Oral HistoryOral History

Sam SmithSam Smith

Geog 5161Geog 5161

28 February 201128 February 2011

Oral History in ActionOral History in Action

Baylor U. Institute of Oral HistoryBaylor U. Institute of Oral History– www.baylor.edu/oralhistory/www.baylor.edu/oralhistory/

Ongoing Projects:Ongoing Projects:– University History, Texas Economic HistoryUniversity History, Texas Economic History

Exhibition: Historic Waco NeighborhoodsExhibition: Historic Waco Neighborhoods

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Oral History in ActionOral History in Action

U. of Northern COU. of Northern CO– CO Oral History and Migratory Labor ProjectCO Oral History and Migratory Labor Project– www.unco.edu/cohmlp/www.unco.edu/cohmlp/

Oral History of Bracero Workers in CO, Oral History of Bracero Workers in CO, 1942-1964.1942-1964.

Oral History of 2006 ICE Workplace RaidsOral History of 2006 ICE Workplace Raids

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Defining Oral HistoryDefining Oral History

““Oral history refers both to a method of Oral history refers both to a method of recording and preserving oral history, and recording and preserving oral history, and to the product of that process” to the product of that process”

(Oral History Association, 2009)(Oral History Association, 2009)

““Oral history can be a powerful source of Oral history can be a powerful source of situated learning…it can facilitate situated learning…it can facilitate enhanced understandings of space, place, enhanced understandings of space, place, region, landscape, and environment” region, landscape, and environment”

(George and Stratford, 2010, 140)(George and Stratford, 2010, 140)

Historical BackgroundHistorical Background

Historians in 1930s and 1940sHistorians in 1930s and 1940s– WPA Slave Narratives, Interviews with WPA Slave Narratives, Interviews with

“significant” Americans“significant” Americans Increasing attention from social historians Increasing attention from social historians

in 1960s and 1970sin 1960s and 1970s– Focus on ordinary people.Focus on ordinary people.

Limited engagement with Geography:Limited engagement with Geography:– Superficial engagement with place; Superficial engagement with place;

undertheorization; lack of attention to undertheorization; lack of attention to mundane details mundane details (Andrews et al., 2006, 156)(Andrews et al., 2006, 156)

Oral History in Geography?Oral History in Geography?

““In comparison to the scope and volume of In comparison to the scope and volume of historical geography as a subdiscipline, however, historical geography as a subdiscipline, however, the use of oral history is a relatively rare the use of oral history is a relatively rare undertaking” undertaking” (Andrews et al, 2006, 158)(Andrews et al, 2006, 158)

Well, not exactly…Well, not exactly…– Historical geographies of geographical knowledge Historical geographies of geographical knowledge

production (Matless, Oldfield, Swain, 2007)production (Matless, Oldfield, Swain, 2007)– Tracing place-embeddedness of migration decisions Tracing place-embeddedness of migration decisions

(Ni Laoire, 2007)(Ni Laoire, 2007)– Nationalist activism among Welsh student groups Nationalist activism among Welsh student groups

(Jones and Fowler, 2007)(Jones and Fowler, 2007)

Strengths of Oral History for Strengths of Oral History for Geographical ResearchGeographical Research

1) Helps researchers understand place in historical 1) Helps researchers understand place in historical and individual contexts.and individual contexts.

““A picture of the past in people’s own words” A picture of the past in people’s own words” (Robertson, 2006, 2)(Robertson, 2006, 2)

““It provides a means to step back to the mix of It provides a means to step back to the mix of past times and places as they are mediated past times and places as they are mediated through the words and memories of another through the words and memories of another person in the present” person in the present”

(George and Stratford, 2010, 141)(George and Stratford, 2010, 141)

Strengths of Oral History for Strengths of Oral History for Geographical ResearchGeographical Research

2) Provides insights beyond what is recorded in 2) Provides insights beyond what is recorded in archival materials.archival materials.

Changing human and natural environments.Changing human and natural environments.

““Political commitment to opening up Political commitment to opening up undocumented histories”undocumented histories”

(Riley and Harvey, 2007, 346)(Riley and Harvey, 2007, 346)

Strengths of Oral History for Strengths of Oral History for Geographical ResearchGeographical Research

3) 3) Situating history across scales.Situating history across scales.

