History 697AA Theory and Method of Oral History – The 1970’s

Joyce Berkman, Susan Tracy, Hampshire College

Spring 2010, Wednesday, 3:35-6:05 p.m Will meet at UMASS

Synopsis:

The purpose of this combined graduate and advanced undergraduate course is to familiarize students with the evolution of scholarship on oral history theory and methods over the past several decades and offer training in oral history practice.  The focus of our oral history work will be the decade of the 1970’s, a time of political and cultural ferment and progressive and retrogressive changes. The antiwar movement, the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, the feminist and gay liberation movements and diverse conservative backlash to these movements experienced diverse fates during these ten years.  In the Pioneer Valley new immigrants and long term residents critiqued prevailing attitudes, reformed established institutions and formed new ones; e.g. musical and theater groups, new trade unions, rape crisis centers, women’s reproductive rights groups, intentional communities.  We plan to record some of their stories.  Requirements will include active and informed course participation in class discussion, an analytical paper on oral history theory and methods, two interviews of the same individual (the first interview features your introduction of the oral history process to the narrator and a discussion with her/him of possible topics for the main interview) and either a transcript of your second interview or a video recording of it. 

Syllabus: Not available

Course Website: Not available