Social museology as a strategy to revitalize the Museum of Journalism and Graphic Arts

Abstract

Museums, with more than 300 years of existence, are often associated with sacralised spaces reserved for privileged sectors, which has led many people to ignore that they were created to serve the community. In response to this traditional vision, many museums have adopted strategies from the new social museology, based on the idea that people and human relationships give meaning to museums. From this perspective, museum content is developed with, by, and for people, considering the diversity of audiences and demonstrating that creativity is essential to strengthen memory and cultural heritage.

This research focused on the Museum of Journalism and Graphic Arts in Guadalajara, Jalisco, which has been closed since late 2006 and currently remains abandoned. This heritage site, located in the historic centre of the city, preserves an important historical, symbolic, and social legacy. The proposal consisted of applying social museology strategies to recover the museum’s position by reconnecting it with former visitors and attracting new audiences, in order to demonstrate that its narrative and identity can transcend the physical boundaries of the building.