Oral History Interviewing

For three years I have been using family history in my women's history classes. I ask students to use oral history techniques and interview the oldest women in their families. We tend to have three groups of women to study--those born at the end of the nineteenth century, those born in the early twentieth century, and those born after World War I. The class breaks down into small groups according to these age divisions, so that students can compare cross-cultural differences. Then we come back together to pick out parts of our collective histories for further examination and analysis. Here at New Mexico State University students are approximately 20 percent Chicano, 3 percent Native American, 2 percent Black, and 75 percent Anglo. The women's history class tends to have about the same proportions. Most of the students come from working-class or lower middle-class families. They have begun to impress their families (and themselves) with the importance of knowing and understanding their cultures and have begun to talk to each other about the difficulties their families have had working to survive, instead of being embarrassed that their families did not fit into some abstract ideal of the middleclass American family. For students, studying family history brings history down to a very personal level. It encourages contact with older women and an understanding of their lives. It also allows students to see how an individual family was organized, how persons interacted within it, and particularly how the women functioned within it--what their status, duties, and powers were within the household. The student can see how these family relations changed over time. Each woman participates in at least two, or even three generations-her mother's, her own, and possibly the next generation. What she remembers of her own mother's life as she was growing up and how she relates this to her own childhood and youth may then be contrasted with her own adult life and perhaps to her children's experiences. The intersection over time of one woman's life with a family reveals important ways in which women react to change and how change affects their lives. These lives can then be contrasted in the classroom with larger generalizations about women's lives during the period to see how they differed. Oral history is the core of all family history. By utilizing oral history in the classroom, students can learn to use it self-consciously as a method rather than as just a means to gather content. Family history provides an easy access to the experiences of women. Through this process, students can learn about and practice oral history skills with a woman who is known and special to them. Their work often results in precious tapes and biographies which are passed on to other family members and preserved for later generations. In fact, the response of the students to these family history projects has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic. For some granddaughters, it has been the first real contact with the lives of their grandmothers. Mothers and daughters have talked about women's role in their families and about family problems which they had avoided discussing before, sometimes because they did not know quite how to raise the subject with each other. The

Oral life history narratives are a promising method to promote person-centered values of personhood and belonging. This project used resident oral history interviews to educate staff members in an assisted-living setting about personhood. A single group pre-post test design evaluated impacts on 37 staff members to assess their use of resident videotaped oral history interviews and impacts on their perceived knowledge of residents. Perceived knowledge of residents declined (p = .003) between pretest and posttest. Older staff members were less likely to view a video. Staff members are interested in resident oral history biographies and identify them as helpful for delivering care. Oral history methods might provide an opportunity for staff members to promote personhood by allowing them to expand their understanding of resident preferences, values, and experiences.

Cataloging oral histories presents many difficulties, especially for catalogers who have primarily worked with published materials and for institutions without funds or staff dedicated to managing oral history collections. Methods for cataloging oral histories can vary widely among institutions. In this article I examine the issues and considerations involved in providing intellectual access to oral history interviews and offer a possible cataloging method to libraries holding unprocessed oral history materials. The cataloging procedures discussed here have worked well from a workflow standpoint as one of the initial steps to create access to oral histories at Columbus State University, a medium-sized academic library.

(1977). The Illusion of Understanding: Making the Ambiguous Intelligible. The Oral History Review: Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 7-16.

Qualitative interviews are a widely used method in applied linguistics research, with researchers incorporating interviews in a variety of research designs, including case studies, mixed methods, oral and life history studies, and ethnographies. This entry discusses commonly used forms of interviews, such as phenomenological, ethnographic, and oral and life history interviews, and provides examples to show how researchers use these forms to generate knowledge about language learning and teaching among other topics. Steps in the design of qualitative studies using interviews are reviewed. These include formulating research questions that can be examined using interviews, considering sampling and selection criteria, developing an interview guide, submitting proposals for ethical review, and recruitment of participants for studies. Examples of question formulations commonly used when conducting interviews are provided. Innovations in how researchers use interviews are discussed, including dialogic forms of interviews, the use of new technologies in interviewing, and mobile methods. Theorizations of interviews used in applied linguistics research are reviewed along with issues related to the transcription and analysis of interview data. The entry concludes by discussing assessment of quality, and the future of interview research.

