The Utilization of Science Museums by African Americans: Factors Influencing Free-Choice Visitation

本研究旨在探讨自由选择休闲行为 非洲裔美国人，因为它涉及到利用 科学博物馆 非裔美国人博物馆的硬统计数据 访问者不可用;但初步数据基于 个别组织进行的访客概况研究 这表明，在三类访问频率中， 非裔美国游客属于较低的两个：不经常 (one或每年两次）或根本不进行。 (The绝大多数 经常来访的人都不是非洲裔美国人）。 这项研究的目的是更深入地研究 非洲国家利用科学博物馆的问题 美国人 不仅变量之间的关系 在以前的研究中确定的（社会经济， 文化/种族、体制和区域因素） 但其他人，如个人如何了解博物馆 计划和非裔美国人家庭的结构 （家庭）也将包括在内。 研究将开始收集基线访问者 在动物园、水族馆、自然历史博物馆和 科学中心。 与过去有关的详细信息 博物馆的参观历史将通过 随机选择的非裔美国人和白色人的访谈 家庭游客在几个科学博物馆。 最后，深入 关于闲暇活动和偏好的访谈 将在六名非洲裔美国人和种族混合的 代表不同社会经济水平的社区。 最终目的是分析非洲人的态度， 美国人对博物馆和提供一个了解 所涉及的变量将用于博物馆计划 规划者和教育者设计他们的活动。 的 我们期望的结果是，我们社会的这一部分人 更好的机会，从这些丰富的资源中受益， 非正规科学教育机构。

This research is to examine free-choice leisure behavior of African Americans as it relates to the utilization of science museums. Hard statistics for African American museum visitors are not available; but preliminary data based on visitor profile studies undertaken by individual organizations suggest that of the three categories of visitor frequency, most African American visitors fall into the lower two: infrequent (one or two times per year) or not at all. (The vast majority of frequent visitors are non African Americans.) The purpose of this research is to dig deeper into the question of the utilization of science museums by African Americans. Not only will the relationships between variables identified in previous studies (socio-economic, cultural/ethnic, institutional, and regional factors) be examined but others such as how individuals learn about museum programs and the structure of the African American family (household) will also be included. The research will begin by collecting base line visitor profiles at a zoo, aquarium, natural history museum, and a science center. Detailed information relating to the past history of museum-going will be collected by means of interviews of randomly selected African American and White family visitors at several science museums. Finally, indepth interviews regarding leisure time activities and preferences will be conducted in six African American and racially mixed communities representing different socio-economic levels. The ultimate goal is to analyse the attitudes of African Americans toward museums and to provide an understanding of the variables involved that will be of use to museum program planners and educators as they design their activities. The desired result is for this segment of our society to have a better opportunity to benefit from the rich resources of these informal science education institutions.