ABSTRACT
The aim of this chapter is to contribute to the debate about the social value of museums1 and their potential contribution to inclusion within society. This will be achieved by using the concepts of cultural identity and citizenship as modes of analysis. The result of such an approach is the construction of a taxonomy of the social role of museums, which aims to identify all the major elements involved and the relationships between them. It is hoped that such a theoretical framework will aid museums wishing to develop strategies aimed at increasing their value to society.
