The role of museums in the construction of identities in Malta

Abstract

Heritage and the past have a long history of being used and deployed in the construction of national and local identities. Museums are widely recognised as places where the past may be selected from, shaped, and represented to create, reinforce, or challenge the construction of such identities. This dissertation examines the historical narratives that are being told in history-oriented museums in Malta and considers whether and how these museums, as cultural spaces, play a role in the construction of national and local identities. Based upon an analysis of the literature within the field of museums studies, this dissertation will consider the theoretical background to how identity is constructed and represented in a museum setting. Using examples of eight Maltese museums, scattered across Malta and Gozo, this dissertation will assess how they relate to constructions of Maltese identity, both at a national and at a local level. Two types of primary research were conducted, namely exhibit analysis through direct, first-hand examination of museums displays, and semi-structured individual interviews with practitioners in the management of the same museums. The research findings confirmed that the way knowledge and understanding of the past is presented in Maltese museums is influenced by issues concerning constructions of identity. A varied picture emerged in the treatment of these constructions of identity, which in the case of some museums were perpetuated and reinforced, while in others were questioned or challenged.