Presenter: Leyi Shang

Title: Museum Narratives and Cultural Repatriation: A Survey of University Students Before and After Museum Visits

Type of Presentation: Oral Presentation

Abstract:

This research is based on my interest in colonial history and cultural understanding. After reading a research about the Summer Palace and colonial artifacts, I became interested in how museum narratives shape people’s understanding of cultural repatriation. Previous studies by Weatherley and Rosen (2013), Marengo (2022), Zolkos (2023), and Driver (2025) discuss museum narratives, colonial artifacts, and cultural repatriation. These studies show that museum narratives can shape how people understand colonial history and ownership of artifacts. However, most research focuses more on institutions and museum authority instead of how visitors respond to these narratives. Because of this, there is still a gap in understanding how museum visitors interpret museum narratives about colonial artifacts. This project asks: To what extent does exposure to museum narratives about colonial artifacts influence university students’ support for cultural repatriation before and after museum visits? This study will use a quantitative research design and collect survey data from approximately 30–50 UBC undergraduate students before and after museum visits in Vancouver. The findings may explain whether museum narratives change some students’ views about cultural repatriation after museum visits, although responses may vary depending on participants’ cultural backgrounds and previous knowledge of colonial history. However, because this study only focuses on UBC students, the findings may not represent broader public perspectives.

Biography:

Leyi Shang is a first-year international student from the UBC Vantage One of Arts. She is interested in cultural memory, museum narratives, colonial history, digital culture, and psychology. Outside of academic work, she enjoys writing, photography, and exploring online communities and media. She is especially interested in how narratives and social environments shape people’s understanding of identity, history, belonging, and human behaviour. In the future, she hopes to study in topics related to psychology and culture.