Museums and 'difficult pasts': Northern Ireland's 1968

Reynolds, C ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3704-8425 and Blair, W, 2018. Museums and 'difficult pasts': Northern Ireland's 1968. Museum International, 70 (3-4), pp. 12-25. ISSN 1350-0775

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Abstract

This article contributes to the debate on the increasingly prominent role of museums in the interpretation of what have become known as 'difficult histories'. It begins by outlining the impact and legacy of contested history within the context of Northern Ireland before focusing on how and why some museums have come to see their role and purpose, and define their social impact, in relation to the increasingly prevalent practice of confronting uncomfortable heritage. The role of National Museums Northern Ireland and its experiences in interpreting contested history provides the backdrop for a discussion of its recent collaborative project on the seminal events of 1968. This venture’s innovative methodological and theoretical approach, it is argued, provides valuable lessons for the broader challenge of dealing with the difficult legacy of Northern Ireland's past as part of the ongoing peace process. It also offers a possible blueprint for other museums to adapt in their efforts to confront their own 'difficult histories'

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Museum International
Creators:	Reynolds, C. and Blair, W.
Publisher:	Wiley-Blackwell
Date:	2018
Volume:	70
Number:	3-4
ISSN:	1350-0775
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1111/muse.12206 DOI
Divisions:	Schools > School of Arts and Humanities
Record created by:	Jonathan Gallacher
Date Added:	16 Jan 2019 09:24
Last Modified:	31 May 2021 15:19
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/35567

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