Vanee Kachroo
PhD Candidate
She/Her | BA, Sociology, History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture (University of Alberta); MA, Sociology (Queen's University)
Sociology
Queen's University
Supervisor: Dr. Martin Hand
Research Interests
My master’s thesis explored museums’ ongoing attempts to engage with rhetorics of diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, and asked racialized immigrants about their resulting experiences and perceptions as visitors. This research analyzed the remaining impacts of art institutions’ colonial origins, which historically banned or fetishized people of colour. Through a discourse analysis of the Art Gallery of Ontario’s website and semi-structured interviews with racialized immigrants, this project examined the cultural importance of art institutions and their role in facilitating or hindering social inclusion for marginalized groups. Overall, this research produced programming and design recommendations, helping museums work towards social inclusion.