exploring projects in the college classroom. an oral history begins when one person tells a story...
TRANSCRIPT
Exploring Projects in the College Classroom
Oral History
What is Oral History?
An oral history
begins when one
person tells a
story about his or
her own
experiences to
another person
and culminates in
a sound recording
that preserves
that person’s
account for
posterity.
MethodologyLike ethnography, oral history is multidisciplinary; it is employed by social scientists in many situations seeking answers to a variety of research questions.
DATA vs
TEXTNarrative analysis
memory as construction
Public memory
Shared authority
FOLKLORE
Oral History Association
“Oral history is
a way of
collecting and
interpreting
human
memories to
foster
knowledge and
human dignity.”
What is an oral historian?Oral history has always been multi-disciplinary
•History degree is not a pre-requisite•Properly trained students as well as scholars can make good interviewers•Principles, standards and guidelines can be followed by virtually anyone
Many oral history projects are one-person operations:
•Prepare grant proposals•Train interviewers•Seek out interviewees•Select equipment•Manage documentation•Deposit interviews in libraries/museums•Handle publicity for the project
Cu
riosity
Patience
Ready?“Most oral historians learn by doing, and our
understanding of the theories of interviewing and our interpretation have more often followed than
preceded our interviewing . . . . Stop worrying and actually do some interviews.”
(Ritchie, 2006, p. 16)
Storycorps Great Questions List
Who has been the biggest influence on your life? What lessons did that personShare with you?
What is your earliest memory?
How has your life been different than what you’d imagined?
How would you like to be remembered?
Is there anything that you’ve never told me but want to tell me now?
When did you find first find out that you’d be a parent? How did you feel?
How has being a parent changed you?
How did you choose my name?
How did you meet your husband/wife?
Family & Friends Plan Describe the person you’d most
like to choose to interview for a StoryCorps project if you had the opportunity. This must be a person that you have access to in real life (i.e. only living people, no celebrities, etc.). What are your reasons for wanting to interview this person? What kinds of questions would you ask? What sort of responses do you think you might get? What would you envision for a video animation version of your interview? You will not be required to actually interview this person as part of this assignment.
Sample ResponsesI would like to interview my
grandfather who served in the Korean War . . . He raised me after my father died when I was four years old . . . I’d like to ask him about losing his only son . . .
I imagine asking my mother whether she really favored my brother, because it always felt that way when we were growing up. . . .
I want to know how my parents met. I got interested in this because they’ve never told me this story and I love the show “How I Met Your Mother.” I imagine they will make the story suspenseful and interesting.
Fish Bowl Interview
Memories of 9/11
Guiding question:
What were YOU
doing, thinking,
feeling on
September 11,
2001.
Informed Consent & Other Fine Print
Institutional Review Boards (IRB)
Tuskegee syphilis experimentsThe Belmont Report (1979)
Informed Consent: The right to make decisions about one’s own behavior
Beneficence: Minimizing of harm and maximizing of benefits in research
Justice: Equitable selection of research subjects
Preparing for an InterviewLearn about the general subject matter and the people to be interviewed
Construct a timeline of events in the subject’s life history.
Read or listen to other oral histories on the subject.
Find a repository for your interview (library, museum, online resource).
Prepare statement of purpose, consent, and deed-of-gift forms.
Compose a 300-500 word biographical sketch about yourself to share.
Approach potential interview subjects to seek permission for an interview.
Schedule a pre-interview meeting to establish rapport.
Familiarize yourself with your recording equipment.
Chronological vs. Topical
Start slow: Build up to “home run” questions
Include personal, customized questions.
Mix open-ended and specific questions
Avoid leading or manipulative questions.
Do not interrupt.
Crafting Questions
Pre-Interview Meeting
Pre-test several of your questions at the pre-interview meeting.
Take notes on unfamiliar subjects raised to direct additional preparation.
Keep the meeting short (30 minutes is appropriate).
Do not record the pre-interview meeting. Take notes.
Evaluate suitability of location for recording (noise, interruption, comfort)
General guideline: 5 hours of prep for every hour of interviewing.
EquipmentCheck
New batteries
Power cord/outlet
Test and playback
Visible placement
Eliminate noise
No phones
Sign on door
Conducting the Interview
Avoid going “off the record.”Conclude interview with review of publishing
process.Process interviews as quickly as possible. If possible, have interview transcribed and
edited.If not transcribed, index or tag the recording.
Special Considerations
Multimedia Uses
Extending Oral History
Student Projects