Public History, Gender, and Power in Latin American Museums

"It would be hard to overstate the importance of this collection of eleven essays examining museums and other places of public history through a gendered lens. Part one of Public History, Gender, and Power in Latin American Museums: Women Curators and Cultural Leaders gives space to little-heard indigenous and marginalized community voices sharing varied experiences of working both with and within museums. Part two offers more academic reflections on knowledge production, social activism, and the cultural politics of doing history work. Anyone interested in history, public history, museums, archives, tangible and intangible heritage, cultural representation, and cultural politics should read this book. Why? Because these voices, case studies, and research findings from across Latin America offer insights of global significance."

David DeanDistinguished Research Professor in History & Professor Emeritus, Carleton University
co-editor, International Public HistoryPresident, Workers' History Museum

"This beautifully conceived, carefully structured and very well-written collection edited by Bedoya and Perry presents readers with an impassioned political plea for global audiences to learn about and acknowledge the significant contributions of women public historians and museum workers in Latin America. The collection creatively critiques the hegemonic historical practices of the Global North insisting on the need for local, Indigenous, Afro-descendant, migrant, community-based women and workers to have their voices heard in museums and civic spaces around the world. The authors challenge Western-centric, masculinist, colonial accounts of the past and museum practices, making clear the powerful political purpose of public history in the process and the need for all of us to stop, listen and think about the political consequences of the work we do and to try a good deal harder to make public history more inclusive."

Tanya EvansProfessor, School of Humanities
Centre for Applied History
Centre for Media History (CMH)
Macquarie University

President
International Federation for Public History, IFPH

"Public History, Gender, and Power in Latin American Museums offers readers an international and engaging overview of the transformative potential of public history to challenge hegemonic narratives and support more representative and inclusive museum practices. Through a series of experienced testimonies and professional analyses, the book sheds light on current power relations in public history and is an indispensable resource for anyone working in the field."

Thomas CauvinProfessor of Public History

PHACS (Public History as the New Citizen Science of the Past)

ATTRACT Grant Project funded by the Fond National de la Recherche (FNR)

Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History (C2DH)

UNIVERSITY OF LUXEMBOURG

CAMPUS BELVAL