Abstract

Museums face the task of representing the similarities and differences that exist between groups, such as national identities and indigenous and minority voices, material and intangible heritage, and current status and past history. In order to achieve this aim, a complex and not always easily compatible set of interests have to be taken into account, from those of the museum itself, to those of its main audiences, sources of support, and the groups that are, or wish to be, represented. The approach taken by Scandinavian museums in response to this challenge highlights a very active concern for forms of cultural diversity and how they are interrelated.

By bringing together debates and discussions of diversity, this volume offers insight into the Nordic region and its diverse peoples, from the Sámi and the Inuit to newer immigrants. It presents a set of historical reviews on the formation of national museums and emerging and contested perceptions of national identity. Furthering the general debate on representations of diversity and museums, it also offers museum curators possible ways forward.

Katherine Goodnow is Professor at the Department of Information Science and Media Studies at the University of Bergen, Norway. She has published widely on museums and cultural diversity. Her most recent books in the field include Challenge and transformation: Museums in Cape Town and Sydney and Museums, the media and refugees: Stories of crisis, control and compassion. Goodnow combines research with filmmaking and has produced television series and documentaries for Norwegian national broadcasters.

Haci Akman is Associate Professor at the Department of Archaeology, History, Culture and Religious Science, University of Bergen. His research interests include migration, diaspora processes, ethnicity, cultural heritage and museums and diversity. Recent publications in these fields focus on Kurdish and Jewish diaspora societies in the United Kingdom and Norway. Akman is currently working on the development of the Norwegian Kurdish Virtual Museum.