Understanding Children's Museums' Approaches to Diversity: A Critical and Sociocultural Investigation (Poster 47)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Six
  In Poster Session: (Re)Framing and (Re)Claiming: Partnering With Communities and Families to Critically Examine Practices, Policies, and Approaches in Early Childhood

Abstract

There are many stories to be told regarding how race and ethnicity impacts administrators, staff employees, and patrons, and how their views and experiences and are incorporated in children’s museums’ efforts to promote diversity and learning. The purpose is to explore how children’s museums support diversity through their programs and planning. The research of this study focuses on four children’s museums located in the United States. A sequential explanatory mixed methods approach was used in this study. Drawing on the Sociocultural and Critical Race theories, this study begins by gaining insight on children’s museums administrators’ and staff employees’ general feelings on how well they are doing in supporting diversity, then proceeds to gaining more subjective views on the issue (Smith, 2022).

Authors

• Amber N. Smith, University of Missouri
  Presenting Author

• Jennifer Jo Baumgartner, Louisiana State University
  Presenting Author