Historically, museums have always been integral parts of society. They play so many important roles, the chief of which is preserving the remains of the past and making them accessible to the public. Today, museums are essential in studying history, developing cultures, and disseminating historical information. Through documentation and artifact preservation, museums can record a certain culture, enabling such culture to be remembered, shared, and understood in the future, even by people from entirely different cultural and historical backgrounds.
In terms of its role in preserving archeological sites and monuments, museums conserve them in their original place, keep the records of their investigation outside of their original place, and promote these sites and monuments through displays and other programs. In addition, many countries of the world have specialized agencies which cater to protecting archeological sites and monuments.
Meanwhile, museums protect heritage sites and monuments in other countries from destruction or inappropriate developments. They act as custodians of the monuments within their area. Moreover, by protecting these sites and monuments from looting, museums preserve them for posterity.
By preserving and making accessible ancient remains, museums serve as a medium for individuals to learn about the past. They provide visitors with a priceless insight into not only their histories but that of others. This history may include tragic events like war or genocide. Simply put, lessons learned from historical events can be pivotal in terms of current local, national or global unrest.
Today, the escalating tensions between different countries and cultural groups are palpable as issues bordering on race, environmentalism, social class, and gender have become even more controversial. It is, however, widely believed that museums can help society establish a common ground where these issues do not escalate even further. Museums provide a perspective either through intellectual services or as a reminder of past tragic events like World War I, World War II, and the Holocaust, which claimed millions of lives.
There are several cultures of the world that have been crushed by globalization, with others continuously disregarded by people of dominant cultures. Through respectful displays of local cultures and educating people about the cultures of others, particularly minority groups, museums can help correct these negative trends.
Over time, culture loss and disregard would decline as people become more educated and supportive of minorities. In addition to education, a museum is a fun place that an entire family can visit. Therefore, it promotes fun learning. Also, taking the family to museums gives the children an opportunity to embrace diversity from a young age and helps them become more tolerant adults.
In addition to educating others on minority cultures, museums provide alternative historical perspectives. Many history books used in high school and colleges focus primarily on the viewpoints of dominant cultures while neglecting that of minorities. Museums, however, can be quite different, as they put histories, timelines, and perspectives on display. These histories may be previously unknown to certain persons. Still, such new knowledge can potentially change their mindsets while also ensuring they have all-around knowledge and are not limited to only the viewpoints of their own culture.
