Gender and Education in Luxembourg and Beyond: Local Challenges and New Perspectives

Book published by Melusina Press (2022)

The subject of gender and education is gaining momentum and attracting increasing interest around the world. In Luxembourg, however, it is still often marginal in the public – and professional – eye. The ... [more ▼]

The subject of gender and education is gaining momentum and attracting increasing interest around the world. In Luxembourg, however, it is still often marginal in the public – and professional – eye. The aim of this volume is to increase the visibility of gender and education by bringing together perspectives from Luxembourg and the international community. Different authors will contribute to considerations of how the discourse can be applied to – and amplified in – the Luxembourg context. Academics, practitioners/professionals and activists will shed light on the issues at stake in thought-provoking pieces, which will provide an inspirational starting point for future theory and practice. [less ▲]

Muechtverhältnisser am Musée? Wéi jonk Leit zu Lëtzebuerg Muséeë gesinn an erliewen

Speeches/Talks (2020)

Diskussiounen iwwer d’Relatioun tëschent Muséeën a jonke Leit gi schonn zanter 40 Joer gefouert. Villes ass säitdeem an de Programmatioune geschitt – an awer schénge Jonker nach fir vill Muséeën en ... [more ▼]

Diskussiounen iwwer d’Relatioun tëschent Muséeën a jonke Leit gi schonn zanter 40 Joer gefouert. Villes ass säitdeem an de Programmatioune geschitt – an awer schénge Jonker nach fir vill Muséeën en Challenge ze sinn. Mee wéi gesäit d’Situatioun aus den Aen vun deene Jonke selwer aus? Fanne si sech an dësen Institutiounen erëm? Eng Etüd déi a Jugendhaiser zu Lëtzebuerg gefouert gouf analyséiert d’Erfarungen vu verschiddene jonke Leit a liwwert Abléck an eng komplex Relatioun déi dacks vun ongläiche Muechtverhältnisser gepräägt ass. [less ▲]

Decentring the Museum: Examining Young People's Perceptions and Experiences from a Sociocultural Perspective.

Doctoral thesis (2019)

The relationship between young people and museums has been a topic of discussion since the late 1970s. Many developments have been observed in this respect, yet some museums still find it challenging to ... [more ▼]

The relationship between young people and museums has been a topic of discussion since the late 1970s. Many developments have been observed in this respect, yet some museums still find it challenging to engage with young people. Furthermore, the debate surrounding this relationship is often underpinned by unhelpful generalisations about young people that impede thinking and practice; for example, that young people lack interest in museums or find them boring. Previous research has principally investigated the subject through an ‘education and learning’ lens and from a perspective that takes museums as the starting point. This thesis aims to enrich our understanding by taking a sociocultural perspective and by centring the focus on young people. The thesis, therefore, actively seeks to decentre the museum: theoretically, by using an interdisciplinary framework; and practically, by conducting fieldwork outside museums. Through a qualitative approach, this study places young people’s experiences and perceptions of museums in a wider social and cultural context. Focus groups were conducted with young people aged 12–21 in youth clubs in Luxembourg. This thesis reveals the complex and nuanced ways in which the focus-group participants think about museums in relation to their everyday lives. It also highlights the tensions and ambivalence underlying their perceptions and experiences. Furthermore, the study shows that the power inequalities that young people face in social life are likely to be perpetuated in the museum. Indeed, the participants’ experiences of museums are shaped, in large part, by lack of individual choice. Visits that are enforced by facilitators, such as the school and the family, can create barriers to engagement. This thesis makes the case that it is important for museums and facilitators to acknowledge the diversity of young people, hear and value their points of view, and respect their autonomy and freedom of choice. [less ▲]

'Who Are We?' Searching for Identities in Luxembourg: A Comparative Exhibition Critique

Book published by Éditions d'Lëtzebuerger Land (2015)

This dissertation analyses the relationships among the issues of identity, power and the museum and investigates how these factors are linked to the museum’s social and educational role. It focuses on two ... [more ▼]

This dissertation analyses the relationships among the issues of identity, power and the museum and investigates how these factors are linked to the museum’s social and educational role. It focuses on two exhibitions that deal with the subject of identities in Luxembourg: 'ABC – Luxembourg for beginners … and advanced!', held at the Musée d’Histoire de la Ville de Luxembourg (2012-2013), and 'iLux. Identities in Luxembourg', shown at the Musée Dräi Eechelen (2012-2013). A comparative critique of their approaches provides a close examination of their explicit and implicit practices as well as their politics of display. [less ▲]