Is it Possible to Tie Down a Universal Museum Definition?

Abstract

Museums are known worldwide and even though they are a Western construct, similar facilities can be found everywhere. There is a cachet to having a museum in one’s community where it becomes a source of collective pride. Nevertheless, museums serve not one, but many communities and the question is whether that fact can be encapsulated in a definition which reflects the total community ethos and the many voices of its stakeholders. Minority and indigenous populations in particular are demanding their voices be heard and this has posed a problem for the creation of a museum definition. In the end, an inclusive, meaningful definition may not be readily found.