Bradley, Savanna2013-06-052013-06-052013-05-10https://hdl.handle.net/1794/1288534 p. Examining committee chair: Dr. Phaedra LivingstoneMuseums are seen to be shifting towards an increasingly participatory structure, and museum staff are always looking for new ways to engage community-based audiences. This capstone research examines ways that museums support community engagement through polysemic meaning-making opportunities, specifically in relation to Alaskan source communities, suggesting that polysemic meaning-making can take place through collections-based programming, resulting in ongoing relations through these spaces of contact. These concepts are examined through the lens of capstone course work, bolstered by an extensive literature review.en-USAll_rights_reservedPolysemicSource CommunitiesCollections ProgrammingContact ZonesThesis