Collecting the home in different ways: SAMDOK's ethnographic method compared to other approaches

Many museums collect contemporary objects, stories, images and sounds. But reasoned policies and procedures are very often lacking. And – given the uniquely detailed record of contemporary life recorded by today's ubiquitous media – how best are museums to record and present contemporary life in their collections? This chapter discusses different approaches to collecting, recording and documenting the home. It considers methods in museums and methods used in the subject areas known as Everyday Life Studies and Material Culture Studies.