Museums as Agents for Social Change, by Sarah Sinovic

Museums, zoos, aquariums, and other cultural organizations are powerful messengers for implementing positive social change. Trying to modify and change behavior is undoubtedly a challenge, but museums have the right ingredients to make it happen. In fact, research shows that when museums execute social change campaigns, the public listens and reacts. The Ocean Project also found that zoos and aquariums are the preferred – even trusted – voice for communicating environmental messages, more so than government agencies and corporations.

Visitors stopping by museums, zoos and aquariums alike will learn something upon entering each of these institutions, because museums are natural storytellers and educators. People expect to learn something when they visit a museum. According to the American Association of Museums, 850 million people visit American museums each year with the top three most-frequently visited museum types being science, living collections (zoos/aquariums), and children’s museums (AAM, 2009).

However, many museums have not fully recognized the ability to create social change. This is why a cultural shift needs to occur within these organizations, starting with their leaders (Sandall, 1998).

The potential of museums to act as a catalyst for change is incredibly significant. In an ever-changing world, social change campaigns can utilize countless platforms for these important messages. Of course, messages can be communicated inside the physical walls of institutions, but with modern technology there are endless opportunities to communicate in other effective ways. It is not uncommon for messages to be found both in physical and virtual spaces, for example, in exhibits and on billboards as well as on Facebook and Twitter.

In today’s information culture, there is an abundance of content, and finding credible sources can be both challenging and downright tiring. This is why these trusted cultural institutions have an important role of taking information from within their walls and communicating it externally. In this way, the trusted voices of museums, zoos, aquariums, and cultural organizations can be used to bring accurate information to the public, thus facilitating positive social change.

Getting to know the Millennials, by Ronnette Hope

In the wake of Egypt’s rebellion, an activist tweeted, “We use Facebook to schedule the protests, Twitter to coordinate and YouTube to tell the world.”[1] It is hard to ignore the influence digital media has to champion public sentiment. For the young, social media is a definitive part of social interaction and growing up experience. Young people are learning and engaging in community life differently because of digital media, and society must begin to understand and harness the potential of youth’s virtual communities.

Researchers are investigating the changes in societal norms for the generation known as the Millennials, which is growing up in both virtual and real communities. Also known as the “Echo Boomers” (or children of Baby Boomers), the eldest members of this group are approaching 30, and the youngest constituents are about 13. This group is facing a different modernity than those that preceded it.

The Pew Research Center has been defining the personality of this next generation in its “coming-of-age” phase, looking at how it acts upon values, attitudes and worldviews. Not only are they the least religiously observant youth, but they are the most ethnically and racially diverse cohort in the nation's history.[2] Politically, they are starting out as the most progressive group in modern history. For example, in the 2008 election, Millennials voted for Barack Obama over John McCain by 66%-32%, while adults ages 30 and older split their votes 50%-49%. Their voting practices reflect that Millennials view themselves as more tolerant and significantly more liberal than their predecessors. [3] While they are slightly more confident in the government, Millennials are more likely to volunteer and make their own change within their community.

The most compelling feature of this generation is its relationship to digital media and the internet. Pew reports, “They are the first generation in human history who regard behaviors like tweeting and texting, along with websites like Facebook, YouTube, Google and Wikipedia, not as astonishing innovations of the digital era, but as everyday parts of their social lives and their search for understanding.”[4] This generation is engaged in all things digital. Mobile phone use has climbed steadily among teens 12-17 from 63 percent in 2006 to 71 percent in 2008.[5] In the United States, 93% of teens and young adults ages 12-29 go online, and three-fourths of those online use social network sites.[6] Teens and young adults use the internet as one of their main resources; 63% use it for news, 48% have purchased items, and 31% get health and fitness tips.[7]

Teens are accessing information online at any time and sharing their opinions and media creations around the world. The internet provides new kinds of public space for youth to interact and receive feedback from each other. These teens are participating in a dynamic online world that blurs public and private lines.[8] The way teens “hang out” includes engaging in interest-driven hobbies on the internet. This behavior is important because young people are motivated to learn from their peers and respect each other’s authority online whereas they might not in formal settings such as schools.[9]

However, youth are not fully using the potential of their time spent on the internet. Research shows that, while 31% use the internet for health and fitness tips, only 17% of online teens report they use the internet to gather information on “hard to discuss” topics such as drug use and sexual health.[10] While young people are learning and engaging differently because of access to digital media, their usage could extend into other realms. For YouthMuse, the key is transforming usage of internet and social media into a conduit for social action. The project is harnessing the power of social media and the interest of teens by giving direction and structure through a third element, the cultural sector, to enable and engage youth. In turn, the cultural organizations become assets to the youth and better serve their communities.