“…“…an attention to the local impact of ‘big’ an attention to the local impact of ‘big’ histories, that perhaps might even be ‘anti-histories, that perhaps might even be ‘anti-histories,’ stories that lie outside of, and might histories,’ stories that lie outside of, and might even conflict with, dominant narratives” even conflict with, dominant narratives”

(Andrews et al., 2006, 170)(Andrews et al., 2006, 170)

Methods: InterviewingMethods: Interviewing

““Oral history interviews seek an in-depth account of Oral history interviews seek an in-depth account of personal experience and reflections, with sufficient personal experience and reflections, with sufficient time allowed for the narrators to give their story the time allowed for the narrators to give their story the fullness they desire.”fullness they desire.”

““The content of oral history interviews is grounded in The content of oral history interviews is grounded in reflections on the past as opposed to commentary on reflections on the past as opposed to commentary on purely contemporary events.”purely contemporary events.”

Oral history interviews are historical documents that Oral history interviews are historical documents that are preserved and made accessible to future are preserved and made accessible to future researchers and members of the public.”researchers and members of the public.”

(Oral History Association, 2009)(Oral History Association, 2009)

Methods: InterviewingMethods: Interviewing

Open-ended interviews: Need for care in Open-ended interviews: Need for care in planning and scoping oral history projects.planning and scoping oral history projects.

Arrange storage of interview materials Arrange storage of interview materials early in process.early in process.

EthicsEthics

Informed consent is crucial!Informed consent is crucial!

Subjects retain ownership and copyright of their Subjects retain ownership and copyright of their histories, and have right to specify how their histories, and have right to specify how their interviews will be disseminated.interviews will be disseminated.

Respect narrators “equal authority” in interviews.Respect narrators “equal authority” in interviews.

EthicsEthics

Some ethics statements:Some ethics statements: US Oral History Assn.US Oral History Assn.

– www.oralhistory.orgwww.oralhistory.org

UK Oral History SocietyUK Oral History Society– www.ohs.org.ukwww.ohs.org.uk

International Oral History Assn.International Oral History Assn.– www.iohanet.orgwww.iohanet.org

PreparationPreparation

Conduct local background research.Conduct local background research.– Identify subjects and key themes.Identify subjects and key themes.

Formally approach subjects.Formally approach subjects.– Propose recording an oral history. Propose recording an oral history.

Preliminary meeting with subjects.Preliminary meeting with subjects.– Unrecorded.Unrecorded.– Build rapport, refine questions, extend Build rapport, refine questions, extend

research.research. Agree in advance to length of interviews.Agree in advance to length of interviews.

Interview QuestionsInterview Questions

Open-ended, but planned and structured.Open-ended, but planned and structured.

Prepare an interview guide, outlining Prepare an interview guide, outlining themes and potential prompts.themes and potential prompts.

Multiple interviews are an asset:Multiple interviews are an asset:– Allow additional archival research and Allow additional archival research and

question-honing.question-honing.– Allow respondents to more fully develop their Allow respondents to more fully develop their

memories.memories.

Interview QuestionsInterview Questions

IntroductoryIntroductory– Record important details, build rapport.Record important details, build rapport.

CommonCommon– Asked to multiple participants, address overall themes.Asked to multiple participants, address overall themes.

Subject-specificSubject-specific– Tailored to individual participants.Tailored to individual participants.

(George and Sanford, 2010, 145)(George and Sanford, 2010, 145)

““Interviewers and interviewees should mutually Interviewers and interviewees should mutually strive to record candid information of lasting strive to record candid information of lasting value.”value.” (Oral History Association, 2009)(Oral History Association, 2009)

Interview ConductInterview Conduct

Goal is not only transcription, but Goal is not only transcription, but production of an oral documentary record.production of an oral documentary record.

– Watch verbal prompting.Watch verbal prompting.– Specify non-verbal cues (distances, gestures).Specify non-verbal cues (distances, gestures).

Challenges of Oral HistoryChallenges of Oral History

Critiques of Oral History methods:Critiques of Oral History methods:– Simplistic to focus on “reclaiming” history.Simplistic to focus on “reclaiming” history.– How accurate are individuals’ memories?How accurate are individuals’ memories?

(Riley and Harvey, 2007)(Riley and Harvey, 2007)

Need for dialogue between oral history Need for dialogue between oral history and traditional archival research.and traditional archival research.

