Identity, citizenship and heritage. Comparative analysis of education treatment in museums in the United States of America and Spain

Abstract

The formation of identity and its relation to citizenship are important problems in modern societies. These issues are also addressed by heritage education in formal, non-formal and informal teaching. This paper analyzes the relationship between identity, citizenship and heritage, focusing on the educative treatment that is developed in museums. Educational proposals of American museums with Spanish museums are compared using a qualitative methodology, tables of categories and data registration documents. They show two different ways to articulate this discourse, reflecting the differences between the two cultural contexts and the obstacles identified to develop educational proposals within the symbolic identity, holistic, participatory and socio-critical theoretical framework.