Oral History: Principles and Practice
| Module title | Oral History: Principles and Practice |
|---|---|
| Module code | ARA3048 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Professor Christine Robins (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 12 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 20 |
|---|
Module description
Have you ever had an in-depth conversation about memories and experiences with someone whose life experience is very different from your own? Did this enrich your own understanding? Did you feel differently about them afterwards? Did they feel differently about you? If your answer is ‘yes’ to this, then you will appreciate the potential of oral history, which is a term used for the process of recording interviews with people to elicit narratives of the past, and also for the product of this process (recordings, transcripts, film, books etc). This methodology has been used not only in history, but also in other disciplines including anthropology and psychology – for hearing the voice of non-elites, helping to heal traumatised communities and discovering multiple experiences of the past.
In this project-based module you will learn the methodologies and theoretical perspectives underlying oral history and you will begin to practise it yourself. Interacting with experienced researchers, you will learn about past and current projects, especially those focusing on the Middle East, but the focus will be largely practical, as your final assignment will consist of an interview of your own. The respondent and focus must be agreed with the teacher; it is likely to be someone living in Devon but need not be somebody from the Middle East. We anticipate that your interviews will contribute to an oral history project focusing on diversity, to be accessible online in the longer term and visible on an English-language website; the ELE page will give further information on this and on the risk assessments and other work you need to complete before you can go ahead and do your interview.
The module is aimed especially at those who wish to use this approach for dissertations or to develop their interviewing and media skills. Much of the course will be delivered through workshops. Emphasis will be placed on group work, mutual support and a deep understanding of the ethical issues involved. No knowledge of Middle Eastern languages is required. This description covers the 30-credit version of the module, where you will work not only on producing an interview, but also produce written work contextualising your interview, examining disciplinary perspectives, relevant scholarly sources and comparable oral history projects in an analytical fashion. There will also be a series of 8 lectures reflecting on theoretical aspects of oral history, which will be compulsory for the 30-credit variant of the module. You will also be expected to complete both core and optional readings/sources for each class.
This module will run in Term 1 to enable you to prepare for dissertations later in the year.
Module aims - intentions of the module
You will gain in-depth and nuanced understanding of the potential and challenges of doing oral history. You will become versed in a variety of critical approaches underpinning the methodology and in addition to doing an interview you will produce analytical written work which also surveys the scholarship and community projects done in the past. You will also develop skills in presentation, using and producing media materials and interpersonal dialogue that are widely applicable beyond the classroom. Each person will do an interview of their own but you will work in groups of 2-3 so your teamwork skills will be developed. All workshops are relevant to the final assessment; full attendance is expected, along with completion of the preparatory reading beforehand.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate excellent knowledge of the major uses of oral history methodology and of several oral history projects comparable to your own
- 2. Demonstrate good knowledge of the ethical questions underpinning the methodology and the risks associated with it
- 3. Demonstrate practical knowledge necessary to carry out an oral history interview
- 4. Demonstrate a strong knowledge of existing scholarship in your chosen domain of oral history and its relevance to the work you are undertaking
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Demonstrate the ability to look beyond information content to underlying patterns within the material and carry out academic analysis accordingly
- 6. Demonstrate strong awareness of how the methodology is relevant to the discipline of your own programme of studies (this may be History, Anthropology or Area Studies, for example)
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. Work in small teams to realise a project and support others in realising theirs
- 8. Generate and manipulate film and/or sound recordings effectively
- 9. Demonstrate effective presentation skills
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- What makes Oral History Different?
