Oral History

1. Oral History

2. Announcements • Thursday, February 16 – Guest Speaker – Dr. Martha Norkunas • ** BRING: an object of meaning in the life of your family • Thursday, March 1 – Due: Project Part 2 • Bring a copy for an in-class workshop • Turn in assignments! No late work, no grades. • Thanks for a great trip at Cannonsburgh! • Citations have gotten better – no more excuses – you will get a 0 if you don’t cite properly from now on! If you are unclear on this, let me know! • Academic Success Series: http://www.mtsu.edu/advising/AcademicSuccessSeries.shtml • How to Balance School, Work and Family Life - February 14th at 4:30pm Walker Library 446This session will help students develop skills and find resources that are needed to balance their personal and professional lives.  This session will share information for traditional and non-traditional students.

3. Follow-up to H.P. • 1. What is historic preservation, what does it entail, and is it important (why or why not)? • 2. What did you think of Cannonsburgh? • Are you aware of any historic structures that are in need of repair in your area? • 3. What is the process of writing a historic structure evaluation? • 4. What is your reaction to the list of endangered structures in TN? In the US?

4. What is Oral History? Columbia Encyclopedia: compilation of historical data through interviews… with participants in, or observers of, significant events or times. … societies have long relied on oral tradition to preserve a record of the past in the absence of written histories. … use of oral material goes back to the early Greek Historians Herodotus and …Thucydides, both of whom made extensive use of oral reports from witnesses. The modern concept of oral history was developed in the 1940s by Allan Nevins and his associates at Columbia Univ. • Definitions from readings Historymatters.com : "Oral History" is a maddeningly imprecise term: it is used to refer to formal, rehearsed accounts of the past presented by culturally sanctioned tradition-bearers; to informal conversations about "the old days" among family members, neighbors, or coworkers; to printed compilations of stories told about past times and present experiences; and to recorded interviews with individuals deemed to have an important story to tell. From Judith Moyer – Step-by-step Guide: Oral history is the systematic collection of living people's testimony about their own experiences. Oral history is not folklore, gossip, hearsay, or rumor.Oral historians attempt to verify their findings, analyze them, and place them in an accuratehistorical context. Oral historians are also concerned with storage of their findings for use by later scholars.

5. What isn’t oral history? Oral Tradition: Oral tradition and oral lore is cultural material and traditions transmitted orally from one generation to another. The messages or testimony are verbally transmitted in speech or song and may take the form, for example, of folktales, sayings, ballads, songs, or chants. In this way, it is possible for a society to transmit oral history, oral literature, oral law and other knowledge across generations without a writing system. Judith Moyer: Oral history is notfolklore, gossip, hearsay, or rumor. YOUR definition of Oral history?

6. Discussion Questions • 1. What are the steps of doing Oral History? How involved is it? Is it more difficult than what you may have initially thought? Judith Moyer – Step-by-Step Guide: Formulate a central question or issue. Plan the project. Consider such things as end products, budget, publicity, evaluation, personnel, equipment, and time frames. Conduct background research. Interview. Process interviews. Evaluate research and interviews and cycle back tostep 1 or go on to step 7. Organize and present results. Store materials archivally. Berkeley ROHO: Ascertain the willingness of narrator to participate. Research narrator's background; prepare and send outline. Schedule appointments. Obtain signed release agreement at first interview. Tape-record interviews. Get interviews transcribed. Review transcript; then get narrator to review. Deposit corrected transcripts, tapes, and release agreements in the appropriate library, archives, or historical society.

7. - What problems might be encountered when conducting, preparing for, or utilizing oral histories? What advantages might there be to oral interviews rather than text? - How do historians use Oral History? How does one evaluate an oral history? - Are Oral Histories valid? What problems might arise from oral histories? How might someone’s memories, biases, etc. affect their interview and story?

8. ActivitIES • In Class Activity 1 http://historymatters.gmu.edu/mse/oral/try.html Listen to this Oral History - What are they talking about? “Here's an example of an "iconic story" told by Lora Albright, an Idaho rancher, as she remembers the hardships of the great depression of the 1930s.” • What's the meaning of this particular story for Ms. Albright? • What does her encounter with this destitute family seem to stand for, in her mind? • What can we learn about her views of life from this story?

9. In Class Activity 2 • - Practice interviewing a classmate using the steps of oral history we have discussed/read. • Ask 2-3 open ended questions and take notes on the answers. • How might you have better asked the question or made your interviewee more comfortable? • How did your readings help you to be a good interviewer/interviewee? • What did you learn from your classmate? • Take notes on this to turn in! Remember these tips: • Obtain signature on release agreement.- Develop rapport but remain neutral.- Ask who, what, where, when, why, how.- Remain polite but firmly in control.- Listen carefully--and pursue new topics.- Use silence.- Ask for examples and anecdotes as illustrations. • Ask questions that require more of an answer than "yes" or "no." Start with "why," "how," "where," "what kind of ..." Instead of "Was Henry Miller a good boss?" ask "What did the cowhands think of Henry Miller as a boss?" • Ask questions one at a time. Allow silence to work for you. Wait. • Be a good listener, using body language such as looking at the interviewee, nodding, and smiling to encourage and give the message, "I am interested."

10. Don’t forget! • Bring an object next time • Bring questions for Dr. Norkunas • Be prepared for a fun in-class activity