Documenting Diversity: Collections, Catalogues and Context, 2020
India is one of the most diverse countries in the world with an extremely varied mixture of rich ... more India is one of the most diverse countries in the world with an extremely varied mixture of rich natural and cultural heritage. Diversity is present in rich cultural traditions, customs, beliefs, practices, rituals, oral traditions, performing arts and crafts as well as in the diverse flora, fauna, and mineral wealth of the country. Nature provides context for societies to interact through which objects of natural origin pass among people and thus allows an analysis of any article that arises in a natural context. Natural heritage in most regions and communities is itself imbibed in cultural representation. Nature and culture are deeply interlinked in the socio-cultural life and practices. A single specimen of natural history may have different meanings across different contextual settings. It is necessary to study the stories contained in these collections across different contexts to have a complete understanding of a particular object. Natural specimens preserved, documented, and displayed in museums across India may have more meanings beyond the interpretation possible in ‘Natural History’ and ‘scientific’ terminologies. These varied meanings may be derived from different sources; communities, archives, and museums best carriers to document and interpret various stories associated with their collection. Museums cover a holistic approach of the object from the time of collection till its interpretation. So, it is essential to document the information contained in these collections as certain types of research can only be done properly in museums. However, museum objects become de-contextualized as soon as they enter the museum. Community participation is necessary to document and present the stories associated with different communities. Museums can act as a window to showcase the natural heritage with cultural meanings and terms to increase the level of understanding of the multidimensional approach of the collection. This paper aims to explore various ways to source data for natural history specimens in different contextual settings with community involvement through a case study of a single object of the Regional Museum of Natural History, Sawai Madhopur.
Natural history museums are specialised institutions that enhance learning in natural science. As... more Natural history museums are specialised institutions that enhance learning in natural science. As social institutions, they have dual responsibilities- first, to provide out-of-school education facilities to children about natural science, and second, to create awareness among the masses about environmental conservation. Natural history museums, as non-formal social institutions, become more significant in a country like India, which has a rich natural heritage to depict and a diverse population to cater to. These institutions are relevant to contemporary Indian society because of their ability to become instruments of social change, communicating awareness among the masses about environmental issues and the need for its conservation. "The Contextual Model of Learning" proposed by John H Falk and Lynn D Dierking which posits that all learning is situated within three overlapping contexts, the personal, the socio-cultural, and the physical, is used as a theoretical construct for investigating the nature of learning in natural history museums of India. The paper attempts to examine the learning potential of natural history museums in India through a visitor study conducted at the regional branches of the National Museum of Natural History, New Delhi, India. The study focuses on identifying key factors that influence the learning experience of visitors in natural history museums of India. The paper includes the study of the demographic profile of the visitors visiting natural history museums, the reasons of their museum visit, their behaviour in these museums, and the educational potential of these museums.
We humans have a deeply curious nature. Sometimes our curiosity leads us in doing completely unpr... more We humans have a deeply curious nature. Sometimes our curiosity leads us in doing completely unproductive things and we just love to know the answers to things, even if there’s no obvious benefit. But this curiosity also draws people to explore and learn about the role and significance of a particular thing, for instance, people started to explore the natural world, millions of years ago. In every society, through the ages, people have been using plants, animals and/or their products as essential elements for their survival which defines the relationship between man and nature in the spatio-temporal context. Later, people themselves began to collect as an instinctive desire to possess natural curiosities such as corals, shells, minerals, plants, animals, and their body parts i.e. bones, horns, teeth, etc. Subsequently, museums were conceived where evidence of Natural History and its relationship with society were collected, preserved, and decoded. Most of the museums in India and abroad started with the collection of Natural History. However, the transformation from collection-oriented museums to ones that are mostly focused on the concepts and don’t have many specimens to display has brought about the need to sustain public interest. So, what is the potential of natural history museums at present? Is there any specific role of the natural history museum in our society today? How will museums present the relevance of their Natural History collections and thrive in a changing world? This paper aims to explore significant uses of Natural History collection to meet present and future environmental challenges. This paper also discusses the social relevance of natural History collection across epochs.
