STHS 325 | Natural History Museums and Society

This class examines the history of natural history museums. Drawing on the resources and history of Puget Sound's natural history museum, the course is guided by the following questions: How have natural history museums influenced the history of biology? What alternative ways of knowing have historically been excluded from museums as sites of knowledge production? How have debates about human origins and diversity played out in museum settings and to what end? How and why are museums changing as both science and society change, from serving as sites for environmental education to tracking human impacts on the environment? Key topics include the role of museums in racializing human variation, the close relationship between imperialism and natural history, the important role natural history museums played in inspiring Darwin and Wallace's theories of evolution, and recent efforts by museums around the globe to contribute to biodiversity conservation while wrestling with the problematic legacies of their pasts.