I haven't visited a lot of touristy sites while I been here in London, but today I decided to visit the National Science Museum. It is a National Bank Holiday in the UK (a holiday no one here seems to know what it is but love the day off lol), so many businesses are closed. I started my college career as a chemist before deciding on a social science. The analytical way in which science views reality has always appealed to me. Sociology is all about perception and studying other fields helps my sociological knowledge grow. The National Science Museum is in an area with other museums and to get there, you must walk through a red brick tunnel. I felt little like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz as i skipped my way through it and sang "We off to see to the wizard, the wonderful wizard of OZ" (lol). The National Science Museum was what you expect. It had free admissions like most of the museums that I have visited here. It was beautiful, open and airy. There is an inviting feeling that encourages you to take your time and enjoy the museum. The exhibits were nicely organized, but everything seemed small to me. That has been quite a culture shock since I arrived. Everything is small. The cars, apartments, windows, appliances, bathrooms, etc. The physical and symbolic space is significantly smaller than in the United States and I often feel like a bull in a China shop lol. The most interesting thing about museum is the amount of merchandise associated with the museum. Ever since I read Enchanting A Disenchanted World by George Ritzer, I find myself overly concerned with catherdrals of consumption. These places are focused on selling goods and are designed to feel enchanting. They encourage consumption. The museum felt like that to me. Even in a building with with great wonders, I thought the the greatest wonder was how with eating in restaurants and shopping in the gift shop was just as important part of the experience. There's is museum related items but also stuff like stars figurines, crystal growing kits, binoculars, bouncing balls, and other miscellaneous things not necessarily associated with the museum. Not that I necessarily think this is wrong, but I have become more aware of the way consumption plays in the museums everyday interaction.
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5/16/2023 11:32:04 pm
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Myron Strong
professor. learner. traveler. emerging artist Archives
November 2018
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