從人類行為觀點看科學博物館展示－展示儀式性探討

Most people are used to viewing exhibits in a science and technology museum in terms of its concepts of knowledge. They examine the progress of development in the museum from a historical perspective, and they look at the contents of museum exhibits in the light of their educational functions. But if we look at this in accordance with the concept of types of human behavior and the functional needs in behavioral science, the motivations that steer people around on visits to the museum go beyond the mere desire to receive or provide scientific knowledge (known as practical behavior or practical functioning). Sometimes the existence of the museum is symbolic, and sometimes visitors come to the museum simply because someone else came here and told them about it so they're here to check it out. In light of all this how should designers and developers of museum exhibits respond to some of the quirks of human behavior? How can the materials used in a display meet the needs shown in human behavior? And just what kind of relationship exists between exhibit materials, people and society or culture? Types of Human Behavior Human behavior can be classified in three main categories: (1)Practical or rational-technical behavior (2) Communicative behavior (3)Magicoreligious behavior There are several types of human behavior based on various aims. Take the act of drinking water, for example. When you are really thirsty you may cup your hands to drink or look for any kind of container that will hold water. But in a more rational social setting you will use a cup-and you may even lift the cup in a toast to a friend. This is a form of communicative behavior involving an emotional interchange. Cups are used in rituals to hold water, to honor the gods, or to offer libations to one's ancestors. These are all forms of religious behavior. The British anthropologist Edmund Leach (1966) argues that the latter two of the three types of behavior listed above are not really based on reality. They utilize sets of symbols or icons to express information about people's inner emotions and hopes. Communicative behavior serves to deliver information to another person while the object of communications in magicoreligious behavior is a supernatural being. Although the recipient of the communicated message may be different, they are actually very similar 'rituals'. Thus both can be called forms of 'ritual behavior'. The Roles of the Museum in Cultural Experience If we move from the limits of human behavior and examine the inherent meaning of the museum's role, we can categorize the needs of people for artifacts and articles into three different types: practical actions, aesthetic functions and symbolic functions. This article will not touch on practical functions or aesthetic functions, dealing only with the responses generated by symbolic functions and ritual functions. Following is a look at the position and significance of museums and display items in the matrix of society, from the viewpoint of symbolic functions. (1)Culture and accumulated reality The establishment of a museum is a ritual function in nature. During their earliest days museums were the private reserves of a very limited number of people and were not an essential part of life for most people. Few people's lives or actions were going to be affected by the fact of whether this ritualistic function existed or not; it was all the same either way. Moreover, the changes that have occurred during the development of the science museum have taken different functions and forms, yet the various items that have been collected in the process have all been about the same in nature. (2)The symbolism of identity levels The search for a sense of recognition is one of the most common human behaviors. When we hear that someone else has visited a famous museum somewhere it drives us crazy with envy. This is a symbolic action brought on by the other person's visit to a museum. The psychologist Maslow cites the senses of belonging and recognition as essential to human existence. Thus as people we find that when everyone else has been to a museum we want to go there ourselves just to gain a feeling of unity with the group. (3)Symbols of knowledge and authority In the film 'Silence of the Lambs', Jodie Foster's character plucks a moth pupa from the mouth of a woman who has been murdered. The scene where she takes it to a museum to have it identified made a very deep impression on me. All museums should give people the same feeling of knowledge and authority. Many people have proclaimed the museum the new 'church' of society. This indicates that most people have a sense of respect and faith in museums, a sort of spiritualization which is already something akin to a religion in terms of human behavior. Ritualism in science museum exhibition and principles of planning and design No matter how good the planning and design of a museum may be, if no one goes to visit it, it will have failed to meet its communications objectives. Thus 'symbolism' and 'communication' are major elements in the composition of ritual. Even more important are people, objects and places. The ritual elements in the urge to visit museums are the visitors, exhibits and the surroundings. (1)Relationship of exhibits and the visitor-the need for satisfaction When everyone has visited a particular museum, the advantages of having visited lost their appeal. When this happens the more advanced segment of the society will seek out a new museum as the target of their interest and mark it as a new status symbol for the group. This never-ending cycle means that the planning and design of museum exhibits come to play a very important role. In the balance between the visitor and the search for new exhibits, the creation of new and different symbols will continue to draw new visitors to the museum. (2)The relationship between exhibits and the surroundings-a look at the background and layout of the exhibit If we broke down all the actions in a ritual behavior into single steps, they would probably lose all their flavor and meaning. Whether we are dealing with a 'scientific document' or a bit of 'scientific knowledge', the process of development has its own particular kind of content. If a document is merely present as is in a exhibits, visitors will see only a small fragment of history and miss out on its true meaning and value. But if its history can be re-constructed, it will make a topic that will speak volumes to visitors. (3)Exhibit and their relationship with other exhibit In ritual behavior some single actions or items need to be accompanied by other actions or objects in order to really have an effect. Projecting this idea into exhibit design, we can view it as a test for developing a series of museum exhibition topics. For example, the construction of a exhibition topic, whatever its shape, color or material, takes systematic planning. In addition, there should be some degree of continuity between the individual elements in its make-up. Conclusion A ritual is a system or action recognized or agreed upon by most people. If most people could make a habit of visiting a museum, make it a part of everyday life, this would be a tremendous help to both the spirit and the mind. At any rate the rapid pace of development in science and technology in today's society has made it even more important for people to observe the 'ritual' of visiting a museum, with the aim of gaining a better understanding of science and technology. As far as planning and design of displays is concerned, if we can observe the special feelings of people's ritual behavior and meet the psychological and emotional needs of the public, then communicating with visitors and setting up a feeling of resonance with them will be easy.

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