Changing times

In the first of a series of blog posts about the new Code of Ethics, Michael Terwey, director of public engagement and research at the National Trust for Scotland and chair of the MA Ethics Committee, shares how the new code responds to economic, political, social, technological and environmental changes over the last ten years.

How much can change in ten years? Since the Code of Ethics was last reviewed in 2014 there have been two referendums on constitutional change in the UK, major wars in Europe and the Middle East, a pandemic that disrupted life across the globe, and economic shocks that have caused inflationary spikes, low growth and rising costs across all developed economies.

Technological change has been particularly marked – a company like OpenAI didn’t exist in 2014, and the daily use of large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT was unimaginable for most people. And the long-term impacts of climate change have become ever more apparent.

These changes – economic, political, social, technological, environmental – have all had an impact on museums and museum practice. It’s only appropriate, then, that the Museum Association’s Code of Ethics is reviewed to ensure that it continues to provide a supporting framework for members in their work.

This review has been conducted with significant contributions from members through an extensive process of consultation with stakeholders and partners. The updated code has a new structure, designed to reflect the thematic connections between different aspects of museum practice. It incorporates guidance on the use of new technologies, navigating a changing environment for political activism, and the challenges of climate change.

We hope the new code can be of continued use to members in working ethically. The MA, and the Ethics Committee, are committed to supporting colleagues across the sector with thorough advice and guidance, and encourage anyone to get in touch with questions or for confidential advice.

MA individual members and representatives for institutional members will have the opportunity to vote on the new Code of Ethics as part of the AGM agenda that will be distributed to members from 19 September. Voting will take place through an independent online voting provider.