- Voices from the Past: the Potential and Uses of Oral History
- Oral History and Poisonous Knowledge: Trauma and Testimony
- Perspectives from Practitioners: Q and A with oral historian
- Memory and Oral History
- Ethics and Risks workshop
- Technical Skills workshop
- Partners in Knowledge Production: Interview Skills workshop
- Preparing for the Archive: Transcription and Editing workshop
Theoretical Perspectives covered will include:
- Oral History as Public History
- Oral History and the Subaltern
- Oral History as Performance
- Subjectivities and Identities
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 270 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 30 | 11 x 2 hour classes plus 8 x 1-hour lectures. You will need to complete all readings prior to class and be ready to participate. |
| Guided independent study | 99 | 9 hours per week: allocated readings/sources, general seminar/workshop preparation |
| Guided independent study | 20 | First formative assessment |
| Guided independent study | 16 | Second formative assessment (using methodology to generate questions) |
| Guided independent study | 25 | Planning and risk assessment |
| Guided independent study | 60 | Completing major assignment (interview, preparation of materials, transcription of entire interview, presentation) |
| Guided independent study | 50 | Analytical essay |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group presentation (reflecting on interviewing each other) | 15 mins | 1-4, 7 | Verbal feedback from peers and teacher |
| Draft list of interview questions and interviewee profile informed by specific methodology chosen (teacher must sign off before interview) | 2000 words | 1-4, 6 | Verbal (if requested, written) feedback from teacher |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 55 | 0 | 45 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethical and Risk Assessment (including examples from other oral history projects) | 20 | 2000 words | 1-2 | Full written (verbal on request) |
| Oral History Interview and Reflective/Analytical Presentation | 35 | Materials from the interview, comprising: transcribed clip of up to 5 minutes, edited and transcribed version (sound/film) of the entire interview suitable for digital archiving; written draft of presentation with any relevant images. 15-minute presentation (individual or group, as appropriate) | 3, 5, 7-9 | Full written (verbal on request) |
| Analytical Essay contextualising interview project with literature review | 35 | 4000 words | 1-2, 4-6 | Full written (verbal on request) |
| Class Participation | 10 | 11 x 2hr seminars | 1-2, 6 | Oral |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethical and Risk Assessment (including examples from other oral history projects) | Essay to be set by module convenor (2000 words 20%) | 1-2 | August/September reassessment period |
| Project and Presentation | Submission of materials for archive (see above) plus reflective/analytical essay of 2000 words OR Where no primary interview materials are available, essay (e.g. using open access oral history archives for analysis) to be set by module convenor (4000 words). (35%) | 1, 4-5 | August/September reassessment period |
| Analytical Essay | Literature review/disciplinary contextualisation essay to be set by module convenor (4000 words 35%) | 1-2, 4-6 | August/September reassessment period |
| Seminar Participation | See notes | 1-2, 5 | See notes |
Re-assessment notes
There can be no referral/deferral of the seminar participation element of assessment (10% of mark) – the original mark will be carried over in the event of referral/deferral of other elements of assessment.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Publications
Das, V. (2000) ‘The Act of Witnessing: Violence, Poisonous Knowledge, and Subjectivity.’ In Das et al. (eds). Violence and Subjectivity, pp. 205-225.
Gershovich, M. (2003) ‘Stories on the road from Fez to Marrakesh: oral history on the margins of national identity’, The Journal of North African Studies, 8:1, 43-58.
Gluck, S and Patai, D. (eds) Women’s Words: the Feminist Practice of Oral History.
Neyzi, L. (2010) ‘Oral History and Memory Studies in Turkey.’ In Kerslake C., Öktem K, Robins P. (eds). Turkey’s Engagement with Modernity: Conflict and Change in the Twentieth Century.
Perks, R. and Thomson (eds) (1998, 2006)The Oral History Reader. 2 editions.
Portelli, A. (1991). ‘What Makes Oral History Different?’ In The Death of Luigi Trastulli and Other Stories, pp. 45-58.
- (1997) The Battle of Valle Giulia: Oral History and the Art of Dialogue.
Richter-Devroe, S. (2016) ‘Oral Traditions of Naqab Bedouin Women: Challenging Settler-Colonial Representations Through Embodied Performance’ Journal of Holy Land and Palestine Studies, vol. 15, No. 1 : pp. 31-57.
Ritchie, D.(2003) Doing Oral History: A Practical Guide.
Shryock, A. (1997) Nationalism and the Genealogical Imagination: Oral History and Textual Authority in Jordan.
Teskey, R. and Alkhamis, N. ‘Oral History and national stories: theory and practice in the Gulf Cooperation Council.’ In Erskine-Loftus, Hightower and Ibrahim al-Mulla (eds) Representing the Nation: Heritage, museums, national Narratives and identity in the Gulf Arab States.
Tonkin, E. (1992) Narrating our Pasts: the Social Construction of Oral History.
Yow,V.R. (2005) Recording Oral History: A Guide for the Humanities and Social Sciences. 2nd ed.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Some relevant online Oral History projects and initiatives:
Middle East:
Al-Nakba’s Oral History Project
https://www.palestineremembered.com/OralHistory/
Arab Immigration Oral History Digital Collection
Arabic Communities: People Portraits by Duke Students
https://sites.duke.edu/arabiccommunities/
The Iranian Oral History Project
https://cmes.fas.harvard.edu/projects/iohp
Young People From Diyarbakir and Mugla Speak Out (Gencler Anlatiyor)
http://www.gencleranlatiyor.org/static/english/main/v8.html
Local to Devon:
Telling our Stories, Finding our Roots: Exeter’s Multicultural History
http://www.tellingourstoriesexeter.org.uk/
Cornish Story
General
The Oral History Society
Oral History Collections of the British Library
https://sounds.bl.uk/Oral-history
Oral History Collections at the Library of Congress
https://www.loc.gov/collections/?fa=subject:oral+histories
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 01/03/2020 |
| Last revision date | 01/03/2020 |
