Please write 4 separate essays, each about 200-250 words. Please use examples from the 2 readings I
provided.
Please write in the requirement of the rubric: (each question)
comprehension and correct response to the question, (2 points)
original, grammatically correct writing, with few or no errors, (1 point)
use of examples from lectures and assigned readings to support the answer, (1 point)
inclusion of extra observations, quotes, insights. (.5 point)
Questions:
- According to the article by Pandora Syperek, what does the name Hope represent? Why does Syperek
choose to italicize the name Hope throughout the article, and what do they claim Hope reflects about the shift
in museum programming more broadly? Please draw on at least one example that displays how Hope
connects human and non-human histories to best reflect the current anthropocene in a museological setting. - Syperek argues that the linear, taxonomic, progress driven model of natural history museums is "dismantled
by its display histories and shifting ecological aesthetics”. What are these ecological aesthetics, and what is an
example in the reading that highlights the visuality and effectiveness of ecological aesthetics in the space of
the natural history museum? - Bosworth envisions a future for museums, particularly natural history museums, that leans away from a
standpoint of authoritative neutrality to a space of the commons. What does Bosworth define as the commons,
and what do they say about how museums provide infrastructure for the commons? How does the project
Mining the HMNS work in opposition to the notions of authoritative neutrality, and as an example of the
commons? - Bosworth describes the ethos of natural history museums as clinging to a politically neutral framework, or
“authoritative neutrality”. How do they define “authoritative neutrality”, and what is the excuse put forward by
natural history museums to justify this passivity? Finally, why does Bosworth claim that in order for a natural
history museum effectively change to become more relevant in a contemporary landscape, they must abandon
this neutral stance?
Sample Solution