Oral History: Method and Practice

Catalog description

This course seeks to spark and develop curiosity in historical research with easy to practice and accessible primary sources collected from oral history interviews. Students will receive comprehensive training on: 1) What is oral history; 2) How did this research methodology develop in the English and Chinese academy; 3) What are the differences and similarities between oral history, social science survey questionnaires, anthropological field work, and journalism; 4) How to prepare for the interview; 5) Important issues to be aware of during the interview; 6) Post-interview preservation of photos and memorabilia, audio and video files; audio transcript and video footage editing; and 7) How to use the data collected from oral history interviews for publication. Prerequiste: None. Fulfillment: Humanities Introductory Course; Social Science Methods course; GCS elective Chinese History, Culture and Society.