Social acceleration, alienation, and the museum as remedy: how museum visits impact visitors' sense of connectedness to self, others, and world

Abstract

This study investigated the extent to which museum experiences enhance visitors' sense of connectedness to self, others, and the world. Using a mixed-methods approach combining Likert scale ratings and open-ended questions, museum visitors were surveyed to identify key dimensions of connectedness fostered through museum engagement. Emergent coding revealed that self-connection primarily manifested through self-reflection and learning experiences, as well as through personal history and memory activation. Connection to others was predominantly facilitated through social interactions within the museum space and through historical and intergenerational connections sparked by exhibits. Worldly connection emerged most strongly through historical and cultural perspectives in exhibits, particularly in helping visitors contextualize historical events such as the Japanese internment during WWII within global frameworks of power and human rights. The findings suggest that museums serve as multidimensional connective spaces that not only preserve artifacts but also actively facilitate meaningful connections across personal, social, and global domains. This research contributes to understanding museums as institutions that foster connectedness, with implications for exhibit design, visitor engagement strategies, and the broader social role of cultural institutions.