Cognition, care, and cultural place-making: Narrative responses across two museum settings
Issued Date
2026-06-01
Resource Type
eISSN
25902911
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105030888680
Journal Title
Social Sciences and Humanities Open
Volume
13
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Social Sciences and Humanities Open Vol.13 (2026)
Suggested Citation
Khemthong S., Boonyakiet C., Triyarat W., Chatthong W. Cognition, care, and cultural place-making: Narrative responses across two museum settings. Social Sciences and Humanities Open Vol.13 (2026). doi:10.1016/j.ssaho.2026.102602 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/115462
Title
Cognition, care, and cultural place-making: Narrative responses across two museum settings
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Author's Affiliation
Corresponding Author(s)
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Abstract
This study examined how two Thai museums—the National Science Museum (NSM) and Museum Siam—function as culturally situated environments that activate autobiographical and embodied memory, supporting emotional well-being and intergenerational connection. Sixty-four participants (32 older adults and 32 caregivers) engaged in a photo-elicitation protocol, photographing exhibits and narrating reflections. Thematic analysis identified four recurring themes: Cultural Anchoring, Civic Consciousness, Nostalgia of Childhood, and Intergenerational Affection. At the NSM, cognitively intact and non-depressed participants demonstrated broader thematic diversity, including future-oriented reflections, whereas participants screened positive for possible mild cognitive impairment or depressive symptoms engaged more narrowly with health literacy and family-related themes. These subgroup patterns are interpreted as exploratory due to small cell sizes. At Museum Siam, dyadic analysis revealed both congruent and divergent storytelling; interpretive differences functioned as relational resources, enriching intergenerational remembering rather than producing conflict. Across sites, emotional expressions—including gratitude, nostalgia, and pride—illustrate how museums spaces mediate memory, identity, and care through place-based experience. By articulating the mechanisms through which spatial design, narrative engagement, and relational interaction intersect, the study contributes to social-scientific understandings of cultural institutions as infrastructures for healthy ageing and community-based social prescribing in diverse contexts.