The Social Role of Historical Museums in Jordan between (1979 -2016)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35516/Hum.2026.11596Keywords:
Historical museums, social role, educational awareness.Abstract
Objectives: This study aims to shed light on the emergence of historical museums in Jordan and their social, cultural, and educational roles. It also highlights the various activities they carry out to achieve these goals.
Method: The study used a descriptive historical research method based on field visits to museums and personal interviews with their directors and staff as primary sources. It also relied on historical publications covering the period between 1979 and 2016, as well as foreign studies that addressed museum sciences and the roles of museums.
Results: The study found that historical museums in Jordan have a weak social impact, despite engaging in some activities aimed at involving all segments of Jordanian society. Most museums remain limited to preservation, display, and storage, without activating their broader social roles—particularly in education and community outreach. Marginalized groups, such as people with disabilities, are often excluded from museum initiatives. Moreover, the limited use of internal and external exhibitions weakens museum marketing and outreach, preventing them from reaching broader audiences. Research on historical museums in Jordan also remains modest.
Conclusion: The study concludes that the social role of historical museums in Jordan remains underdeveloped.
Downloads
References
Al-Abbadi, M. (2018). The school book museum: Memory of Jordanian education. Greater Amman Municipality.
Al-Bashtawi, M. (2004). Postage stamps: A historical memory on a poster. The Arab Journal, (568). https://www.arabicmagazine.net
Al-Dustour. (1979, July 2). Issue 4279. Amman, Jordan.
Al-Dustour. (2006, June 17). Issue 13978. Amman, Jordan.
Al-Dustour. (2013, January 22). Amman, Jordan.
Alexander, E. (1978). Museums in motion: An introduction to the history and functions of museums. American Association for State and Local History.
Al-Mousa, S. (1990). The emirate of Transjordan: Its establishment and development in a quarter of a century 1921–1946. Jordan History Committee.
Al-Musa, S. (1980). The first international conference on the history and antiquities of Jordan. Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan, 25, 7–10.
Al-Rai. (2016, April 2). Issue 16568. Amman, Jordan.
Al-Rai. (2017, April 14). Issue 16928. Amman, Jordan.
Al-Shadifat, A. (2021). Al-Haqq Ya‘alu Newspaper and the dissemination of the thought of the late founding king: An analytical reading. Al-Hussein Bin Talal University Journal, 7.
Al-Shiyab, M., & Al-Muhaisen, Z. (2008). Archaeology and Jordanian museums. Ministry of Culture.
Al-Tal, S. (1983). The development of coins in Jordan throughout history. Central Bank of Jordan.
Althusser, L. (1971). Ideology and ideological state apparatuses. In Lenin and philosophy and other essays. Monthly Review Press. https://www.mforbes.sites.gettysburg.edu/cims226/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Week-3b-Louis-Althusser.pdf
Alturk, H. (2020). Museum collections and the importance of studying history. Advances in Social Sciences Journal Research, 7(8).
Al-Zoubi, A. (2023). Encyclopedia of Jordanian folklore. Ministry of Culture.
Al-Zoubi, M., & Al-Maani, S. (2021). Jordanian museums in a hundred years. Ministry of Culture.
Burno, S. (2020). Defining the museum: Challenges and compromises of the 21st century. ICOFOM Study Series, 48(2).
Caron, G. (2009). Les rôles sociaux des musées québécois du point de vue des acteurs (Master’s thesis). Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
Clive, G. (2020). Museum and societies. Routledge.
Davallon, J. (1992). Le musée est-il vraiment un média? Publics et Musées, (2). https://www.le_musee_est_vraiment_un_media.pdf
Harrison, J. (2000). Outsourcing in museums. International Journal of Arts Management, 2(2).
Hejaz Railway Foundation Museum, Amman (field visit, January 23, 2024).
ICOM. (2007). ICOM museum definition. https://icom.museum
ICOM. (2017). Internal rules as amended by the extraordinary Executive Board on 9 June 2017. https://icom.museum/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2017_ICOM_InternalRules_EN.pdf
Jamal, M. (2021). Types of museums and their classification criteria. Journal of the General Union of Arab Archaeologists, 22(1), 735–769.
Jordan Museum, Amman (field visit, December 24, 2024).
Jordan Postal Museum, Amman (field visit, November 26, 2024).
Jordanian National Documentation Committee. (2011). Parliamentary life in Jordan 1919–2011. Ministry of Culture.
King's Palace Museum, Ma’an (field visit, March 7, 2024).
Maffei, T. (2019). Accessibility in museums: Guidelines of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage. ICOM Italia. https://www.icom-italia.org
Maffi, I. (2011). The creation of Jordanian national identity: A short museographic story of a complex process. In Cities, urban practices and nation building in Jordan (pp. 143–160). Institut Français du Proche-Orient.
Massad, J. (2001). Colonial effects: The making of national identity in Jordan. Columbia University Press.
Personal interview with Asmahan Khashman, Curator of the Jordan Monetary Museum, Amman, December 24, 2024.
Personal interview with Dr. Yousha Al-Omari, Director of Artistic Affairs, Jordan Museum, Amman, September 25, 2024.
Personal interview with Ihab Al-Amarin, Director of the Jordan Museum, Amman, August 26, 2024.
Personal interview with Nour Abu Ghaida, Curator of the Jordan Museum, via WhatsApp, Amman, December 2, 2023.
Royal Automobile Museum, Amman (field visit, April 17, 2024).
Sandell, R. (2007). Museums and the combating of social inequality: Roles, responsibilities, resistance. Routledge.
School Book Museum, Salt (field visit, October 31, 2024).
Thomson, S. (1986). The changing art of museum communication. Museum News. American Association of Museums.
Union of Arab Banks. (1988). The story of currency throughout history in the Museum of Coins of the Central Bank of Jordan. Journal of the Union of Arab Banks, 9(24), 24–26.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Dirasat: Human and Social Sciences
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
