Constructing Cultural Memory: A Spatial and Narrative Analysis of a Chinese Education Museum

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Wednesday 7:45am
  In Poster Session: Using Education, Place, Space, and Time in the Pursuit of Educational Justice and Renewal

Abstract

This study examines the value proposition of education museums in the digital age, viewing them not as static repositories but as dynamic agents of identity construction. Through a case study of the Chinese Suzhou Education Museum, this paper applies cultural memory theory to analyze how the museum utilizes spatial encoding, narrative strategies, and media transformation to translate passive "storage memory" into active "functional memory." Findings reveal a dynamic process of balancing tensions—between authoritative and folk narratives, linear and modular temporalities, and physical objects and digital spectacles. This process ultimately serves a dual function: awakening individual educational identities and shaping a collective regional-cultural identity, offering insights into how educational institutions can engage with history to imagine and construct new futures.

Authors

• Xiaoben Liu, Fujian Normal University

• Yue Sun, Shanghai University of Sport