A Science Exhibit About Mental Health: Expectations and Engagement Perspectives (Poster 23)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Eight
  In Poster Session: Informal Learning Environments Research SIG Poster Presentation (Place-Based)

Abstract

Mental health issues affect individuals worldwide. Our study focuses on the exhibition Mental Health - Mind Matters (Science Museum of Minnesota, 2018). We sought to understand: (i) museum professionals’ local contextualization of the exhibit, (ii) how the exhibit fostered engagement with mental health, and (iii) the changing social roles of science museums. Data included interviews with museum professionals, field notes, documents, and the research team’s debriefings. Deductive and inductive analyses revealed the museum’s desire to challenge stigma, co-create knowledge about mental health, and foster empathy, while situating an existing exhibit within a socio-cultural context and address Whiteness. We conclude by expanding upon the particulars of emotional engagement to include empathy and productive struggle, and note the evolution of science museums.

Authors

• Ana Maria Navas Iannini, Simon Fraser University
  Presenting Author

• Erminia G. Pedretti, OISE/University of Toronto
  Presenting Author

• Kristen Schaffer, Mount Royal University
  Presenting Author

• Daniel Atkinson, University of Toronto
  Non-Presenting Author