Mellan marknad och ansvar : Utbudet av produkter hos kulturarvsbutiker

Sammanfattning: Introduction: This study investigates aspects of authenticity, branding and taste, in relation to the assortment of goods in shops affiliated with museums and cultural heritage sites. The research questions focus on the categories of products found in the shops, branding strategies and the approach and opinion of the shop regarding authenticity. The introductory hypothesis believed that a strong link between authenticity and taste would be visible in the material. Aim: The primary purpose of this study is to examine the tension between the commercial aspect and the cultural and educational role of museums and cultural heritage sites. Also, previous research has largely focused on cultural-historical museum shops and this study aimed to broaden the field regarding cultural heritage and consumption, by including both museums, and non-museums from several disciplines. Method: The material was procured by field studies and interviews with shop representatives. The sites included are the Vasa Museum, Skansen, the National Museum och Science and Technology, The Royal Palace and Stockholm City Hall. All sites are situated in Stockholm, Sweden. Results: The study concluded that further research should be done based on a more diverse material, in terms of subject and discipline of the sites. Several differences were identified between cultural heritage sites and museums, such as the judicial responsibilities of the museums. The shops belonging to cultural heritage sites aso acted more independently from their institutions, than those of the museums. The introductory hypothesis was mainly disproven, as authenticity was not as significant for the representatives as initially believed. This is a two years master's thesis in Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies.