Dr Oscar Embola

Dr Oscar Embola with his PhD supervisor Mary M. Brooks (Reader and Programme Leader MA Museums & Galleries)

CONTEMPORARY MUSEUM PRACTICE IN ENGLAND AND ITS POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS FOR CAMEROON MUSUEMS

Understanding the relationship between museum theory and practice and how museums should recognise the need for, and manage, change is a catalyst for museum development. This research explored that relationship in museums in England in an attempt to find ways which the operation of Cameroon museums can be enhanced to ensure developments in the future. Using four case study museums each from England and Cameroon and a number of research methods such as participant observation, interviews with curators and education officers and desk research, the study explored museological concepts and practices in museums in England. This was to discover how they currently implement those concepts and good practices in their operations within the curation process and provide the basis for comparative study. The research further explored the variety of ways museums in England implement museological theory in the face of their challenging communities, government policies, changes in the national economy, effects of globalisation and the increases in leisure-time opportunities. Current initiatives developed in response to these pressures including meeting the challenges and demands of the community are documented. The research examines the other roles for museums in England and suggests strategies for the transfer of new invigorating museological concepts and practices to revitalise museological practice in Cameroon. The key strategy is for the government of Cameroon to recognise that museology is a specialist discipline and that the development of museums as dynamic development tools need empowerment because they are for public good and therefore should accept it as an important and urgent fiduciary responsibility.