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Master's Thesis
Investigation and recommendations for increasing linguistic accessibility and inclusion in museums.
MY ROLE
- Researcher
- Writer
- Designer
TIMELINE
August 2019-December 2019
TOOLS
- Google Workspace
- Descript (audio transcription software)
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
EXCERPT
THESIS OVERVIEW
My master’s thesis focuses on how art museums in the U.S. can include languages other than English to create mutually-beneficial relationships with members of their local, heritage-language communities (a heritage language being any language other than the dominant language in a given social context).
The thesis identifies three key components to creating what I term “meaningful language inclusion:
- Culturally competent audience research.
- Holistic multilingual engagement strategies.
- Commitment to sustainable initiatives.
Through my thesis research, I developed a three part guide for museums seeking to implement meaningful language inclusion. In addition, since my graduate program was heavily design based, I designed my master’s thesis (all 188 pages of it!) as a book in InDesign to maximize readability.
WHY “Meaningful Language Inclusion“
I entered the museum field with the specific intention of increasing access and inclusion for people who speak languages other than English. When I first moved to Spain to teach English in 2015, I often frequented Madrid’s incredible museums. They were a peaceful refuge as a searched for an apartment in the crowded city, an inspiration for me as an art lover, and (maybe most importantly) an escape from the grueling August heat. As I later contemplated this experience, I found myself wishing that art museums in the U.S. would provide an equally welcoming experience.
Hundreds of languages are spoken in cities across the United States. Yet in most art museums, visitors find only one—English. The continued dominance of English in art museums contributes to the long history of language erasure in this country. It gives the false impression that the communities which museums are meant to serve are home to a monolingual, English- dominant culture.
For those who are primarily fluent in a heritage language, incorporating this language in the museum’s interpretive materials, wayfinding, and programs amplifies access to museum materials. For those who are fully bilingual, incorporating the heritage language projects strong messages of inclusion and welcome. I believe developing meaningful language inclusion is a powerful tool for increasing diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) in art museums for communities which these institutions have traditionally excluded.
Methods
Literature Review
- Thorough analysis of all existing research (sociological theory, case studies, audience research) into the state of DEAI in art museums, demographic trends of bilingualism in the U.S., and ways develop meaningful community relationships.
Interviews
- 11 semi-structured interviews with museums professionals who work on language inclusion initiatives. From these, I developed 9 case studies/profiles of the multilingual initiatives in these museums.
Qualitative Data Analysis
- Coding—Using descriptive coding, in which I assigned a code to phrases or sections of text depending on the subject being talked about, I created a total of 59 first-stage codes. Next, I grouped the codes into categories, ultimately developing 9 categories as a result of coding
Synthesis
- I synthesized the results of the Literature Review, Interviews, and Analysis to create the “Guide for Meaningful Language Inclusion,” a 3-part document which delineates a system which museums can use to establish or deepen multilingual efforts. The 9 categories established through descriptive coding became the basis for the guide’s DEAI rubric.
Design
- Using InDesign, I designed the thesis as a book to allow the user to scan through more easily than attempting to read through a Word document.
Guide for MLI
It was important to me that this guide seek to align user needs (that is, the needs of visitors) with business goals (that is, the goals of museum leadership, boards, and staff). The guide helps museums develop an institutional plan for multilingualism that is both meaningful to their target audience and sustainable for the museum.
Scroll through the guide to check out the three tools I developed as a result of my thesis research.