This paper, under the conference theme of ‘pedagogy,’ will discuss the findings of a qualitative research project that explored the impact of university teaching practices that use life and oral history methodology. The analysis relied on student impact statements as well as instructor assessments. It was conducted over 10 courses that focused on teaching students to conduct life and oral history interviews. The findings of the research demonstrated that focusing on training students to ‘listen’ while gathering stories was as an effective means of developing agency and confidence particularly among women students, while also giving voice to community members often not included in official records. While oral history is not a new methodology, the study found that students experienced it as a most radical practice that held space for inclusive dialogue, self-reflection and a reassessment and reconstruction of dominant stories and narratives. Women and other marginalized peoples’ complex lives have typically been invisible. Providing student researchers with the opportunity to engage directly with community members in retelling their life stories was an opportunity for them to be portrayed in more dynamic and complex ways. It was also a way for students to become active listeners and learners, and to feel inspired to become engaged civic actors in the future. As one student noted, this form of “research gives voice to those who are rarely heard, but have the most important and telling social commentaries to offer… my experience has been amazing… I plan to reach out and hear more voices because I have grown a stronger passion for listening.” Teaching students to ‘listen’ through conducting oral histories is a method that is transferable to learning across disciplines.

Chapter 1: World Views, Paradigms, and the Practice of Social Science Research Case 1. Quantitative Research Case 2. Qualitative Research Thinking about the Foundations and Practice of Research What This Book Is and Is Not About. What Warrants Our Attention? The Traditional Canon Alternative Paradigms New Techniques or New Paradigms? Chapter 2: History and Context of Paradigm Development Positivism: A Response to Metaphysical and Magical Explanations Critical Theory: A Response to Inequities in Society Interpretivism: A Response to the Excesses of Scientific Social Science The Special Cases of Postmodernism and Feminism Chapter 3: Foundational Issues: Postpositivist and Critical Perspectives Social Science Research: The View from the Postpositivist Paradigm Social Science Research: The View from the Critical Theory Paradigm Chapter 4: History and Foundations of Interpretivist Research (1) Nature of Reality. (2) Purpose of Research. (3) Acceptable Methodology/Data. (4) The Meaning of Data (5) Relationship of Research to Practice. The Implications of an Interpretivist Approach What Sorts of Research are Worthwhile? Examples of Interpretive Research Chapter 5: Frameworks for Qualitative Research Postpositivist Research Moments of Qualitative Research Some General Frameworks for Qualitative Research Chapter 6: General Guidelines for Qualitative Research Guidelines for Qualitative Research Situated or Contextual Understanding, Not Truth, is the Purpose of Research Accept Multiple Sources of Influence Take A Foundational Rather Than Technique Perspective Practice Recursive (Iterative ) and Emergent Data Collection and Analysis Use Multiple Sources of Data Think of Research as a Reflective Process The Researcher is the Primary Tool for Data Collection and Analysis An Emphasis on Participatory versus Nonparticipatory Research. Adopt an Open Approach Deal With Bias Directly Select Natural Contexts for Research Research Should be Holistic, Not Atomistic Research Involves More Than Induction and Deduction: Analogical Reasoning, Abduction, and Family Resemblances Alternatives to Postpositivist Criteria for Believability: Validity and Reliability Alternative Approaches to Validity and Reliability: Triangulation and More Conclusions? Aren't They Generalizations? Chapter 7: Methods of Qualitative Research Case 1: Action Research on a Pediatric Surgical Ward Established Qualitative Research Methods Ethnography Case Studies: Another Form of Qualitative Observation Interview Research Historigraphy Historiography: The Research Methods of History Innovative Methods Participatory Qualitative Research Emancipatory Research Critical Emancipatory Action Research Chapter 8: Approaches to Data Analysis and Intepretation The Purpose of Research General Theory Objective Description Hermeneutic (Verstehen) Understanding Story telling/Narrative Data Analysis Families Eyeballing the Data Connoisseurship: A Global Perspective Hermeneutics as a Data Analysis Method Grounded Theory Analytic Induction A Final Topic: The Ethics of Research Chapter 9: 21st Century Social Science: Peering into the Future Will the Cacophony Continue? Why Can't Social Science Converge on The Answer? Competition Linearity Dialog as an Alternative to Competition Three Approaches to Knowing in Greek Thought Plato Aristotle The Humanities Choices 20th Century Social Science Made Suppose We Chose Badly Two Theories That May Help Us Build 21st Century Social Science Poetic Logic Chaos and Complexity Theory: Another Route to a Nonlinea Social Science

