Anthropology, Museums and the Body: Lessons From an Experimental Teaching Environment

Abstract

With increased interests in solving complex problems through interdisciplinary research-how best can museums use this approach to address critical social issues? In order to answer this question, an interdisciplinary group of curators, artists and students worked together at the Smithsonian Institution to create an experimental teaching environment to rethink the disciplinary boundaries around the study of the human body. Our aim was to use a range of anthropological, art and science collections and readings to undertake the issues of race, gender, genetics, and disability, and the historic inequities resulting from colonialism. We discuss this endeavor, including the public program we developed-the Face Cast Lab-as well as lessons learned about who affects change through this type of museum-based teaching.

Anthropological face casts: Towards an ethical processing of their histories and difficult legacies of intimacy and ambiguity

“…This workshop attempted to deal with ethical issues such as racism in science, voyeurism, and different cultural ideas about personhood vs. the body as a specimen. The Face Cast Lab was also part of developing graduate level curricula around challenges presented by colonial legacies concerning the body, and to educate the public about these issues (Isaac et al, 2019). In a few cases, museums such as the Musée de l'Homme in Paris and the Museum of US in San Diego have also developed exhibits to educate the public about the history of these face cast collections.…”

“… 6. Harvard University's Peabody Museum has started to work with their cast collections in the hopes of resolving their sensitive nature, but has stated that at present, they do not fall under NAGPRA. See Lauricella 2016, https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2016/3/10/peabody-life-casts/ (accessed 9 September 2021).…”