Cultural integration through Danish Museums : How does cultural integration of refugees and immigrants work in a Danish museum context?

Abstract: This study examines the way Danish museums can be used as a platform for cultural integration of refugees and immigrants. Museums in Denmark have the last couple of years started to take part in integration of refugees, especially when it concerns cultural integration. There is no doubt that there is a demand for this type of integration and that museums are the obvious institutions to help with this matter. This new player in the integration area is producing a lot of interesting questions, such as: why do museums take this responsibility? What do the museums get out of it? How do they fulfill the job? Does it even work? Through a case study at Roskilde Museum, where ROMU and the Danish Refugee Council have a collaboration making integration events for women and children, we can try to understand the Danish museums role in integration. Analyzing this case study will possibly give an understanding of the reasoning for ROMU to engage in integration, the participants’ experiences and outcome from the events and the methods used to make it work. The empirical data consists of observational studies of the events, an interview with a Museum Inspector from ROMU, five interviews with participants, questionnaires filled out by nine participants and interviews with personal from The Danish Refugee Council and Roskilde Municipalities Integration Department. The results of the study are two folded. It seems that ROMU feel it is their obligation to help with integration and see themselves gain from this in the future. Roskilde Municipality is eager to help make this project work and definitely see a demand for it in the Municipality. The participants do feel the events help them with cultural integration, but there is also areas where expectations does not meet reality. 2/3 of the participants will not, or are not sure they will visit Roskilde Museum without The Danish Refugee Council in the future. In addition the study presents several suggestions to change the event, to make them more fitted with the demands. One possible change is very clear, the need for more planning and structure, with a common goal and a all-around understanding of the plans and goals with the events.