Contribution short abstract:

This presentation examines the emotions found in museums and the challenges they pose for research. It focuses on recognizing emotions expressed through observing people's actions and interviews, and moreover considers the feelings that came up during the research process.

Contribution long abstract:

Emotions, feelings, and affects are complex concepts that pose significant challenges in both research and practical contexts. Understanding and recognizing emotions as they occur can be particularly difficult, especially when relying on nonverbal gestures and actions. As posited by Wetherell et al. (2018), emotions are inherently action-oriented, appearing both consciously and unconsciously, and affecting interactions in different ways. The research project "Touching Collections: Museums as Emotional Arenas" examines the collection work as emotional labor from the point of view of both museum professionals and museum audiences. In the fall semester of 2024, twenty bachelor students in the Cultural Studies program at the University of Helsinki conducted fieldwork among museum audiences and professionals, as part of the research project. Students either observed museum visitors during their experiences or engaged with museum professionals in their work settings. In addition, they developed question frames for interviewing both target groups. This presentation poses the question is it possible to recognize and identify these kinds of emotions by observing people´s actions or interpreting in interviews, where emotions have not been directly asked about? Furthermore, it reflects upon the emotions that emerged during the fieldwork itself and evaluates the employed methods for exploring emotional dimensions within this context of museums.