Unveiling Hidden Histories
Disability in Ancient Egypt and Its Impact on Today’s Society—How Can Disability Representation in Museums Challenge Societal Prejudice
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13027955 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nevine Nizar Zakaria (0000-0002-2224-3666, University of Würzburg, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue | 12 |
| Pages | 647-647 |
| Publication date | 2024-11-29 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2076-0760 • E-ISSN: 2076-0760 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/socsci13120647 |
| OpenAlex | W4404959650 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 35 |
The representation of disabled individuals in museum spaces worldwide has sparked substantial debate in recent decades. It has become increasingly evident that disabled people’s lives and experiences have been overlooked, under/misrepresented in museum narratives, or as museum professionals and academics have highlighted, ‘buried in the footnotes’ of history. Museums can either challenge or continue such exclusion through their actions. This marginalization of disabled people from our present museums narratives contributes to the perpetuation of prejudice and systematic biases that reinforce their exclusion in contemporary society. Nevertheless, the call for change has never been more pressing. Museums, as ‘agents of social change’, are required to not only address the absence of disabled people in their narratives but to combat prejudicial ideas about disability and drive societal changes to support social inclusion. This paper intends to use the recent movement of disability representation to envisage how national museums in Egypt can challenge societal prejudice by representing disability narratives from ancient Egypt in their exhibitions. The historical perspective of disability in ancient Egypt is a compelling example for illustrating social acceptance and the level of inclusion for disabled individuals in contrast to the negative stereotypes prevalent in contemporary Egyptian society. By adopting the new emergent approach of ‘Representing Disability’. Egyptian museums can stimulate discussions on disability issues and advocate for social change while connecting disabled individuals with a history that acknowledges their contributions and existence. The paper employed qualitative research methods to answer the following research question: what impact do representations of disability from ancient Egypt have on the way national museums engage with societal discourses about disability? Please note the article includes images of human remains
Ableism · Aesthetics · Art · Disability studies · Exhibition · Inclusion (mineral · Literature · Medical model of disability · Narrative · Political science · Politics · Prejudice (legal term · Representation (politics · Sociology · Visual arts · Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation · Disability Rights and Representation · Gender Studies · Law · Law in Society and Culture · Psychology · Social Psychology
Museums, Prejudice and the Reframing of Difference
Transforming Museums in the Twenty-first Century
Museums in a Troubled World
Bioarchaeology
A typology of reviews
Museum Activism
Museums, Society, Inequality
Assessing the working practices and the inclusive programs to students with disabilities in the Egyptian museums
Distance Learning through the Grand Egyptian Museum
Barriers to Social Inclusion with the Egyptian Museums; New Approach Towards Disability
Pygmies and Dwarfs in Ancient Egypt
The Politics of Disablement
Museums and the Shaping of Knowledge
Demographic, Experiential, and Temporal Variation in Ableism
Cultural inclusion, exclusion and the formative roles of museums
Beggars, freaks and heroes? Museum collections and the hidden history of disability
Museums as Agents of Social Inclusion
Museums and the 'new museology
Recognising inequality
Behind the Policy Mantra of the Inclusive Museum
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |