Empathy-Building Toolkit for Museums

Elif M. Gökçigdem, PhD is a pioneer in positioning museums as empathy-building incubators. She designs encounters that nurture meaning-making and unlock human potential to experience an ever-widening sense of relatedness and belonging. After coining the term empathy-building through museums in 2006, Elif created the Designing for Empathy® Framework, Summit, and Workshops, published three books and set up ONEempathynetwork.com.

The authors show how something as simple as an artifact, a story, or a moment of reflection can become a bridge across time, culture, and perspective. This is an essential guide for museum professionals, educators, and anyone who believes that empathy—when nurtured intentionally—has the power to transform institutions and communities alike.

• An Empathy-Building Toolkit for MuseumsEdited by Elif M. GökçigdemDedicationContentsForewordAcknowledgementsPrefaceElif M. GökçigdemIntroductionElif M. GökçigdemPart IHolding Space for Experiential Learning of Relatedness and KinshipThrough Contemplative Practices1 What is Empathy-Building Through Museums?Elif M. Gökçigdem2 Empathy-Building with Rumi’s MAP: Meaning, Awareness, PotentialElif M. Gökçigdem3Empathy Through Contemplative Practices: Transcending Self and OtherBengu¨ Ergu¨ner-Tekinalp4Building Empathy Through Art-Inspired MeditationAparna Sadananda & Donna Jonte5Designing for Emotions: The Mandala Lab at The Rubin MuseumJamie Lawyer6The Eyes of the Heart: Nurturing Deep Empathic Connection Through BeautyMary Hall Surface7Agents of Empathy: Objects, Health and Healing in Exhibitions and The EverydayBrenda Cowan8Empathy for All AnimalsJim Wharton & Sarah BrenkertPart IIPromoting Understanding Through Perspective-Taking and Thinking Strategies9The World and Our Lenses: Addressing Wicked Problems Through Imaginative EmpathyLidewij Niezink & Katherine Train10Mirroring Art: A Workshop for Building New Understandings Through Engagement with ArtZorana Ivcevic Pringle; Rebekah Rodriguez-Boerwinkle & Pablo P. L. Tinio11Exploring Perspectives and Fostering Empathy in Conversations About Art: Three Learning Experience ModelsJulie A. Carmean & Elizabeth H. Diament12Seeing Differently: Fostering Connections and Perspective-Taking Through Slow-LookingClaire Bown13Religious Objects as Portals to Connecting and Seeing HumanityAmy Glenn & Leah SmithPart IIICreating Space for Perspective-Expanding Social Encounters14The Only Way to Learn is Through Encounter!Hakan Elbir15Empathy Circles: Learning and Practicing Mutual Empathy in Small GroupsEdwin Rutsch & Rosa Zubizarreta-Ada16Hey, We Need to Talk!:Designing Social Sculptures to Encourage Relational Dialogues That Increase Civic Engagement and Social RepairPhilippa Pham Hughes17Museum Sage: Personalizing the Museum, One Artwork at a TimeLaurie PhillipsPart IVPracticing and Sharing Empathic Organizational Policies and Methodologies18Radical Curiosity and Courageous Empathy: Cultivating Compassion in Tumultuous TimesSusie Wilkening19Building an Organizational Culture of CareMicah Parzen20Centering Care While Measuring ImpactMonique Davis21Considering Apprenticeship: An Ancient Model for Relating, Learning, and TransformationAndrew Nemr22A Workplace Emotion Strategy: Mindsets, Tools, and Practices to Manage Emotional Energy at WorkplaceKürsat ÖzençPart VPositioning Empathy-Building as a Shared Value in Multi-Sector Partnerships23Beyond the Frame: Centering Museums in Healthcare SpacesLisa Abia-Smith & Elizabeth Lahti24Empathy in the Healing Professions: Curiosity, Communication, CaringRay Williams25How Play and Making Can Be a Bridge to Practicing Empathy for KidsAnne FullenkampAbout the EditorAbout the Contributors