Det gröna museet? : Klimatansvar som institutionaliserad hållbarhet i svenska museimyndigheters styrdokument
(2026) ABMM74 20261Division of ALM, Digital Cultures and Publishing Studies
- Abstract
- This master’s thesis examines how climate responsibility is formulated in policy and governance documents of Swedish national museum authorities. Drawing on a text analysis, the study investigates how climate-related issues are articulated, what meanings are attributed to sustainability, and how these formulations are shaped by institutional contexts. The theoretical framework combines social ecological theory and institutional theory. Social ecology highlights the interconnectedness of environmental issues with broader societal structures, while institutional theory explains how organisations tend to respond to change through established and legitimate forms of practice.
The results show that climate responsibility is clearly... (More) - This master’s thesis examines how climate responsibility is formulated in policy and governance documents of Swedish national museum authorities. Drawing on a text analysis, the study investigates how climate-related issues are articulated, what meanings are attributed to sustainability, and how these formulations are shaped by institutional contexts. The theoretical framework combines social ecological theory and institutional theory. Social ecology highlights the interconnectedness of environmental issues with broader societal structures, while institutional theory explains how organisations tend to respond to change through established and legitimate forms of practice.
The results show that climate responsibility is clearly acknowledged across the studied institutions. However, it is rarely expressed as a disruptive crisis requiring fundamental transformation. Instead, it is articulated through concepts such as sustainability, knowledge dissemination, public engagement, and internal governance. This makes climate responsibility both visible and operational, but also organisationally manageable. The analysis further demonstrates that sustainability functions as a shared language yet takes on different meanings depending on museum type.
The study concludes that climate responsibility in museum governance is shaped by a tension between transformative potential and institutional stability. Although museums position themselves as actors in relation to climate change, their responses are largely framed within existing organisational logics, which enables action while limiting more radical forms of change. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9229300
- author
- Barker, Anya LU
- supervisor
- organization
- alternative title
- The Green Museum? : Climate Responsibility as Institutionalised Sustainability in the Policy Documents of Swedish Museum Authorities
- course
- ABMM74 20261
- year
- 2026
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Museum, climate responsibility, climate crisis, sustainability, policy documents, social ecology, institutional theory
- language
- Swedish
- id
- 9229300
- date added to LUP
- 2026-06-16 09:34:10
- date last changed
- 2026-06-16 09:34:10
@misc{9229300,
abstract = {{This master’s thesis examines how climate responsibility is formulated in policy and governance documents of Swedish national museum authorities. Drawing on a text analysis, the study investigates how climate-related issues are articulated, what meanings are attributed to sustainability, and how these formulations are shaped by institutional contexts. The theoretical framework combines social ecological theory and institutional theory. Social ecology highlights the interconnectedness of environmental issues with broader societal structures, while institutional theory explains how organisations tend to respond to change through established and legitimate forms of practice.
The results show that climate responsibility is clearly acknowledged across the studied institutions. However, it is rarely expressed as a disruptive crisis requiring fundamental transformation. Instead, it is articulated through concepts such as sustainability, knowledge dissemination, public engagement, and internal governance. This makes climate responsibility both visible and operational, but also organisationally manageable. The analysis further demonstrates that sustainability functions as a shared language yet takes on different meanings depending on museum type.
The study concludes that climate responsibility in museum governance is shaped by a tension between transformative potential and institutional stability. Although museums position themselves as actors in relation to climate change, their responses are largely framed within existing organisational logics, which enables action while limiting more radical forms of change.}},
author = {{Barker, Anya}},
language = {{swe}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Det gröna museet? : Klimatansvar som institutionaliserad hållbarhet i svenska museimyndigheters styrdokument}},
year = {{2026}},
}