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Visitors' Role in an Exhibition Debate: Science in American Life
Author(s) -
PEKARIK ANDREW J.,
DOERING ZAHAVA D.,
BICKFORD ADAM
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
curator: the museum journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.312
H-Index - 8
eISSN - 2151-6952
pISSN - 0011-3069
DOI - 10.1111/j.2151-6952.1999.tb01135.x
Subject(s) - exhibition , public life , sociology , political science , media studies , social science , visual arts , art , law , politics
In the year after the exhibition Science in American Life opened at the National Museum of American History objections were raised by the exhibition's chief sponsor, the American Chemical Society, and by the American Physical Society. These critics argued that the exhibition gave the public a negative view of science. The Institutional Studies Office was asked to conduct a study to determine whether or not the exhibition was affecting visitors' views of science, and, if so, in what direction. Using an entrance/exit survey design, the study determined conclusively that the visiting public entered the exhibition with a very positive view of science and technology and that their views were reinforced and confirmed by the experience of Science in American Life , rather than changed in either a positive or negative direction.