박물관 도슨트의 재개념화를 위한 역사적 고찰

초록

This paper aims to derive elements for the reconceptualization of museum docents through a historical review and to discuss its implications on the concept of museum docents in Korea. To this end, the history of museum docents in the United States was examined and divided into four phases: inception, growth, development, and expansion. Starting with a study of the inception phase where the role of docents began, we discussed the growth phase, during which dependence on volunteer docents arose due to the expansion of docent services and related professional workforce issues. In the development phase, while it was challenging for docents to be recognized as museum professionals, they nevertheless assumed an important role as communication specialists within their communities. The expansion phase was marked by the advent of digital-based cyber docents. Drawing on this review of the history of museum docents, we identified three elements for reconceptualizing docents: ‘defining various roles of docents’, ‘professionalization of docents’, and ‘docent activities as social participation’. We also examined the definition of various roles of docents in relation to cyber docents and discussed how docents in Korean museums might evolve in the future. This paper is significant as a foundational resource enabling deeper understanding of docents among museum professionals in Korea.

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