ethics in collections

To all:

I am a graduate student at Tufts University, researching the way museums handle changing perceptions of 'political correctness' and ethics in the content of museum collections. I hope to get feedback from those in the field who deal with or have dealt with this issue. For example, a Southern museum that has dolls depicting a racist and/or stereotypical version of an African-American (like 'sambo' or 'mammy'. Or a natural history museum with tusks, shells, or other remnants from endangered species. Or a museum with particularly emotional content, like the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Any responses regarding this issue or leads for other sources would be

Thanks.

Anne Doss

Great topic! I wonder if there are any museums who can say they predicted and successfully dealt with such issues? It would be interesting to hear how they did it. Doug Hoy