Social science - Research Proposal Example

Whether one considers the progression between landline telephones, pagers, car phones, and eventually mobile communications and PDAs, such as are exhibited within the modern era, or whether one considers the growth and development of the microchip from what it was merely 30 years ago and to what it has become today, it is clear and obvious that technological change permeates nearly every aspect of the modern world in which we live. The intent of this brief analysis will be to understand technological integration within the field of museum presentation and cultural education can affect a greater overall understanding and appreciation with the stakeholder as compared to what has traditionally been affected over the past several decades; utilizing traditional approaches and techniques of information awareness.

Regardless of how the times have changed, the key determinant question that the research will seek to speak to is whether or not existing technology can be leveraged as a means of generating more visits to museums and cultural institutions or whether or not current and past practices seek to fulfill this need to the best and most efficient degree. Firstly, as a level of measurement, a baseline of cultural integration and appreciation of traditional techniques will be measured with respect to total number of visits that museums operating under a non-technical interface and means of attraction have been able to garner over a time period of 10 years.

Five specific museums within the capitals of Western Europe have been selected for analysis within such a study. Likewise, it must be understood that “low tech” approaches to museum visitorship have and will be defined as those museums that do not engage in any type of extensive electronic outreach. In other words, although web sites and certain types of limited mailing lists will be accepted for purposes of categorizing a particular subset of museums as leveraging older technology, the widespread reliance upon smart phone apps and/or approaches that are heavily reliant upon social media will categorize a given set of museums within the technologically advanced category.

As a result of a thorough literature review on the topic, it should be at least nominally expected that the museums and cultural institutions that have followed this traditional approach might necessarily experience little if any nominal increase with regards to the level of visitors and patrons they receive in any given year (Marty and Jones 28). However, whereas changes to overall levels could be noticed, these have oftentimes been attributed by other scholars as not pertaining to the level of technology or lack thereof; rather, they have been attributed to key changes in the economic, tourism rates, or other key indicators.

In the same way, five separate museums, also within the capitals of five Western European nations will be analyzed to determine whether or not their technologically savvy approach has correlated to more museum visits and/or a greater level of overall guests within the time period in question. From an analysis of the information and the literature that has been read concerning this reality, it is understood and surmised by the author that the use of technology within the cultural and historical museums of Western Europe, as well as the rest of the world, has a noticeable and verifiable