Participatory communication for social change: The depatriarchalization of the narrative of the Barcelona Maritime Museum

Abstract

Within the framework of the 2030 Agenda, thought is given as to how participatory communication for social change is currently assisting public cultural institutions to face three of their main problems: access (participation), recognition (interaction) and representation (narrative). It is generally accepted that participatory communication involves providing access to groups of people who are excluded from the patriarchal narrative, and securing their participation. This paper also presents a case study that helps to test whether or not participatory communication is a framework that enables this change. The Barcelona Maritime Museum (MMB) engaged in a process to rethink its narrative in order to make it more egalitarian. In the case of the MMB, the research was structured around five focus groups comprising women working in the maritime field. The participation of women allowed the possibility of narratives that could be configured as new stories and new forms of memory. The research also highlighted the suitability of focus groups as a methodological practice that promotes participatory communication.