Museum Studies Theses

Abstract

This study explores the political implications of foodways-related interpretation at American history institutions, situating it within current partisan discourse. Using an “Anthropology of Museums” framework, I place literature from the fields of food history, human geography, and museum studies in conversation with interviews with three curatorial professionals from the National Museum of American History, the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, and the New Mexico History Museum. I understand the ways these professionals navigate politically engaged interpretation through the lens of ethnographic refusal, a phenomenon drawn from the anthropology subfield of resistance studies. I argue that the connections between food history and current sociopolitical issues combined with the popularity of food history with the public necessitate that museum professionals develop an intellectual and ethical praxis surrounding their interpretation of foodways.

Project Sponsors

University of New Mexico Department of Museum Studies, National Science Foundation

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

Museum Studies

First Committee Member

Loa P. Traxler

Second Committee Member

Elisabeth A. Stone

Third Committee Member

Ronda L. Brulotte

Keywords

museums, foodways, history, culture, politics

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