Can the Museum Be an Agent of Social Change? A New Model of the Functioning of the Museum in the Twenty-First Century

A large group of scholars believe that, in the face of an increasing awareness of global challenges, the mission, role, values and responsibilities of museums as institutions require radical rethinking and transformation. In 2016, at an ICOM conference, Mário Moutinho suggested that the category of new museology be broadened towards sociomuseology as a school of thought, whose task is to integrate efforts to adapt museum structures to the present-day reality, to achieve a new level of autonomy for museums, and to open museums to the social context. The philosophical basis for this movement is the idea of participation, and its goal is to create a network of institutions, communities and individuals whose objective is sustainable local development. This approach to museum activism means modifying the tasks the museum undertakes as a civic institution, and the new model of its operation is aimed at real political, social and environmental change. The concept has met with criticism from researchers and museologists who believe that the museum should preserve its identity and focus on its traditional tasks. By giving examples of similar activity conducted by some Polish historical museums the author offers answers to the question of whether and to what extent museums in the twenty-first century can and should adopt this new model in order to truly influence their environment while, at the same time, preserving the functions of an institution whose role is to protect national heritage.