Oral History: Method and Practice

Catalog description

This course will give students a basic understanding of oral history by asking several questions of the discipline, including: What exactly is oral history and what sets it apart from other historical research methodologies? What are the ethical issues involved in undertaking oral history? How does one conduct, record, and archive an interview? What steps are necessary in constructing an oral history project? What are the merits of the various products that can be derived from oral history in both texts and multimedia? In addition to reading oral historical texts and theory, students will conduct at least two interviews and participate in an ongoing oral history project. Students will learn how to develop, conduct, and evaluate an oral history interview and prepare oral history interviews for archival disposition.