Theorizing emotional well-being in the museum workforce

Well-being has emerged as a key concern in museum theory and practice. Until now however the focus has been on the well-being of museum visitors, whilst the well-being of museum workers has received less attention. This article aims to contribute a specific focus on the emotional well-being (understood here as mental health and emotional resilience) of the museum workforce, as museum work can be emotionally draining, to the point of compromising emotional stability. Museological theory on health, well-being and care in museums is brought into dialogue with theory in psychology on emotional well-being, and connected with examples of practice at the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum (MICR), Geneva, in order to substantiate the argument that taking care of the emotional well-being of the workforce is an essential part of “care” in museums.