Documenting Diversity: Collections, Catalogues and Context, 2020
India is one of the most diverse countries in the world with an extremely varied mixture of rich ... more India is one of the most diverse countries in the world with an extremely varied mixture of rich natural and cultural heritage. Diversity is present in rich cultural traditions, customs, beliefs, practices, rituals, oral traditions, performing arts and crafts as well as in the diverse flora, fauna, and mineral wealth of the country. Nature provides context for societies to interact through which objects of natural origin pass among people and thus allows an analysis of any article that arises in a natural context. Natural heritage in most regions and communities is itself imbibed in cultural representation. Nature and culture are deeply interlinked in the socio-cultural life and practices. A single specimen of natural history may have different meanings across different contextual settings. It is necessary to study the stories contained in these collections across different contexts to have a complete understanding of a particular object. Natural specimens preserved, documented, and displayed in museums across India may have more meanings beyond the interpretation possible in ‘Natural History’ and ‘scientific’ terminologies. These varied meanings may be derived from different sources; communities, archives, and museums best carriers to document and interpret various stories associated with their collection. Museums cover a holistic approach of the object from the time of collection till its interpretation. So, it is essential to document the information contained in these collections as certain types of research can only be done properly in museums. However, museum objects become de-contextualized as soon as they enter the museum. Community participation is necessary to document and present the stories associated with different communities. Museums can act as a window to showcase the natural heritage with cultural meanings and terms to increase the level of understanding of the multidimensional approach of the collection. This paper aims to explore various ways to source data for natural history specimens in different contextual settings with community involvement through a case study of a single object of the Regional Museum of Natural History, Sawai Madhopur.
Natural history museums are specialised institutions that enhance learning in natural science. As... more Natural history museums are specialised institutions that enhance learning in natural science. As social institutions, they have dual responsibilities- first, to provide out-of-school education facilities to children about natural science, and second, to create awareness among the masses about environmental conservation. Natural history museums, as non-formal social institutions, become more significant in a country like India, which has a rich natural heritage to depict and a diverse population to cater to. These institutions are relevant to contemporary Indian society because of their ability to become instruments of social change, communicating awareness among the masses about environmental issues and the need for its conservation. "The Contextual Model of Learning" proposed by John H Falk and Lynn D Dierking which posits that all learning is situated within three overlapping contexts, the personal, the socio-cultural, and the physical, is used as a theoretical construct for investigating the nature of learning in natural history museums of India. The paper attempts to examine the learning potential of natural history museums in India through a visitor study conducted at the regional branches of the National Museum of Natural History, New Delhi, India. The study focuses on identifying key factors that influence the learning experience of visitors in natural history museums of India. The paper includes the study of the demographic profile of the visitors visiting natural history museums, the reasons of their museum visit, their behaviour in these museums, and the educational potential of these museums.
We humans have a deeply curious nature. Sometimes our curiosity leads us in doing completely unpr... more We humans have a deeply curious nature. Sometimes our curiosity leads us in doing completely unproductive things and we just love to know the answers to things, even if there’s no obvious benefit. But this curiosity also draws people to explore and learn about the role and significance of a particular thing, for instance, people started to explore the natural world, millions of years ago. In every society, through the ages, people have been using plants, animals and/or their products as essential elements for their survival which defines the relationship between man and nature in the spatio-temporal context. Later, people themselves began to collect as an instinctive desire to possess natural curiosities such as corals, shells, minerals, plants, animals, and their body parts i.e. bones, horns, teeth, etc. Subsequently, museums were conceived where evidence of Natural History and its relationship with society were collected, preserved, and decoded. Most of the museums in India and abroad started with the collection of Natural History. However, the transformation from collection-oriented museums to ones that are mostly focused on the concepts and don’t have many specimens to display has brought about the need to sustain public interest. So, what is the potential of natural history museums at present? Is there any specific role of the natural history museum in our society today? How will museums present the relevance of their Natural History collections and thrive in a changing world? This paper aims to explore significant uses of Natural History collection to meet present and future environmental challenges. This paper also discusses the social relevance of natural History collection across epochs.
Uploads
Papers by Juhi Sadiya