pass the course, the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher.

Resit

The re-sit can consist of one or two parts:

  • When a student fails their portfolio, the resit is a paper (80%).

  • When a student fails their oral presentation and/or active participation and assignments, the resit assessment involves alternative assignments (20%).

Inspection and feedback

How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.

Reading list

Readings will be made available via Brightspace.

Registration

Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website

Registration À la carte education, Contract teaching and Exchange

Information for those interested in taking this course in context of À la carte education (without taking examinations), eg. about costs, registration and conditions.

Information for those interested in taking this course in context of Contract teaching (with taking examinations), eg. about costs, registration and conditions.
For the registration of exchange students contact Humanities International Office.

Contact

  • For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.

  • For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Arsenaal

Remarks

  • Fieldtrips are an important part of the course. Students will be expected to make frequent visits to museums in order to analyze exhibitions.