ABSTRACT
This chapter situates my family museum research in ongoing debates regarding the role museums play in the social life of families. It discusses the gradual shifts in my research interests that led to the development of my research agenda and places these in the context of wider shifts in museum debates regarding access, representation and inclusion. It introduces key terms and theoretical concepts which were used in the development of the critical theoretical framework underpinning the family research studies which are presented in parts II and III. It also presents the research questions that each study poses and situates them at the macro and micro level of analysis.