The phenomenon of arable field abandonment, a complex and multifaceted aspect of land use dynamics, has become a subject of increasing significance in rural landscapes. Across diverse geographic contexts, the abandonment of once-cultivated fields is indicative of transformative shifts in agricultural practices, reflecting the interplay of numerous socio-economic, environmental, and cultural factors. The abandonment of arable fields in the former homelands of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal poses a multifaceted challenge with significant social implications. Historically, agriculture has been central to these regions, yet recent trends show a shift from traditional field cultivation to alternative practices such as garden cultivation or complete cessation. This shift has heightened vulnerability to food insecurity, hunger, and poverty, particularly as high unemployment levels exacerbate the situation. Moreover, the intricate relationships between humans and their surrounding ecosystems is also affected. Therefore, understanding the drivers of arable field abandonment at the community or household level can reveal localised factors that differ from broader, generalised drivers identified in previous studies. Additionally, examining the diverse impacts on these communities is crucial for developing targeted interventions that address their specific needs and enhance resilience. This study investigates arable field abandonment in specific villages of Gotyibeni and Melani in the Eastern Cape and Manqorholweni and Mawane, in KwaZulu-Natal. Using the Driving forces, Pressures, State, Impacts, and Responses (DPSIR) framework as a conceptual framework uncovers the driving factors, pressures, state, impacts and responses of this phenomenon in these rural villages. The study’s main aim was to assess the social effects of arable field abandonment in the selected study areas. The main objective is to determine how livelihoods, social relationships, and living conditions within and between households have changed following the cessation of field cultivation. The study also employed several specific objectives: first, to identify trends in field cultivation within the study areas; second, to analyse the drivers contributing to arable field abandonment in the villages; third, to examine the impact of field abandonment on the elderly population over the past 50 years; and fourth, to investigate the level of youth engagement in agriculture, including how the abandonment of arable fields affects their participation and perceptions of agriculture as a livelihood. To achieve the objectives the study employed mixed research methods that combine satellite imagery analysis, household surveys, oral history interviews with elders, most of whom had stopped farming, and youth focus group discussions. Landsat 7 Satellite imagery with a 15-meter spatial resolution was sourced from the South African Space Agency (SANSA) for the four study areas. The temporal coverage spanned from 1972 to 2020, with considerations for image usability based on resolution. Unfortunately, many earlier images were deemed unusable due to low resolution, particularly affecting Gotyibeni, where clear images only became available from 2013, therefore for this village the focus was on two decades. Arable fields, residential areas, homestead gardens, grasslands, and shrublands were classified. Change detection utilised a post-classification approach, comparing land cover categories between the early and late 2000s. A change detection matrix and statistics were generated using a ha/year formula, enabling the quantification of land cover changes. Image analysis employed ArcGIS 10.8.1 software for mapping and classification, involving georeferencing, signature file creation, maximum likelihood classification, and conversion from raster to vector formats for area calculations. For the LULC change matrix, an intersection analysis in ArcGIS overlaid data from different time points, and a pivot table in Excel organised resulting data. A focus on arable land changes, particularly conversions to other land uses, was crucial, as the study is investigating the level of arable field abandonment in these areas, understanding how much arable land has been converted or remained unchanged provides a clear indication of the extent of abandonment. To understand driving forces of arable field abandonment, a semi-structured questionnaire was developed based on the Driving forces, Pressures, States, Impacts, and Responses (DPSIR) framework. The questionnaires were administered through household interviews conducted in the four study villages. Sections of the questionnaire covered household involvement in cropping, perceptions of land use change, abandonment of field cultivation, and socio-economic demographics. Sampling involved a random selection of 20% of total households in each village, with data analysis performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Chi-square tests and Kruskal-Wallis analysis were employed to assess differences between villages. A second questionnaire specifically targeting households that had abandoned field cultivation was also done. Ninety-seven interviews were conducted to evaluate economic, health, socio-cultural and environmental impacts from respondents that indicated to have ceased field cultivation. Data analysis through