“We Are Not a Government Poodle”¹

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Can museums make a difference to the lives of people with social problems? How can their effect be evaluated? These questions are central to the consideration of the role museums may have in creating a more inclusive society. Britain’s New Labour Government has made tackling social exclusion a high priority in policy across all areas, including culture. The Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport is keen for museums to take an active part in improving people’s lives, redefining museums as “centres for social change”. This is a challenging and complex function for museums and this article explores the policy context for changes in museum practice. It focuses on how to evaluate the social impact of museums, advocating the use of new evaluation techniques developed for assessing learning in museums.