The Making of Oral History (Article by Graham Smith)

Source: Graham Smith, Institute of Historical Research, London University (www.history.ac.uk)

This article provides an excellent introduction to Oral History, from Developments in Oral History Theory, Ethics and Legal Understanding to Technical Changes, Archives and the Future of Oral History.

Since the 1970s oral history in Britain has grown from being a method in folklore studies to become a key component in community histories. Oral history continues to be an important means by which non-academics can actively participate in 'making history'. However practitioners across a range of academic disciplines have also developed the method into a way of recording, understanding and archiving narrated memories.

Oral history has also emerged as an international movement. Within this movement oral historians have approached the collection, analysis and dissemination of oral history in different ways. In broad terms while oral historians in Western Europe and North America have often focused on issues of identity and cultural difference, oral historians in Latin America and Eastern Europe have tended to pursue more overtly political projects.

In Britain the Oral History Society played a key role in facilitating and developing the use of oral history. Internationally oral historians are represented by the International Oral History Association (IOHA) However, there are many ways of doing oral history even within single national contexts.

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