Listening to History: The Authenticity of Oral EvidenceHow can oral evidence be generated, selected and analyzed so that oral history becomes a reliable historical tool? The author shows how, with the help of social science methodology, the unique insights gained from talking to individuals about the past can be a valuable addition to historical sources. The book provides the reader with detailed guidelines on the interviewing process, who to interview, how to interview, and how to analyze the information, whether from a single interview or a large archive. Also examined are the problems of memoryóhow researchers can check reliability and accuracy. |
Contents
Introduction | 11 |
Origins and potential | 16 |
Definition | 21 |
Creating the Interviews | 29 |
The informants | 31 |
The interview schedule | 39 |
The interview | 51 |
Assessing the Interviews | 71 |
Patterned responses | 107 |
Part Four Memory Theory and Purpose | 115 |
Memory | 117 |
Theory | 132 |
Use and purpose | 141 |
Conclusion | 154 |
Notes on the text | 161 |
| 170 | |
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Common terms and phrases
activity actually analysis answers approach areas of experience argue asked aspects attitudes autobiography aware Bertaux bias biases biography CCCS census coding collect conservatism contemporary context cultural degree detail documents domestic East Anglian Fishermen elite ence ensure EOHA Essex evaluation example fact gender historians historical evidence historical record historical source Imperial War Museum individual industrial informant's informants inter interest interpretation interview schedule issue Italian Fascism Jerry White lives Lummis material method methodology National Sound Archive nominal data number of interviews occupation oral evidence oral history interview particular past Paul Thompson period political popular memory positivistic potential practice present questionnaire questions Ragged Trousered Philanthropists recall relate relationship remember responses retrospective reveal sample simply social experience sociological specific structure Studs Terkel symbolic interactionism talking testimony tions understand University of Essex working-class
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Page 7 - The which observed, a man may prophesy, With a near aim, of the main chance of things As yet not come to life, which in their seeds And weak beginnings lie intreasured. Such things become the hatch and brood of time...
References to this book
Literate Lives in the Information Age: Narratives of Literacy from the ... No preview available - 2004 |