[1] Howard, Philip N. "The Arab Uprising's Cascading Effects." Miller-McCune. 23 Feb. 2011. Web. 07 Mar. 2011.
[2] Keeter, Scott, and Paul Taylor. "The Millennials." Pew Research Center. 11 Dec. 2009. Web. 07 Mar. 2011. .
[3] Keeter, 2009
[4] Keeter, 2009
[5] MacArthur Foundation. Re- Imagining Learning in the 21st Century. Chicago: MacArthur Foundation, 2009. Print.
[6] Lenhart, Amanda, Kristen Purcell, Aaron Smith, and Kathryn Zickuhr. "Social Media and Young Adults." Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project. 3 Feb. 2010. Web. 07 Mar. 2011. .
[7] Lenhart, 2011
[8] MacArthurFoundation. 2009.
[9] MacArthurFoundation.2009.
[10] Lenhart, 2010

Social Media’s Role in the Virtual World, by Ronnette Hope

Social media in its most basic form is a blending of technology and social interaction. More technically, it is defined as a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of more involved human collaboration on the internet, which allows the creation and exchange of user-generated content such as Wikipedia, YouTube, and Facebook.

Social media is not completely separate from what is considered traditional media such as newspaper, television, and film; both social and traditional media are used by the public to access information. Both mediums struggle with audience and reach; however, social media has qualities that make it far more accessible and instantaneous than its counterpart.

While Wikipedia, YouTube, Facebook and many more are defined as social media; these applications take different forms. They share similarities: They are relatively inexpensive to use, relatively easy to use and available to anyone with access. About 75% of Americans are connected to the internet through some form; therefore, social media is becoming just as universal as its traditional contemporary. Each social media site offers a different set of tools and online presence to its users. According to Kaplan and Haenlein, social media can be broken down into six different types: collaborative projects, blogs, content communities, social networking sites, virtual games and virtual social worlds. These separations reflect social presence and media richness. They range from blogs, which focuses on individuality while allowing text-based and relatively simple exchanges, to virtual game worlds, which have high levels of interaction and media, yet may restrict self-disclosure and identity through the use of avatars.

Collaborative projects, content communities and social networking sites should be looked at more closely as society redefines community and membership. A collaborative project is the joint effort of many users that leads to a better outcome than any user could achieve individually. A prime example is Wikipedia. While everything on Wikipedia may not be true, it is trusted by most users in more than 230 languages worldwide. Content communities, such as Flickr or YouTube, share media among users. The high frequency and attraction to these sites are hard to ignore; YouTube users watch more than 100 million videos per day.

Among all these applications, social networking is the most interactive user to user; these sites require personal information profiles, inviting friends and colleagues to have access to those profiles, and sending e-mails and instant messages between users. Facebook has cornered this market with more than 500 million active users, defined as those who have returned to the site in the last month.

Social networking is helping people cross the traditional and geographic borders that once defined community; 70% of Facebook users are outside the United States. Social networking sites ease the community building process; they allow users to keep up to date with acquaintances with less effort. These social networking sites facilitate an individual finding others with similar interests in a communal gathering place, breaking the boundaries of geographic immediacy in traditional communities. Virtual communities resemble real life communities in the sense that they both provide support, information, friendship and acceptance between strangers; however, virtual communities span a greater spectrum of individuals with varied genders, creeds and opinions.

There is unforeseen potential in these interpersonal relations as they continue to grow and change. These sites are not just passive means of social interaction;, according to the Pew Research Center’s “Internet & American Life” project, “75% of all American adults are active in some kind of voluntary group or organization, and internet users are more likely than others to be active: 80% of internet users participate in groups, compared with 56% of non-internet users.” These internet groups are fostering real relationships. Social dimensions of involvement can impact real change in a participant’s life. The embedding of virtual community in everyday life’s experiences will become a reflection and influence on the communication practices and identity formation for future generations.

For YouthMuse, the key is transforming youth’s social media usage into a productive, more engaging resource for them within their virtual communities and extend that effort into their real ones. The YouthMuse project harnesses the power of social media and the interest of teens by giving direction and structure to youth’s concepts and pursuits.

References
Kaplan, Andreas M., and Michael Haenlein. "Users of the World, Unite! The Challenges and Opportunities of Social Media." Business Horizons 53.1 (2009): 59-68. ScienceDirect. Web. 6 Mar. 2011.

Rainie, Lee, Kristen Purcell, and Aaron Smith. "The Social Side of the Internet." Pew Internet & American Life Project. Pew Research Center, 18 Jan. 2011. Web. 07 Mar. 2011.

"State of the Media 2010: US Audiences and Device." Worldwide | The Nielsen Company. Nielsen, Jan. 2011. Web. 06 Mar. 2011.

"Statistics | Facebook." Facebook. Web. 07 Mar. 2011.

Interviewing Teenagers: Peer-to-Peer Interaction, by Marc Deheeger

We are the way we are because we listen to each other. That concept fits with a new theory proposed by Kim R. Hill of Arizona State University and Robert S. Walker of the University of Missouri suggesting “contemporary humans exhibit spectacular biological success derived from cumulative culture and cooperation” (Hill et al. 2011). While not an expert on human evolution, I have the amazing opportunity to talk with teenagers from both coasts and in between, and see for myself the evolution of ideas resulting from peer-to-peer interactions.

