Introduction

Abstract

Social issues change over time and place; concerns stem from all avenues of our lives and represent the cares and interests of a wide range of people. Museums, when they play the role of the “forum” (Cameron, 1971), offer a venue and process to explore, reveal, provoke, and challenge the meaning of these issues. Museum audiences can gain perspectives, share opinions and reflect on a wide range of questions that represent any number of experiences. In the inaugural issue of Museums and Social Issues, editorin-chief Kris Morrissey (2006) wrote that the aim of this journal is to stimulate dialogue and reflection around the convergence of museums and society. Over the past six years, the journal’s varied issues and themes reflect the broad-reaching influence of social issues within the museum field. Just as there are hundreds of social issues to contemplate, there are as many museums that can provide the venue for continued musing, all while providing audiences with an opportunity to ask questions and arrive at, potentially, a point of decision.