Methodology for field work at the Museum of World Religion

Field work at the museum in January 2006 involved observation, interviews with staff and visitors were invited to fill in a questionnaire.  The questionnaire had a mixture of open and closed questions to determine where visitors came from, their faith if any, why they attended the museum that day and also importantly sought to ascertain visitors emotional engagement with displays. Ultimately this meant trying to determine whether they were shopping for faith or simply acting as museum visitors. As the research trip was held in January and just before the Chinese New Year there were arguably fewer people visiting the museum from the locality. In fact the small sample size of 30 persons reflected almost all of the adult visitors to the museum during that period and so the findings must be taken in that light.

Findings and visitor engagement with displays

The Museum of World Religions currently attracts 20,000 visitors a year with 70% of those being school children.  Museum staff are aiming for 50,000 visitors per annum and there is a significant web presence (+278000 hits) with chat groups, poems, shop, and even the chance to give a donation.  Of those surveyed 91% set out to visit museum, 85% had never been before and 66% said they were Buddhists. Some 18% were tourists and only 1/3 were religious although 27% considered themselves spiritual. Only 27% were interested in learning about religions and 6% professed themselves to be atheist although one of those also said he was of the Shinto faith. Some 54% were male.

In response to a question about their feelings when in the museum 42% said that they felt peaceful, 27% spiritual inside although 24% admitted that they only felt as if they were in a museum.  Only 9% felt they were in a department store of religions where they could chose their faith whilst 6% likened the museum to a temple or place of worship. No one felt angry or bored. All of which confirms that the majority of visitors were locals, on their first visit to the museums and who set out intending to go there. 67% felt either spiritual or peaceful inside which suggests that the museum succeeds in creating a calm venue in which to explore faiths (or that they felt in a museum going mood that day). 33% visited because they are interested in museums with only 21% seeking to discover what faith could do for them. Interestingly only 3% admitted an interest in shopping around for faith with only 3% (surprising given the number of Buddhists in the sample) implying that the museum offered them something more because they were Buddhist. Two young American tourists added that The Museum of World Religions ?seemed a cool place to visit?having read about it in Lonely Planet?.

All of the above seems to suggest that the museum functions as a museum rather than a place of worship with visitors expectations being met. People are emotionally engaging with the building and displays in a limited and not life changing way. Whilst all of those surveyed enjoyed the visit no-one expressed a scholarly interest in religion or viewed the museum as a Buddhist reading of world faiths. It seems then that there is a distinction to be made between the desired impact the museum has on people and the way they perceive it. Although the St Mungo Museum does not try to influence visitor responses to the displays or to convert them it does offer visions and versions of religions as understood and believed by followers of those faiths which clearly has a different purpose than the M.H.R., St Petersburg. People are free to emotionally or spiritually engage with any faith within the museum.

Interestingly at the Museum of the History of Religion is adamant that is it not partisan or preaching. Museum director Koutchinsky argues that ?The Museum is not taking an apologist stand towards any ideological system. That is why our public comprise people who are interested in history, people of different beliefs and atheists.? (Koutchinsky, 2006: 156) However it is possible that visitors also bring their own sense of religion or spiritual need to the museum. It must also be borne in mind that it is actual visitors that are being referred to throughout and not non-users and it is debatable as to whether non users would rather visit a religious building than a museum!