The groups of teenagers I had the honor of interviewing come from the states of Illinois, North Carolina and Washington. The Chicago Botanic let us meet their Science First and College First program participants and the Lincoln Park Zoo shared with us their zoo interns. In North Carolina we talked with program participants at the Aquarium at Fort Fisher and members of the Isaac Bear High School Ecology Club, and in Seattle we were joined by aquarium volunteers from multiple high schools.

I have to admit that before I interviewed any youth I was expecting to be met with long bouts of silence only broken by intermittent coughs and sneezes. After my first interaction with the teenagers at the Chicago Botanic Garden, I learned not to expect that any more. In fact, for every question I asked, I had to cut answers short in order to leave room for other questions. It was clear these teenagers were interested in many issues—environmental and more—and they were looking for ways to get involved. It was also clear that each participant was unique in some way, whether in his or her background, interests, or school.

I observed this diversity to be an amazing tool shed in which participants borrowed experiences from one another to refine their ideas. In North Carolina, for example, a volunteer expressed her concern with the health of the nearby beach, given all the littering. Another participant suggested a beach sweep event, at which people would compete to gather up the most garbage. Still another teen, being an avid fisher, suggested they hold a fishing competition for which the cost of entry was collecting a predetermined amount of trash from the beaches. Differences in high schools proved to be another useful resource. At Seattle Aquarium, where none of the 25 students I interviewed went to the same high school, the students commonly expressed surprise at the range of courses, like marine biology, or clubs, like ecology club, that were offered at some schools but not others. In fact, many said they would work to get the same opportunities and organizations at their schools now that they were aware of them.
The diversity brought and shared through peer-to-peer interactions is an immense tool shed that participants can pick through to help improve and expand their ideas. If listening got us to where we are today, just imagine how much better we can be if we listen more.

Reference
Hill, Kim R. et al. "Co-Residence Patterns in Hunter-Gatherer Societies Show Unique Human Social Structure." Science. AAAS, 18 Jan. 2011. Web. 26 Mar. 2011. http://www.sciencemag.org/content/331/6022/1286.

Teens and Museums: the idea for YouthMuse

YouthMuse started through a confluence of factors.

Factor one: I met Ian Abrams, one of the original architects of the Truth
Campaign, the anti-smoking campaign aimed at teens, in January 2008.
I was fascinated by what motivated teenagers and that Ian’s team had
focused the campaign on preventing teens from STARTING smoking.
Because once they’d started, they probably weren’t physically or emotionally
equipped to be able to stop.

Factor two: My daughter is a teenager, at least for a couple more months.
And I have loved the teenage years. OK, I didn’t really love 12 and 13—
those were pretty tough years for her—but, overall, I enjoyed her high
school years. The kids my daughter befriended were pretty good kids. They
were interested in issues. They were thinking about their future and trying
to figure out their place in the world. Teens are pretty interesting—and
interested—people, and I enjoy being around them.

Factor three: Over my last couple years at Shedd Aquarium, as I worked
with the Great Lakes team to create a new strategy for Great Lakes
conservation, I immersed myself in research, such as The Ocean Project’s
public opinion work on climate change. The research was clear: Youth are
the key. Families look to their teens as influencers when it comes to the
environment. And the public is looking to zoos, aquariums and museums to
recommend personal action.

Factor four: As the recession hit the museum community, I watched as
museums reduced staff, struggled to meet fundraising goals, and, then,
when museums needed to increase admission prices, they were criticized
by the media and by some public officials in Chicago. Instead of being seen
as “angels,” helping educate schoolchildren through informal education or
providing teacher certification courses or the myriad other community work
outside the museum experience, museums often were seen, in the words of
Museums in the Park (MIP)President Gary Johnson, as “fat cats” or elitist.
Our guests and members loved the museums, but that message wasn’t
making it into the media. To try and tell more of the story of museums as
important to the community, several of us helped MIP launch its “Museums
Work for Chicago” campaign. But I remained frustrated that many segments
of the community don’t see museums as do-gooders.

With those factors percolating, I began thinking about my next career move, and I found myself talking to colleagues about the relevance of
cultural organizations in the community. If I could somehow contribute to
increasing the real or perceived relevance of museums, zoos, aquariums
and performing arts organizations, THAT would be a satisfying next step for
me. As I began describing this interest to my informal advisors, the idea
for YouthMuse emerged: If the cultural sector is going to be relevant, we
should step into the realm of social change. If we’re going to try to change
the world, the audience ready to make change is youth. And if we want to
activate this generation—the most socially conscious ever—then we have
provide them with structure, support and people. They already have the
social networks to carry the messages, they and the public trust museums,
and they probably trust us in realms beyond the environment, such as social
justice and creativity.

I remember calling Peter Linett of SloverLinett Strategies about a year ago
and describing this idea to him as he was driving back to his office. I told
him I was thinking of actually trying to launch such a concept as my next
career. Peter was enthusiastic. “You can do this,” he said. “You’re just the
right person”—a reference to my 17 years in the zoo, aquarium and museum
business. “And we’ll help however we can.” That encouragement sealed the
deal. I left Shedd one year ago to start YouthMuse, and the North Carolina
Aquarium youth just went live with our first official campaign.

Posted by Deb Kerr, executive director