The potential of museums as social technologies lies in their ability to articulate participatory museological practices with strategies for local development, inclusion, and social cohesion. Anchored in Sociomuseology and Social Museology, the research presented by Nathália Pamio Luiz in the Department of Museology, on April 29, proposes that museums, rather than merely using social technologies, can themselves become a form of social technology - when structured as collective tools for transformation grounded in local knowledge and community engagement.

The dissertation, titled “Museu como Tecnologia Social: reflexões à luz da Sociomuseologia” [Museum as Social Technology: reflections in the light of Sociomuseology], was supported by a grant from the UNESCO Chair “Education, Citizenship and Cultural Diversity” and adopts a robust qualitative methodology. It includes theoretical review, original interviews with key experts (such as Hugues de Varine, Raquel Gomes, Nádia Almeida, among others), analysis of public policies, and an in-depth study of the Museu na Aldeia [Museum in the Village] project in Portugal. This project stands out for connecting rural communities with museum institutions, involving 13 villages and promoting dialogical museological actions with significant social impact.

In the first chapter, “Social Technologies”, the thesis explores the origins and definitions of social technology, with a focus on Brazilian authors such as Dagnino, Bava, and Borges. It examines public policy and networks like RTS (Rede de Tecnologia Social), CBRTS (Centro Brasileiro de Referência em Tecnologia Social), ITS Brasil (Instituto de Tecnologia Social), and IUPE (Incubateur Universitaire de Parole d’excluEs), building a solid framework for understanding how low-cost, high-impact local practices can be systematized as transformative innovation.

The following section, “Plural Museological Frameworks”, traces the evolution from normative Museology to Social Museology and Sociomuseology, highlighting the contexts of Brazil, Portugal, and global experiences. It demonstrates how participation- and territory-based museological practices reinforce the social role of museums and explores the culture of innovation as a key element for sustainable and inclusive action.

Bringing these themes together, the third chapter, “From Local Knowledge to Social Technology”, presents a detailed analysis of the Museu na Aldeia project. It highlights community experiences, social and cultural impacts, co-authorship processes, and the national and international recognition received. The chapter shows how the collaborative construction of memory and heritage can be understood and validated as a form of social technology.

The project concludes that museums committed to their social function can act as agents of social innovation, aligning with international agendas such as the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), ICOM (International Council of Museums), UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), and cooperation frameworks such as the Ibermuseus Program. This approach reinforces the role of museums as spaces for citizenship, empowerment, and transformation.

© image sourced from the Municipality of Peniche.