Abstract

MACEIRA OCHOA, Luz. Symbolic and Ritual Dimensions of the Museums as Sites of Memory. Alteridades [online]. 2009, vol.19, n.37, pp.69-85. ISSN 2448-850X.

This article analyzes school visits to national museums as practices of civil religion in Mexico; specifically as pilgrimages. It also points to the forms, characteristics and symbolic-ritualistic elements that are found in museums. With reference to contemporary rituals I discuss some social interactions and processes, as well as museographic contexts and practices, examining their articulation around a sacred and political meaning that allows for the dramatization and individual and collective experience of a national identity and the values hinged around it.

Keywords : sites of memory; civil religion; secular rituals; museums; pilgrimage; national identity; symbolic learning; museum education.