{"id":233,"date":"2024-06-03T13:49:58","date_gmt":"2024-06-03T13:49:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/museumemotion.stir.ac.uk\/?p=233"},"modified":"2024-06-03T13:49:58","modified_gmt":"2024-06-03T13:49:58","slug":"a-full-of-care-approach-to-researching-emotions-in-museum-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/museumemotion.stir.ac.uk\/?p=233","title":{"rendered":"A ‘full of care’ approach to researching emotions in museum work"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On 1 May 2024 we hosted our first Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE), University of Stirling (UoS), and King\u2019s College London (KCL) supported \u2018emotions in museum work\u2019 event. We will be reporting later on its emerging themes (including at this<\/a> conference). For now, we have been pondering an unexpected response to the event. This was summed up through participant feedback:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018You created a really warm and nurturing psychological space of us all.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018The day\u2019s structure + atmosphere of exchange and friendliness have all been brilliant! I also really appreciated all the expectation setting + permission to take breaks.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018I loved how hopeful the day was\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018I came away from it energised\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Loved the careful & thoughtful framing of the session as a safe space\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similar sentiments were expressed on the day. Participants commented on \u2013 what we have come to think of as being \u2013 the workshop\u2019s \u2018tone\u2019 or \u2018feeling\u2019 which helped support (as several participants noted) \u2018deep\u2019 conversations and reflections. Partly, we might deduce this was from bringing together museum practitioners and academic researchers. The day\u2019s format of two opening keynotes, brief provocations, and group discussions also helped. Yet, in planning and designing the workshop, at the forefront of our minds was to attempt to create a particular kind of practical, intellectual, and (not least) affective space that would bolster conversations we were hopeful might (and certainly did!) emerge on emotions in museum work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what else helped create this space?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, funding to support (as many as our funding-streams enabled) our participants\u2019 travel and other costs to attend was, we think, crucial. We are hugely grateful for support from the RSE for covering speaker travel costs, and for UoS and KCL for covering attendee travel costs. Given discussion emerged at the workshop on how to adequately recognise and compensate emotional labour, acknowledging the importance of funding is not inconsequential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, we felt it vital to establish a code of participation. This reiterated our wider University ethical framing. Yet, beyond institutional ethical frameworks, we saw a code of conduct as vital for creating a flexible and supportive space. Taking inspiration from the Museums Association\u2019s guidance<\/a> on safe, welcoming and inclusive spaces, we discussed with workshop participants appropriate use of materials and insights; maintaining privacy; and boundaries for participation. On the latter, we acknowledged that the day\u2019s conversations could broach topics participants potentially might experience as difficult, sensitive or vulnerable. While making it clear we would not purposively raise topics we knew to be difficult, we also acknowledged the importance of being able to discuss the full spectrum<\/em> of emotions experienced in museum work, if participants wished to discuss these. To this end, our code reminded people that they were under no obligation to take part in any conversations they were uncomfortable with and could step away \u2013 including to experience the beautiful UoS campus. Our goal, as the MA guidance puts it, was to \u2018be mindful of how others might be feeling [\u2026] and respond appropriately\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
University of Stirling campus. Image copyright Jennie Morgan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Making sure that individuals had agency not only over \u2018when\u2019 but also \u2018how\u2019 they would participate was a related element. One brief example was our decision to not set expectations that speakers would use slides, or supply a title or synopsis of their presentations. This decision aligned with our vision of inviting provocations based on peoples\u2019 own experience, rather than asking for (more formal) \u2018papers\u2019 or \u2018presentations\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, we paid attention to pacing the day. While unable given the fairly busy schedule to integrate radical rest<\/a>, we had plenty of breaks and a dinner. Our concern with pacing implicitly underpinned communications prior to the event. We attempted to build genuine points of connection \u2013 through introductory conversations well before the day (when desired) and we remain in communication with participations, not least through the use of this website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While participants seem to have experienced these elements positively, we also recognise that, as organisers, the planning and delivering of the event came with emotional labour. During our event planning we had many discussions about what might \u2013 in the overall scheme of things \u2013 seem like minor details to fixate on. But for us, these felt necessary to carefully consider trying to \u2018get right\u2019 for setting the workshop\u2019s tone. Even seemingly<\/em> practical matters can come with emotional load.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To give one example. We had a lot of discussion around our decision to not include speakers\u2019 professional role and organisational affiliation in a pre-circulated schedule. Partly this was because we felt speaking about emotions held potential to cross several professional experiences (\u2018emotions are embedded in everything\u2019 as one person put it on the day). Partly this was also because we did not want to constrain speakers to one positionality as this might risk introducing feelings of vulnerability or discomfort. However, we were also acutely aware that our decision to not share such biographical details could appear unconventional, especially compared to standard academic conference or seminar practice. Would speakers be offended if we did not include their professional title?  Would attendees be confused or perhaps even dis-engaged if they did not know \u2018who\u2019 speakers were before the event? When pre-circulating the schedule to speakers we explained our decision: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018You\u2019ll see on the schedule that we haven\u2019t included any institutional affiliations. We wanted to keep things deliberately open so that people don\u2019t feel constrained by specific organisational affiliations or roles. For example, in your provocations you are welcome to draw on experiences across your career or focus on one role or research project (which may not be your current role or project). We would, however, like to be able to introduce you before you speak, and it would be great if you could tell us a little bit about yourself. Feel free to emphasise aspects of your career or experiences that are relevant to your provocation, as you see fit.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While this is one small example of an organisational detail, there were many other points of consideration that required us to navigate an emotional load \u2013 our own feelings (above, of uncertainty and concern about making the \u2018right\u2019 decisions) but also what we anticipated might be felt by others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, the receptivity to the tone of the workshop indicates, on the whole, things worked well. Yet these responses \u2013 combined with our reflections \u2013 perhaps flag an emerging line of further questioning for us to explore. How can working norms, spaces, expertise, and even understandings of professionalism (we thank UoS PhD student, Alina Botezatu, for raising the latter in discussion with us) be more \u2018full of care\u2019? That is to say, embedded with an attentiveness to affect and emotionality, and in ways that align with the attainment of certain goals. As we have mused upon in this short blog, embedding care of our own and others emotion (or creating \u2018safe spaces\u2019 as it was put in participant feedback) was a central step in supporting our collective goal of being able to enter into meaningful, honest, and reflective discussions about emotions in museum work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jennie and Anna<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On 1 May 2024 we hosted our first Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE), University of Stirling (UoS), and King\u2019s College London (KCL) supported \u2018emotions in museum work\u2019 event. We will be reporting later on its emerging themes (including at this conference). For now, we have been pondering an unexpected response to the event. This was<\/p>\n

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