On the Social Functions of Museums Between Assimilation and Accommodating Practices: Today, the main social challenge faced by museums is to assume as well as to extend the scope of their social responsibilities. This is more vital than ever, if they are to justify their existence and the public funding they receive. However, most museums remain on the sidelines still, as conformist and passive bystanders in the face of global change; they prefer to assimilate rather than to accommodate difference, notwithstanding a few exceptions, i. e. those museums that tackle the issue of a sustainable future and try to be socially inclusive.