Key Concepts of Museology - ICOM

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is a theoretical and methodological
framework at the service of educational
activities in a museum environment,
activities the main purpose of
which is to impart knowledge (information,
skills and attitudes) to the
visitor” (Allard and Boucher, 1998).
Learning is defi ned as “an act of perception,
interaction and assimilation
of an object by an individual”, which
leads to an “acquisition of knowledge
or the development of skills or attitudes”
(Allard and Boucher, 1998).
Learning relates to the individual
way in which a visitor assimilates the
subject. With regard to the science of
education or intellectual training, if
pedagogy refers more to childhood
and is part of upbringing, the notion
of didactic is considered as the theory
of dissemination of knowledge, the
way to present knowledge to an
individual whatever his or her age.
Education is wider, and aims at the
autonomy of the individual.
We can mention other related
concepts which shade and enrich
these different approaches. The
concepts of museum activities or
cultural action, like that of interpretation
or mediation, are often invoked
to describe the work carried out with
the public in the museum’s efforts
at transmission. “I am teaching you”
says a teacher, “I am allowing you to
know” says a mediator (Caillet and
Lehalle, 1995) (see Mediation). This
distinction aims to refl ect the difference
between the act of training,
and a process of awareness appealing
to an individual who will fi nish
the work according to the extent
to which he assimilates the content
before him. Training assumes
constraint and obligation, whereas
the museum context supposes freedom
(Schouten, 1987). In Germany
the term pedagogy, or Pädagogik is
used more frequently, and of the
word used to describe education
within museums is Museumspädagogik.
This refers to all the activities
that a museum may offer, regardless
of the age, education or social background
of the public concerned.
DERIVATIVES: ADULT EDUCATION, EDUCATIONAL
SCIENCES, EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, LIFE-LONG
EDUCATION, INFORMAL OR NON-FORMAL EDUCATION,
MID-CAREER EDUCATION, MUSEUM EDUCATION, POPULAR
EDUCATION.
CORRELATED: AWAKENING, CULTURAL ACTION,
CULTURAL ACTIVITIES, DEVELOPMENT, DIDACTIC,
INTERNSHIP, INSTRUCTION, MEDIATION, PEDAGOGY,
TEACHING, TRAINING, TRANSMISSION, UPBRINGING.
ETHICS
n. (From the Greek ethos: customs, character)
– Equivalent French: éthique; Spanish:
etica; German: Ethik; Italian: ethica; Portuguese:
ética.
Generally speaking, ethics are a philosophical
discipline in philosophy
that deals with identifying values
which will guide both private and
public human conduct. Far from
being a simple synonym of morality,
as is currently believed, ethics is the
opposite in so far as the choice of
values is not imposed by a specifi c
set of rules, but rather freely chosen
by the individual taking action. This