Museums are no longer content to be repositories of the past, elite centers, and exclusive spaces of privilege and authority. They have also become places where history, culture and the arts are used to promote activism, democratic participation, community engagement, civic discourse and social justice. How have museums, historic sites, arts and cultural centers addressed social issues and social change? How do these cultural spaces tackle economic, gender, racial and other social inequities, issues of oppression, civil and human rights violations? This class will examine how museums and cultural sites locally, nationally and internationally advocate, subvert, challenge and counter existing norms and unjust perceptions and policies through their exhibitions, public programming, educational vision and practices. Through several case studies, we will analyze a range of sites – from historic house museums to non-traditional art museums to national park sites to folk art museums to community history museums– which are employing innovative strategies of engagement and supporting community organizing efforts and social movement work. We will look at how museums approach issues of access, inclusion, diversity, equality and liberation. We will review groundbreaking social media and online digital campaigns. The course will investigate roles museums have played--and could play--in the fields of social justice. Students will be expected to make local site visits in their areas throughout the semester and engage in hands-on ethnographic projects.