Collection vs. InterpretationCollection vs. Interpretation

Recording oral history is laudable, but it is Recording oral history is laudable, but it is not the central goal of geographical not the central goal of geographical research.research.

Researchers must also analyze and Researchers must also analyze and interpret--yet balance researcher’s voice interpret--yet balance researcher’s voice with those of informants.with those of informants.

Typical use of extensive quotations from Typical use of extensive quotations from interviews.interviews.

Space in Oral History?Space in Oral History?

Oral History is not inherently spatial in its Oral History is not inherently spatial in its approach.approach.

Geographers must work to incorporate spatial Geographers must work to incorporate spatial perspectives in questions, and draw out spatial perspectives in questions, and draw out spatial awareness from interviewees?awareness from interviewees?

Techniques to aid this?Techniques to aid this?

Additional Outlets for Oral HistoryAdditional Outlets for Oral History

Oral Histories as archival documents.Oral Histories as archival documents.

Compilations in special collections, Compilations in special collections, regional archives.regional archives.– Boulder Public Library:Boulder Public Library:

1300 interviews related to Boulder County1300 interviews related to Boulder County www.boulderlibrary.org/oralhistory/www.boulderlibrary.org/oralhistory/

– Colorado Voice PreserveColorado Voice Preserve New project, started by Colorado State Library.New project, started by Colorado State Library. www.voicepreserve.orgwww.voicepreserve.org

Additional Outlets for Oral HistoryAdditional Outlets for Oral History

Use of recorded voices in historical Use of recorded voices in historical presentation, exhibits, public history.presentation, exhibits, public history.

Authenticity engages audiences, removes Authenticity engages audiences, removes narrator as intermediary, lets past speak narrator as intermediary, lets past speak for itself.for itself.

(Butler, 2007)(Butler, 2007)

ConclusionsConclusions

““The potential for oral history is potentially vast” The potential for oral history is potentially vast” (Andrews et al., 2006, 171)(Andrews et al., 2006, 171)

“…“…could potentially pave the way towards a rich could potentially pave the way towards a rich source of data: knowledgeable, first-hand insights source of data: knowledgeable, first-hand insights into the interrelated everyday pasts of people and into the interrelated everyday pasts of people and places.” places.” (Andrews et al., 2006, 172)(Andrews et al., 2006, 172)

Considerable debate over how best to apply oral Considerable debate over how best to apply oral history to geography, and to link it to other, history to geography, and to link it to other, better-established methods. better-established methods.

This is only the beginning!This is only the beginning!

BibliographyBibliography

Andrews, Gavin, Robin Kearns, Pia Kontos and Viv Wilson. 2006. ‘Their finest hour’: Older people, oral histories and the historical geographies of social life. Social and Cultural Geography 7(2): 153-178.

Butler, Toby. Memoryscape: How audio walks can deepen our sense of place by integrating art, oral history, and cultural geography. Geography Compass 1: 350-72.

Charlton, Thomas, Lois Myers, and Rebecca Sharpless, eds. 2006. Handbook of oral history. Lanham, MD: AltaMira Press.

George, Karen and Elaine Stratford. 2010. Oral history and human geography. In Qualitative research methods in human geography, ed. Iain Hay, 139-152. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.

Jones, Rhys and Carwyn Fowler. 2007. National elites, national masses: Oral history and the (re)production of the Welsh nation. Social and Cultural Geography 8(3): 417-432.

Matless, David, Jonathan Oldfield and Adam Swain. 2007. Encountering Soviet geography: Oral histories of British geographical studies of the USSR and Eastern Europe, 1945-1991. Social and Cultural Geography 8(3), 353-372

BibliographyBibliography

Ni Laoire, Caitriona. 2007. To name or not to name: Reflections on the use of anonymity in an oral archive of migrant life narratives. Social and Cultural Geography 8(3): 373-390.

Oral History Association. 2009. Principles and best practices. http://www.oralhistory.org/do-oral-history/principles-and-practices/ (accessed 28 February, 2011).

Riley, Mark and David Harvey. 2007. Talking geography: on oral history and the practice of geography. Social and Cultural Geography 8(3): 345-351.

Ritchie, Donald A. 2003. Doing oral history: A practical guide, 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Robertson, Beth. 2006. Oral history handbook, 5th ed. Adelaide: Oral History Association of Australia, South Australia Branch.

Thompson, Paul. 2000. The voice of the past: Oral history, 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.