Ahlan wa Sahlan: Exploring the ways that visitors engage in cultural intelligence through exhibits at the Arab American National Museum

Abstract

The purpose of this research study was to understand how cultural museum exhibits depicting Arab-American history and cultures can encourage the development and experience of cultural intelligence through objects. The study was framed by two research questions: To what extent and in what ways do non-Arab visitors engage in cultural intelligence while visiting museum exhibits about Arab-American cultural practices and experiences? What specific aspects of these museum exhibits encourage the development of cultural intelligence? This study used an exploratory case study design to identify which components of cultural intelligence visitors developed and/or experienced during their visit and what aspects of the museum encouraged that development/experience. All participants experienced some form of cultural intelligence during their visit to the museum, namely metacognition, cognition, and motivation. Exhibits depicting history of the Arab world and Arab immigration to the United States encouraged these forms of cultural intelligence in visitors. Additionally, exhibits that included Arab-Americans' personal stories and interactive elements encouraged the experience of cultural intelligence in visitors. This article contributes to research on cultural intelligence and its use in understanding visitor interpretation, specifically culturally-specific and community-based museums.