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Papers by Jennifer Kirker

Museum Anthropology Review, May 23, 2017

Reaktion Books, 2016. 144 pp. * This book takes an optimistic and universal approach to the quest... more Reaktion Books, 2016. 144 pp. * This book takes an optimistic and universal approach to the question of what museums are good for. Thomas argues that museums are the sustenance of civil society and play a key role in building solidarity, a premise that will resonate with museum professionals and anthropologists alike. His perspective on the important role of museums in building cultural competencies, redressing history, and promoting collective action is timely. The emphasis on collection objects in particular, as the heart of all museums and source of great potential, will bring cheers from curators and collections managers. As an overview of recent history and an optimistic proposal for the future, this is an important text for students and emerging professionals. For museum anthropologists and experienced professionals, this book is a powerful call for the return of curatorial practice and renewed focus on objects.

Beyond Objects: How Activist Anthropology is Transforming a University Museum

Practicing Anthropology, 2015

A the director of a small, university museum of anthropology, I have learned the advantage of bei... more A the director of a small, university museum of anthropology, I have learned the advantage of being small; we can be nimble and inventive in the production of anthropological exhibitions and certainly more cost effective than larger institutions. But there are challenges particular to small university museums of anthropology, which many anthropologists may be surprised to discover. Contrary to my expectations that an anthropology museum would have comprehensive collections of objects collected through long-term research and fieldwork, the reality is something less perfect. The original goal was not to acquire representative collections per se but rather to have select objects that could provide a window into another culture. Financial limitations also contributed to the acquisition of many objects and collections second-hand, rather than from the primary sources or cultures directly. As a result, an object may be identified as African, or as East African, or as Maasai specifically. But there will be no information about who specifically wore the item, their gender or age, marital status, family, tribal status, who made the item, where the materials came from, or how they were produced. As an anthropologist, I am acutely aware of the absence of cultural information that would greatly enrich the object’s history and ability to connect with visitors. There are some exceptions to this; for example, recent research in Cambodia formed a rich collection of contemporary life. But in general, I would caution anthropologists from making assumptions about what kinds of objects museums have or how they arrived there. Without doubt, secondary sources involve some loss of contextual cultural information and limit the stories we can tell with these objects. For the average college student at our university, however, the opportunity to see, touch, even smell, objects from cultures discussed in their courses is transformational. BEYOND OBJECTS: HOW ACTIVIST ANTHROPOLOGY IS TRANSFORMING A UNIVERSITY MUSEUM

Museum Anthropology Review, 2017

This work is a book review considering the title The Return of Curiosity: What Museums are Good F... more This work is a book review considering the title The Return of Curiosity: What Museums are Good For in the 21st Century by Nicholas Thomas.

Outside Looking In: The Piedras Negras Near Periphery Re-examined

Too Many Maya, Too Few Buildings: Investigating Construction Potential at Copán, Honduras

Journal of Anthropological Research, 1995