Silverman describes several programs through general themes on how museums offer social work to their constituents. During this chapter she focuses on how individuals create meaning impacting their self. Many of the examples she provides are public programs based around the museum collection. During the latter part of the chapter she examines the spiritual and ephemeral capabilities of exhibits. Public programs through the lens of social work offer individuals opportunities to build self-esteem through individualize or collaborative projects. Often, such programs engage the individual in activities which promote introspective analysis on the self. One example Silverman provided was through employing mentally and physically disabled persons in a museum café. Through this employment experience successful individuals were able to generate better self-esteem. Other examples included reflection creation of artistic objects as therapy.
One of the key areas where I have concern is of Silverman’s discussion on museums and work. I am curious on how the professionalization of the field through programs such as the IUPUI museum studies master’s degree may affect this form of social work. Will potential internship and volunteer opportunities for persons benefiting from work experiences be limited due to an influx of individuals with a professional degree in this area? In many ways, it seems that Silverman argues for museums to exist and to support social work ethos through simply existing and being open entities to the public. Museums then serve their communities as a third-place environment which promotes self-reflection and identity creation. Identity can best be created and reflected upon when the individual sees herself in the exhibit. Many groups still do not see their story represented in museums due to broader preventative social norms. While museums may serve to create reflexive environments, they also help maintain social barriers and walls.
Chapter three provided many key examples of successful meaning making experiences that museums can create. Public programming and community outreach are excellent venues for museums to create increased community relevance. Through examining how such programs assist communities I can better serve the community in which I live. This path allows museums to actively solve problems within a community, rather than suggest solutions or ignore them completely.
Ultimately, this chapter leads me to consider questions about representation and its association or dissonance with identity creation. As practitioners are serving our constituent’s desire to learn, but to what extent inside and out of the museum are we approaching their needs for self-reflection? How are we hindering this process? How can we help?
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