SPSS utilised descriptive statistics and chi-square tests to identify statistically significant differences between villages. Oral histories were collected from elderly individuals in each village from a sample size of 15 individuals who were previous cultivators of fields, selected with the assistance of a village leader. The selected elders provided qualitative insights into historical and contemporary experiential aspects of village life. The focus was on changes in village relations, the environment, generational values, and traditional farming practices in each village. Youth-focused group discussions were organised with 30 young people in the village between the ages of 18-35, covering topics such as youth goals, the importance of field cultivation, and perceptions of the future. Both the oral histories and focus group discussions conducted in the local languages, were tape-recorded, transcribed, and subjected to content analysis to identify and interpret themes and patterns. The approach involved coding sentences, grouping codes into sub-themes, and further organising them into categories and subcategories. The LULC change results showed a consistent trend of significant arable land reduction across all villages, accompanied by a notable increase in grassland cover. Manqorholweni experienced the most significant loss of these arable fields. This finding was further supported by the household interviews which revealed 100% abandonment of fields in this village. Grasslands emerged as the dominant land cover in all villages, overtaking arable fields and homestead gardens. Regarding field abandonment, 76% of households across villages left fields unused for over 19 years due to reasons including lack of fencing, animal damage to crops, and financial constraints, despite recognising the socio-economic importance of field cultivation. Respondents expressed interest in returning to cultivation if the state would assist with fencing materials and costs. Concerns such as loss of cultural identity due to field abandonment were raised, especially in Manqorholweni, Mawane, and Melani. Homestead gardens were identified as a compensating strategy, with 78% of respondents actively maintaining them, although LULC change results indicated a decline, except in Mawane. Field cultivation revealed gender, age, and educational disparities, with non-cropping households having more female heads, individuals above 55, and higher proportions with only primary education. Households that abandoned field cultivation reported a decline in economic stability, with 97% experiencing less stable household economic circumstances. Unemployment was prevalent, with over 70% relying on social grants, creating financial challenges for 76% lacking sufficient cash. Limited off-farm formal employment (20%) was observed, while remittances played a minor role, this resulted in insufficient monthly income, affecting 94% of respondents. Dietary diversity declined, and reliance on store-bought food led to health concerns. Field abandonment impacted family dynamics, altering power relationships and reducing interaction, also heightened by COVID-19, affecting cultural identity and community cohesion. Youth across villages were not currently engaged in field cultivation or farming but expressed interest in revitalising agriculture. They recognised the socio-economic significance of agriculture and highlighted the importance of capital, resources, and government support. Challenges for youth involvement included lack of information, absence of agricultural advisors, and disparities in access to credit. Lack of support from elders and limited sharing of agricultural knowledge further hindered youth's ability to initiate farming projects. In conclusion, this study highlights the significant issue of arable field abandonment in rural areas of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, reflecting broader socio-economic and environmental transformations. The consistent reduction in arable land across the studied villages, coupled with the rise in grassland cover, underscores a critical shift from traditional agricultural practices to alternative land uses. The abandonment of fields has had profound impacts on community livelihoods, leading to decreased economic stability, reduced dietary diversity, and weakened social and cultural ties. The findings reveal a clear need for targeted interventions to address the specific challenges faced by these communities, particularly regarding food security and economic resilience. To address the challenges of arable field abandonment, it is crucial to implement a multi-faceted support program. This should include providing essential resources such as fencing, irrigation systems, and agricultural tools to facilitate field cultivation. Additionally, engaging and supporting youth in agriculture through training, access to advisors, and financial aid is vital to revitalise interest in farming. Strengthening social safety nets by enhancing financial support systems can mitigate economic challenges faced by affected households. Furthermore, initiating cultural and educational programs to preserve traditional farming knowledge while integrating modern practices will help maintain cultural identity and community cohesion. These measures are key to improving resilience and livelihoods in the context of field abandonment.

