The importance of the reaffirmation of museums’ social role

before, during and after the pandemic

Abstract

This article starts from the necessity of reaffirmation of museum’s social role, especially in the context of countries like Brazil, which has observed the resurgence of intolerance and constant attacks to democracy, once we believe in the role of museums as spaces of resistance and advocates of cultural, sexual, ethnic-racial and gender diversity of individuals, as well as in the importance of their focus on urgent issues in their social, political and economic contexts. We will observe the transformations concerning the functions and objectives of museums throughout History, and also based on the definitions of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), in order to notice the development of proposals that affirm museums’ social function, such as community museums. We believe that many museums may learn, from the example of community museums, to straighten the ties with their communities and contribute to their development. Overlapped by the pandemic of COVID-19, which has set wide open the already existing structural contradictions of the dominating global system, the article goes on to reflect, in front of the innumerous challenges faced by museums in this context, about the possibility of a revision, by these institutions, of their own missions, a moment in which, more than ever, the reaffirmation of their social role is necessary.