The essays in this anthology represent, in the broadest sense, an interpretive perspective of inquiry that has flourished in oral history for the past 15 years. This perspective considers oral history interviews as subjective, socially constructed and emergent events; that is, understanding, interpretation, and meaning of lived experience are interactively constructed. The impetus for this volume was the editor's fascination with the multifaceted complexity of the oral history interview method coupled with the belief that, despite many books that address methodological issues, no single work takes as its focus those complex, interactive processes which constitute the oral history interview. The editors' purpose in developing this anthology, therefore, was to provide a variety of essays which taken together address the possibilities and constraints inherent in oral history interviewing.

The thesis explores the rundown process of one large long-stay hospital for people with learning difficulties in the north west of England during the later years of the twentieth century. It does this through a multi-voiced account which draws on oral history interview and documentary data relating to managers, staff and relatives. This polyphonic approach, focused upon those who had agency in the rundown of the institution, enables an in-depth examination of the processes and meanings of such an immense organisational change. The research found that the contraction of the Royal Albert Hospital, Lancaster was a complex process, involving high levels of managerial acumen, compassion and enthusiasm. However, although presented by those implementing change as being predicated upon sound ethical and ideological principles, the study also indicated that this institutional rundown was shaped significantly by a neo-liberal agenda bound up with imperatives of logistics and cost. Tensions and contradictions associated with the latter were partly reflected in the viewpoints of staff and families who were critical of elements of the policy and practice of organisational downsizing. The oral history data in particular suggests, however, that these oppositional perspectives were discredited and distanced within the constraints of a dominant organisational narrative which espoused the absolute rightness of institutional closure. Furthermore, this ethically infused rhetoric underplayed the negative impact of the rundown on employees as they experienced insecurities associated with the loss of a meaningful and, in many instances, long-standing workplace. The research contributes to the literature on the social history of learning disability,especially pertaining to institutional closures and deinstitutionalisation; organisational studies (the management of change); deindustrialisation; and oral history methodology.

The digital turn has had a profound impact on the practice of oral history. This article calls for a robust and critical reflection on how this turn has impacted both the process of conducting interviews and our efforts to analyze and disseminate them. Using a feminist and humanistic approach to oral history, we examine the ethical and methodological implications of databasing and indexing software, of putting our interviews on the Web, and of engaging with tech capitalism. We argue that oral history interviewing and interpretation are, ideally, intentionally slow processes, while digital technology prides itself on its speed, leading us to ask: how do we reconcile the two?

This chapter describes how the four authors collaborated to create a dance performance to communicate a finding from an oral history interview. The performance was based on the narration of Sybil Jordan Hampton about her lived education experiences. The dance performance was a (re)presentation of the theme of strength, which emerged from the analysis of Sybil's oral history about her experiences as the sole African American student in her class at Little Rock (Arkansas) Central High School from 1959 to 1962. To illustrate the theme, four moments in the dance performance are presented through photographs and discussed. The methodological and pedagogical implications of dance performance as a site for the presentation of oral histories and a site of inquiry regarding injustice, marginalization, agency, and power are presented.

In the course of gathering oral histories from women who served in the Navy and Coast Guard during World War II, an unusual conversational pattern has emerged. The women almost invariably diminish the importance of their wartime contributions; a common refrain is “I didn’t do anything important.” Their individual experiences, as revealed during the interviews, belie that assertion. In this paper, I will use the women's words to parse what is meant by this rhetorical move. Do the women really believe they did not do anything important? If so, why do they find it necessary to participate in the very public process of oral history, placing their names and life stories within the historical record? Considering both the content and the context of the women's words from a feminist pragmatist philosophical base will help explain this seemingly incongruent act. This article demonstrates that the women do not really mean to belittle their life experiences (and military service), but instead are using the phrase as a way to acknowledge society's expectations. The oral history interview, meanwhile, is used by the women to not only place their experience into the historical record but also to affirm the importance of their wartime work.

The Coming of Age for Qualitative Research: Embracing the Diversity of Qualitative Methods

The central feature of Patricia Leavy’s book, Oral History: Understanding Qualitative Research, is the legitimization of doing oral history and, generally, qualitative research in the social sciences. Leavy reviews the foundational philosophies that inform the qualitative practice of doing social research and the methodological tools that affirm the scientific nature of oral history (such as reflection, explicitness, proper coding, and congruence). Leavy instructs the reader through each stage of the methodological process from research design to writing up the research findings. Oral History is not only an instructional guide but also a response to the critics of the qualitative approach who believe oral history is too subjective and lacks the scientific rigor of the quantitative.